Frequently asked questions

It depends on the version. In Desktop, your files stay on your device and are indexed into a local store. They are never uploaded to ZSearch as files. In Cloud, your documents live in a private, encrypted, single-tenant vault on ZSearch-managed infrastructure, isolated from other customers and never pooled. In Enterprise, everything runs on your own infrastructure: your servers, your perimeter. Pick the version that matches how much you want to keep in-house.

Your files are never uploaded to ZSearch servers in Desktop mode. To make documents searchable, ZSearch creates embeddings, and in the Desktop version that step uses OpenAI, so document text is sent to OpenAI to be indexed. When you ask a question, your query is sent to whichever AI provider you have chosen for the answer. These calls go directly from your device to those providers, not through ZSearch. If you want a setup where nothing leaves your environment at all, that is what the Enterprise version with local models is for.

Yes, with the Enterprise version. There, embeddings and AI answers can run on models you host yourself, so no document text or query has to leave your infrastructure. One thing to note honestly: meeting transcription uses Deepgram, an external service, so fully offline meeting capture is a separate conversation. Talk to our team about air-gapped requirements.

In Desktop, your usage is anonymous: no account, no username, no usage profile. Queries go straight to your chosen AI provider. In Cloud and Enterprise, queries are processed within your managed or self-hosted environment. In all cases, ZSearch does not sell your data and does not train any models on your documents or queries.

ZSearch Desktop collects no analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking. The Cloud version collects only what is needed to run your account, such as your email and billing details. We do not sell data, and we do not train on your content.

The Enterprise version is the strongest fit for regulated personal data, since everything - files, embeddings, and AI processing - stays inside your own perimeter. In Cloud, your data sits in an isolated, encrypted vault and a data processing agreement is available. In Desktop, your files never reach ZSearch servers at all. Everything stays on your own machine; just bear in mind that indexing uses OpenAI, so factor that into your own compliance assessment.

No. ZSearch is built around AI. It needs models to index your documents and to answer your questions. What you control is which models you use and where they run: managed providers, your own API keys, or fully local models in the Enterprise version. There is no mode where ZSearch works with no AI at all.

In the Desktop version, embeddings are generated using OpenAI, so document text is sent out during indexing. In the Enterprise version, embeddings run on models you control, entirely within your environment. This is the core difference between the two: Desktop gives you local file storage with managed AI processing; Enterprise gives you full local control over every layer.

ZSearch works across many providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, DeepSeek, Moonshot, and Perplexity, plus fully local models through Ollama. You can bring your own API keys or use managed access. Switching providers is a settings change, not a migration.

Yes. Add your key in settings and ZSearch sends requests directly from your device or environment to that endpoint. Your key is stored locally and is never transmitted to ZSearch.

Every answer maps back to the exact source: the specific document and passage the information came from, with quote-to-chunk citations that persist across sessions. You can always check where an answer originated rather than taking it on trust.

Yes. ZSearch keeps a working memory of your conversations, with a rolling summary so context carries forward. This memory lives on your device or your own infrastructure, and it is used to help you, not to build a profile of you.

Yes. To transcribe a meeting, audio is processed by Deepgram, an external transcription service. This applies whenever you use Meeting Copilot or voice input, regardless of which AI provider you have chosen for answers. If you never use meeting capture or the chat mic, no audio is sent. We would rather be upfront about this than imply meetings are fully on-device when they are not.

It captures both microphone and system audio, transcribes in real time, and produces summaries you can search later from your vault. It includes purpose-built modes for different settings, such as meetings, interviews, and note-taking, and a screen-reading lens for capturing on-screen content.

Not in the standard product, because transcription relies on Deepgram. If offline or air-gapped meeting capture is a hard requirement, contact our team to discuss Enterprise options.

ZSearch Desktop runs on macOS and Windows, with Linux planned. Check the documentation for current system requirements.

Yes. The Enterprise version is built for deployment inside your own network, including private cloud, on-premises, and air-gapped environments.

It means ZSearch runs entirely within a network that has no internet connection. With local models, indexing, storage, and AI processing all happen inside your perimeter. This is an Enterprise capability.

No. ZSearch Desktop is a native app. Install it and go; no server, no containers, no config files. Enterprise deployments do include server components for multi-user sync, collaboration, and management.

A broad range: PDFs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, images, video and audio, plain text and Markdown, JSON, and HTML. New formats are added over time; see the documentation for the current list.

Yes. ZSearch can pull content from these sources into your vault and index it. Your source account stays where it is. ZSearch keeps an indexed copy and its embeddings in your own environment rather than relocating your accounts.

Yes. Your data can be exported to standard formats such as JSON, Markdown, and CSV. Your knowledge base stays portable and under your control.

It depends on the version. In Desktop, your files stay on your own device and ZSearch does not add its own encryption layer. They are protected by your device security, like your other local files. In Cloud, your vault data is encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard encryption, with key handling designed to keep your content under your control.

Yes, on the Enterprise version. It provides a full record of searches, queries, document access, shares, and AI calls, retained for compliance review and stored within your own infrastructure.

Yes, on the Enterprise version. Contact our team for supported identity providers and configuration details.

Deletion is designed to be complete. When you delete content in the Cloud or Enterprise versions, it is cryptographically purged rather than soft-deleted or retained in backups. Gone means gone.

Certification audits are underway. For our current status and security documentation, contact our team. The Enterprise architecture is designed so there is no shared infrastructure between customers to begin with.

Email security@zsearch.ai. We take credible reports seriously and aim to respond within 24 to 48 hours.

Desktop is for individuals who want maximum sovereignty on their own machine: files stay local, usage is anonymous. Cloud adds cross-device sync and collaboration through a private, encrypted, single-tenant vault on ZSearch-managed infrastructure. Enterprise runs the whole platform on your own infrastructure, with local models, audit logs, access controls, and air-gapped deployment options. Same core product, increasing levels of control and collaboration.

A Space is a shared workspace for collaborating with people you trust: family, teammates, or a department. You assign access levels such as view-only, edit, or admin, so the right people see the right things. Spaces are available in the Cloud and Enterprise versions.

Yes. The Desktop version is free to use. You bring your own AI provider keys, or subscribe for managed model access if you would rather not manage keys yourself.

Your Desktop documents always remain on your device regardless. For Cloud, your vault lives on ZSearch-managed infrastructure, so cancelling stops your sync and collaboration. Contact support about exporting or removing your Cloud vault data so you keep what you need.

Paid plans are billed through Stripe, and refunds are processed directly through Stripe. Contact support@zsearch.ai with your account email and we will help.

Yes. For teams of 5 or more, contact our team for volume options and custom arrangements.

Partly. Some components of ZSearch are open source, while other parts, including elements of the application and cloud infrastructure, are proprietary. See our licence documentation for the specifics.