Premium
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iOS, Android, web
Smart Search is the AI-powered search box at the top of the REPSLog entry log. Type “roof leak” and it returns the entry you described as “called the plumber about water through the ceiling”, because it matches on meaning rather than exact words. It is for real estate investors with hundreds of REPS or STR loophole entries who need to find one fast, on iPhone, Android or the web app. Smart Search is a Premium feature.
What it does
The search field sits above your entries on the Entry Log screen, with the placeholder “Smart Search”, and appears once you have entries to search. Type at least three characters and pause; about a second later, REPSLog sends your query, finds the entries whose descriptions are closest in meaning, and shows them in place of the full list, ranked by relevance. A help icon in the empty field explains: “Type in any term and let the AI-Search find all the related results for you!”
Search respects whatever filters are active: a date range, properties, participants, categories, or the STR view. That makes “inspection” plus a 2025 date range plus one property a precise question.
With Smart Search Attachments turned on, the same field also matches what is inside your files. Search “vanity and faucet” and the entry whose receipt says that comes back, even if the entry itself just says “hardware store run”. There is no separate box; attachment matches join the results. Attachment search needs its own permission because files can carry sensitive information. REPSLog asks when it is relevant: when you search with attachments on your account, or when you attach a file. The prompt is titled “Search inside your files” and offers Enable or Not now. Once enabled, existing files are indexed in the background and new uploads are added as they arrive. If a search finds nothing and you have unindexed files, a row under the field says how many attachments are not searchable yet, with a Turn on button.
Clear the field and the full log comes back. Each search uses one of a daily allowance of 100 per account; past that, REPSLog says “You have reached the daily limit of this feature. Please try again tomorrow.”
On Free and Starter, tapping the search field opens the upgrade screen. The index is built from your entry descriptions, so everything you have already logged is searchable the moment you upgrade.
How it works
Open the Entries tab. The search field is at the top of the Entry Log.
Type what you are looking for, in your own words, at least three characters.
Pause. After about a second the list is replaced by the matching entries, closest match first.
Optional: tap Filter first to set a date range, property, participant or category. The search runs inside that selection.
Tap a result to open the entry.
To search inside receipts and documents too, accept the “Search inside your files” prompt, or turn on Smart Search Attachments in Settings, AI and Privacy.
Clear the field to return to the full log.
Why it matters for your hours
A REPS log that passes the 750-hour test has hundreds of entries in it, and the question from your CPA is rarely “how many hours” but “show me the entries for the HVAC replacement” or “everything you did at the duplex in March.” Scrolling for those is slow, and remembering the exact words you typed months ago is unreliable. Searching by meaning gets you to the entry, and the receipt inside it, in seconds.
That speed matters most under review. If an examiner asks about a specific week or contractor, pulling the entries and their evidence on the spot is what a contemporaneous log is for. Ask your CPA what they will want to see; Smart Search is how you get it out of the log quickly.
If you host on Airbnb or Vrbo and use the STR loophole, the questions come per property: which entries make up this listing’s 100 hours, and did the cleaner, co-host or manager do more than you. Switch the log to the STR view, filter to one property and year, and search “turnover” or “restock” to pull those entries with their receipts for linens and supplies. Filter to Cleaner instead of Myself and the same search shows the work you logged under the cleaner’s name. With Smart Search Attachments on, the search reaches inside cleaner invoices and payout statements too.
Good to know
Premium only. On Free and Starter the field opens the upgrade screen.
iPhone, Android and the web app. The field appears once you have at least one entry.
Minimum three characters; the search runs about one second after you stop typing. 100 searches per account per day.
Active filters and the LTR or STR view apply to search results, so a short-term rental host can search one property’s STR entries only.
Entry text search is governed by the Basic AI features switch in Settings, AI and Privacy. Your query is sent to an AI provider to be matched. Turn the switch off and the field becomes inert; tapping it offers to turn AI features back on. Processing stops immediately and the derived index is deleted within 31 days. Turning it back on within 30 days restores it.
Attachment search is a separate, opt-in permission (Smart Search Attachments). Turn it off and search goes back to entry text only; the descriptions are deleted as described in the Privacy Policy, and restored if you turn it back on within 30 days. The attachment switch is disabled while the main switch is off.
If you have never attached a file, you are not asked about attachment search. Indexing a large history takes time.
Team members invited to an account can search it; the AI and Privacy switches belong to the account owner.
Needs an internet connection.
Frequently asked questions
Does REPSLog have a search feature?
Yes. Smart Search sits at the top of the Entry Log on iPhone, Android and the web app. It matches entries by meaning, not only by the exact words, and it is a Premium feature.
Can I search inside receipts and documents in REPSLog?
Yes. Turn on Smart Search Attachments (REPSLog asks for this permission separately) and the same search field matches what is inside your photos and PDFs.
Why does Smart Search return entries that do not contain my word?
Because it matches meaning. “Plumbing” will return an entry about a leaking faucet. To narrow the set, add a date range, a property or a category with the Filter button.
Does Smart Search work with filters?
Yes. Any date range, property, participant or category you have applied, and the LTR or STR view, limit the results to that selection.
Is Smart Search available on the free plan?
No. Smart Search is part of Premium and of the 14-day free trial. On Free and Starter, tapping the field opens the upgrade screen.
How do I stop REPSLog from sending my entries to an AI?
Open Settings, AI and Privacy and turn off Basic AI features. Search stops, processing stops immediately, and the derived data is deleted within 31 days. Turn off Smart Search Attachments on its own if you only want your files left alone.
Can I search one Airbnb property’s entries for the 100-hour test?
Yes. Switch to the STR view, tap Filter, tick that property and the year, then search. Results stay inside the selection. The property’s hours against 100 are on its row on the Overview.
Is Smart Search a good alternative to filtering a spreadsheet?
Yes. A filter finds the exact word you typed. Smart Search finds entries by meaning, including what is inside your attachments, so “the plumbing job at the cabin” finds the invoice even if the entry says “repair”.
Related features
Learn more
Turning attachment search on and off is covered in How to Search Your Entries by What Is in Your Attachments.
From the blog: What evidence does the IRS want for REPS hours?.
Try REPSLog free for 14 days on iOS, Android or the web app.