AI Icon Search

AI Icon Search finds the perfect icons for your presentation using simple descriptions. No more browsing through thousands of icons—just describe what you need.

What is Icon Search?

Icon Search is an AI-powered tool that:

Understands descriptions: "Shopping cart", "happy person", "cloud upload"
Shows visual results: 4×2 grid displaying 8 icon options
Allows drag & drop: Drag icons directly into your presentation
Provides URLs: Copy icon URLs for external use
Real-time loading: Icons load progressively with error handling

Describe what you need in plain language—AI finds relevant icons automatically.

Getting Started

Opening Icon Search

Click AI Tools in Offgen panel
Select Icon Search
Icon Search panel opens

Basic Usage

Enter description: Type what icon you need
Search: Click "Search" or press Enter
View results: 8 icons appear in grid
Use icon: Drag to slide or copy URL

Searching for Icons

Writing Descriptions

Describe the icon you want:

Simple descriptions:

"home"
"user"
"shopping cart"
"email"
"phone"

Detailed descriptions:

"person sitting at computer"
"colorful pie chart"
"hand holding smartphone"
"team working together"

Style descriptions:

"minimalist calendar icon"
"flat design envelope"
"outlined star"
"filled heart icon"

Concept descriptions:

"success"
"teamwork"
"innovation"
"growth"
"security"

Search Tips

Be specific:

❌ "thing"
✅ "cloud storage"

❌ "stuff"
✅ "office supplies"

Use common terms:

✅ "shopping cart" (not "purchase basket")
✅ "email" (not "electronic mail")
✅ "phone" (not "telephonic device")

Include style if important:

"outline calendar" → Outlined style
"filled star" → Solid/filled style
"flat design user" → Flat style

Combine keywords:

"red heart"
"blue arrow"
"green checkmark"

Icon Grid Display

4×2 Grid Layout

Results display in a grid:

┌──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┐
│ Icon │ Icon │ Icon │ Icon │  Row 1
├──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┤
│ Icon │ Icon │ Icon │ Icon │  Row 2
└──────┴──────┴──────┴──────┘

8 icons per search (optimized for choice without overwhelm)

Loading States

Icons load progressively:

Loading: Placeholder shown
Loaded: Icon appears
Error: Error indicator shown (icon unavailable)

If some icons fail to load, try a different search term or reload.

Using Icons

Drag & Drop

The easiest method:

Click and hold icon in grid
Drag to your slide
Release to place icon
Icon appears as image on slide

Benefits:

Quick and intuitive
Direct placement
Visual positioning
No copy/paste needed

Copy Icon URL

For external use or manual insertion:

Right-click icon (or use copy button)
Select "Copy URL"
Paste URL where needed

Use Cases:

Save icon for later
Share with team
Use in other applications
Insert via PowerPoint's Insert > Picture > From URL

Resizing Icons

After inserting:

1. Select icon on slide
2. Drag corner handles to resize
3. Hold Shift to maintain aspect ratio
4. Or use Get/Set Size for precise dimensions

Common Use Cases

Finding Standard Icons

Search: "home"
Result: House/home icons
Use: Navigation, homepage buttons

Search: "user"
Result: Person/profile icons
Use: User accounts, profiles

Search: "settings"
Result: Gear/cog icons
Use: Settings buttons, configuration

Business & Office Icons

"briefcase" → Business, professional
"chart" → Data, analytics
"presentation" → Slides, meetings
"calendar" → Scheduling, dates
"document" → Files, papers

Technology Icons

"cloud" → Cloud storage, syncing
"wifi" → Connectivity, internet
"mobile" → Smartphones, apps
"download" → File downloads
"security" → Privacy, protection

"email" → Messaging, contact
"phone" → Calls, support
"chat" → Conversations
"share" → Social sharing
"like" → Approval, favorites

Actions & UI Elements

"arrow" → Direction, navigation
"checkmark" → Confirmation, success
"plus" → Add, create
"trash" → Delete, remove
"edit" → Modify, update

Advanced Search Techniques

Using Modifiers

Refine results with modifiers:

Style modifiers:

"outline star"
"filled circle"
"flat design icon"
"minimal lock"

Color modifiers:

"red heart"
"blue shield"
"green checkmark"

Action modifiers:

"upload arrow"
"download cloud"
"clicking cursor"

Multi-Concept Search

Combine concepts:

"person using computer" → Specific scenario
"team meeting" → Group activity
"secure payment" → Security + transaction

Abstract Concepts

AI understands concepts:

"success" → Trophy, checkmark, thumbs up
"growth" → Upward arrows, graphs
"innovation" → Light bulbs, gears
"speed" → Lightning, speedometer

Icon Search Workflows

Building Icon Rows

1. Search: "features"
2. Drag first icon to slide
3. Position it
4. Search: "benefits"
5. Drag second icon next to first
6. Continue for all icons
7. Use Align + Distribute for perfect spacing

Creating Infographics

1. Create text boxes for each section
2. Search for relevant icon per section
3. Drag icons above/beside text
4. Align and style consistently

Button Icons

1. Create button shapes
2. Search for action icons: "play", "download", "info"
3. Drag onto buttons
4. Resize to fit
5. Center in buttons

Process Diagrams

1. Create process steps
2. Search icons for each step
3. Drag to represent each stage
4. Connect with arrows
5. Add labels

Tips & Best Practices

1. Start Simple

Begin with basic terms:

1. Try "calendar" first
2. If not right, refine: "monthly calendar"
3. Or try synonym: "planner"

2. Browse Results

Don't use first result blindly:

- View all 8 options
- Pick best fit for your design
- Consider style consistency

3. Maintain Consistency

Use similar style icons:

If first icon is outline style:
→ Search for outline versions of other icons
→ "outline star", "outline user"

4. Size Consistently

After inserting icons:

1. Resize first icon to desired size
2. Get Size
3. Select other icons
4. Set Size
Result: Uniform icon sizes

5. Plan Ahead

List needed icons before searching:

1. Shopping cart
2. Payment
3. Delivery truck
4. Success checkmark
Search and insert systematically

Icon Search vs. Manual Icon Finding

Icon Search	Manual Browsing
Describe what you want	Browse categories
AI finds matches	Manual filtering
8 curated results	Hundreds of options
Quick for specific needs	Good for browsing
Best for: Known concepts	Best for: Exploring

Real-Time Loading

Progressive Display

Icons load individually:

Search initiated
Grid appears with placeholders
Icons load one-by-one
You can use loaded icons immediately (don't wait for all)

Error Handling

If an icon fails:

Error indicator shown
Other icons still usable
Try refreshing search
Or use working alternatives

Network issues can affect loading. Check connection if many icons fail to load.

Icon Sources

Icons come from:

Curated icon libraries
Vetted for quality and licensing
Suitable for professional presentations
Royalty-free for presentation use

Always verify licensing terms if using icons in commercial products distributed outside your organization.

Troubleshooting

Problem: No Relevant Icons

Solution:

Try different search terms
Use synonyms: "car" → "automobile", "vehicle"
Simplify: "happy customer" → "smile"
Try related concept: "success" → "trophy"

Problem: Icons Won't Drag

Solution:

Ensure PowerPoint is active
Try copy URL and insert manually
Check if drag-and-drop is enabled
Restart Offgen if persistent

Problem: Icon Quality Poor

Solution:

Icons are vector-based when possible
Resize larger for better quality
Try different search for higher-quality results
Some icons inherently lower resolution

Problem: Can't Find Specific Style

Solution:

Include style in search: "flat design home"
Try multiple searches with style keywords
Browse all 8 results for variations
May need to edit icon after inserting

Combining with Other Tools

Icon Search + Alignment

1. Search and insert icons
2. Select all icons
3. Align Top
4. Distribute Horizontal
Result: Perfectly aligned icon row

Icon Search + Get/Set

1. Insert first icon, resize perfectly
2. Get Size
3. Insert more icons
4. Set Size
Result: All icons same size

Icon Search + AI Chat

AI Chat: "Create a 5-icon feature row with icons for speed, security, ease, support, and value"
AI: Searches for each icon, inserts, and arranges
Result: Complete icon row automatically