--- title: "How to Search Security Footage Across Multiple Locations" author: "Cutsio Team" date: "2026-05-09" lastmod: "2026-05-09" category: "Industry Solutions" excerpt: "The best way to search security footage across multiple locations is to use Cutsio Collections to centralize exported footage from every site and search across all of them simultaneously." tags: ["Security", "Multi-Location", "Search", "Operations", "Portfolio"] --- ## How do you search security footage across multiple locations? The best way to search security footage across multiple locations is to use Cutsio Collections to centralize exported footage from every site and search across all of them simultaneously. Instead of logging into each location's camera system separately, security directors can search all locations at once. Multi-location security directors face a unique challenge. Each location has its own camera system, its own storage, and its own review process. Finding an incident that spans multiple locations — an organized retail crime group hitting 5 stores, a delivery driver causing damage at 3 properties — requires reviewing footage from each location independently. This is time-consuming and often results in missed connections. ## How do you centralize footage from multiple locations? The key to cross-location search is centralization without disruption. Each location keeps its existing camera system. When an incident occurs at a specific location, that location exports the relevant footage and uploads it to a shared Collection. Cutsio's Collection upload links make this process simple. A regional security director creates a Collection for an investigation and generates an upload link. The link is sent to each affected location. The location manager exports the footage from their local system and uploads it through the link. No account needed for the location manager, no training required. Once all footage is uploaded, the director searches the Collection once. Results from every location appear in a single result set. For more on the collection workflow, read our [guide to how multi-location loss prevention teams search video across stores](/blog/how-multi-location-loss-prevention-teams-search-video-across-stores). ## What types of incidents benefit most from cross-location search? Three types of incidents benefit most from cross-location search: organized retail crime, vendor or contractor investigations, and pattern identification. Organized retail crime groups operate across multiple stores. A single group may hit 10 to 20 stores in a region over several weeks. Cross-location search reveals the pattern. A regional LP manager searching for "white van near entrance" across all store Collections may find the same van at 4 stores over 2 weeks. The pattern identifies the group's operating territory and frequency. Vendor and contractor investigations often span multiple locations. A delivery driver who causes damage at one store may have caused damage at others. A contractor who steals from one job site may have stolen from others. Cross-location search links these incidents. Pattern identification reveals trends that single-location review misses. A specific theft method appearing at multiple stores suggests organized activity. A specific time pattern — thefts occurring at 2 PM across multiple locations — reveals operational knowledge of store schedules. ## How do you manage a cross-location investigation step by step? A regional LP manager receives reports of beauty product thefts at 3 stores in the past 2 weeks. Each store reported 10 to 15 units missing from the beauty aisle. The manager needs to determine whether the same person is responsible. Step one: create a Collection. The manager creates a Collection called "ORC Beauty Theft — June 2026" and generates upload links for each affected store. The link is sent to the store managers with instructions to export footage from the beauty aisle camera and the front entrance camera for the date range of the reported thefts. Step two: collect footage. Within 24 hours, all 3 stores have uploaded their footage. Store #1 uploaded 4 hours from 2 cameras. Store #2 uploaded 3 hours from 2 cameras. Store #3 uploaded 5 hours from 2 cameras. Total: 12 hours of footage from 6 cameras across 3 locations. Step three: search across all locations. The manager searches the Collection for "person near beauty display taking multiple items." Cutsio returns matches from all 3 stores. The manager reviews the results and identifies the same suspect at stores #1 and #2 — same clothing, same build, same method. Step four: compile cross-location evidence. The manager adds clips from both stores to a compiled timeline. The timeline shows the suspect entering each store, approaching the beauty display, concealing items, and exiting. The clips demonstrate the organized pattern. Step five: share with law enforcement. The manager generates a secure share link for the compiled evidence and sends it to the regional task force. View tracking confirms when the task force has reviewed the evidence. The total investigation time from first report to evidence package is under 2 hours. The manual equivalent — calling each store, having each manager scrub their footage, compiling results via email — takes 1 to 2 days. ## How do you standardize camera coverage across multiple locations for effective search? Cross-location search is most effective when every location has similar camera coverage of critical areas. A regional LP manager searching for a suspect across 15 stores gets better results when each store has clear footage of the entrance, the high-theft aisles, and the exit. Standardization starts with identifying the minimum camera coverage required for effective search. Every store should have at least one camera covering the main entrance, one covering the exit, and one covering each high-theft department. Stores with additional cameras provide more angles but the core coverage ensures that cross-location searches return useful results from every store. For stores with different camera systems, the export workflow may vary. One store might export from a Verkada interface while another exports from a Hikvision DVR. The key is that every store manager knows the export process for their system. Cutsio accepts any format, so the export process does not need to be standardized — only the camera positioning and coverage.
Cutsio

One search. Every location. Full visibility.

Centralize footage from every location into one searchable platform. Find cross-location patterns that single-site review misses.

Try Cutsio Free

No credit card. 60 mins free.

## FAQ ### How do I get location managers to export footage? Send them a Collection upload link. They click the link, export from their local system, and upload. No account, no training, no permissions needed. ### Can I search across locations with different camera systems? Yes. Cutsio accepts footage from any system. A Collection can contain Verkada, Avigilon, Hikvision, and phone footage, all searchable together. ### How often should I upload footage from each location? Upload incident-specific footage when an investigation opens. For ongoing monitoring, each location can maintain its own Collection with regular uploads. ### Can I set up automated uploads from each location? Currently, uploads are initiated manually. Upload links can be reused, making regular uploads quick once the export workflow is established. ### How many locations can I include in a single search? There is no limit. Search across 5, 50, or 500 locations in a single query.

Multi-location security. One search bar.

Cutsio lets security directors search footage from every location at once. Find cross-site patterns, identify ORC groups, and build stronger cases.

Try Cutsio Free

No credit card required. 60 minutes of free processing.