> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.brieftech.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.brieftech.ai/get-started/prepare-disclosure-list.md).

# Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure

Welcome. In this tutorial we'll prepare a disclosure package — the kind you produce when you need to share a set of documents with the other side, a court, or a client. By the end you'll have a single ZIP archive containing:

* a **Word file** with the index table (one row per document: serial number, date, description),
* an **Excel file** with the same index in spreadsheet form, and
* every **document file** renamed to `<serial>-<date>-<description>.<ext>`.

We'll follow the workflow from upload to export in order. The whole run takes around fifteen minutes.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** This is a learning walkthrough with one fixed path. Once you've completed it, the **How-To Guides** show how to handle each task on real matters, and the **Reference** pages cover every available option in detail.
{% endhint %}

***

## Before you start

**Before you open BriefTech**, prepare a small set of practice documents on your computer — five to ten files is enough to see the full workflow. They can be PDFs, Word documents, emails, or any other supported file type mixed together.

***

## Step 1 — Create the matter and upload your documents

A **matter** is BriefTech's container for a single case or transaction.

1. Sign in to BriefTech. You'll land on the **Matters** screen.
2. Click <img src="/files/S2vOeMrjsak7mMhO6iy0" alt="Create New Matter" data-size="line">.
3. In **Input Matter Reference**, type `Practice — Disclosure List`.
4. Click <img src="/files/RKigBzmy56Njg6uiSfG5" alt="Create Matter" data-size="line">.

BriefTech opens the new matter on its <img src="/files/TkXmUkwMiGfDigifVWS6" alt="Files tab" data-size="line"> tab, showing an empty upload zone.

Now upload your practice documents:

5. Drag your files into the upload zone, or click <img src="/files/dRcexsibGmukuEbZOOr8" alt="Select files" data-size="line"> and pick them from your file picker.
6. BriefTech begins uploading and processing each file immediately.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Uploading a folder structure?** If your documents are organised in folders, you can drag the whole folder in — BriefTech remembers which folder each file came from.

1. Drag the whole folder into the upload zone.
2. Later, in the Document Index, choose **Apply preset → Generate index headings → Group by folder** to turn each folder into a **header** that groups the disclosure list by category.

See [Organise documents into folders](/how-to-guides/organise/organise-documents-into-folders.md) for the full guide.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Documents with processing issues:** If a document shows an error or warning icon, hover over it to read the message. For a persistent processing error, right-click the row and choose <img src="/files/ml67EhVJICMAxGuxBFuI" alt="Re-process Selection" data-size="line"> — see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document.md) for a full guide.
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 2 — Let BriefTech process the documents

BriefTech automatically extracts the date and a description from each document as it uploads. This runs in the background.

1. Click the <img src="/files/9C48Pbtzosn7QyvNGfYt" alt="Review tab" data-size="line"> tab.
2. Watch the **Document Date** and **Document Description** columns fill in. A spinner on a row means that document is still being processed.

Wait until every row shows a date and a description before continuing.

{% hint style="info" %}
**How does BriefTech extract dates and descriptions?** Each document is processed by a set of AI agents that read the text and identify the most likely date and a short summary. To understand how this works — and what to do if results are consistently unexpected — see [How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks](/concepts/how-ai-analysis-works.md).
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 3 — Review and correct dates and descriptions

The index table is built from the **Document Date** and **Document Description** fields, and these same values appear in the renamed filenames. Reviewing them now ensures the disclosure package is accurate.

**Correct a date:**

1. Find a row whose **Document Date** looks wrong or is missing.
2. Double-click the **Document Date** cell to open the inline date editor. It is a free-text editor, not a calendar: if BriefTech found more than one date in the document, a list of those dates appears for you to pick from, or you can type a date directly.
3. Click outside the cell to confirm.

**Correct a description:**

4. Find a row whose **Document Description** you want to improve.
5. Double-click the **Document Description** cell. An inline editor opens.
6. Edit the text, then click outside to confirm.

The value turns blue to show it has been edited manually. BriefTech will not overwrite a value you've set by hand.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Using the filename as the description:** If a document's existing filename is already the correct description, hover the row and click the <img src="/files/lvuL6AVaGtopFKlqlPWX" alt="Use file name as description" data-size="line"> icon to apply it directly. This icon shows only on hover, and only while the description hasn't been set by hand — once you've entered or accepted a description, it disappears.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Verifying against the source document:** Click a document's row to open a side-panel preview without leaving the <img src="/files/9C48Pbtzosn7QyvNGfYt" alt="Review tab" data-size="line"> tab.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
**Bring descriptions into a consistent style.** For many documents, use <img src="/files/NAFWMr6foHUNBdyD6nQA" alt="Refine Descriptions" data-size="line">:

1. Edit at least one description into the style you want (one example works; a few give better results).
2. Tick that row together with the documents you want to restyle.
3. Select <img src="/files/NAFWMr6foHUNBdyD6nQA" alt="Refine Descriptions" data-size="line"> in the toolbar.

BriefTech rewrites the unedited descriptions to match your examples. See [Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples.md) for the full guide.
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 4 — Configure serial numbering, date format, and sort order

Serial numbers are assigned in the <img src="/files/tWb9d9khekIZfwvjHrgh" alt="Index tab" data-size="line"> tab. BriefTech numbers documents from 1 by default (1, 2, 3, …). The serial numbers are plain sequential numbers and are not zero-padded. See [Serial numbers and date formats](/reference/serial-numbers-and-date-formats.md) for the full reference.

1. Click the <img src="/files/tWb9d9khekIZfwvjHrgh" alt="Index tab" data-size="line"> tab.
2. To change where numbering starts, hover the **S/No.** column header and click the pencil (edit) icon that appears to open its header editor, then set **Initial Serial Number**.
3. To change the date format, open the **Date** column's header editor the same way and choose a **Date Format Preset**. The options are labelled by example date (for example `01/01/2026`), not by format code.
4. To sort the list chronologically before numbering, select <img src="/files/sBGmuJdfayUj5cZZo5Gz" alt="Apply preset" data-size="line"> in the toolbar, hover over **Sort all sections**, and choose **Date**. See [Sort documents in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/sort-documents-in-index.md) for the full guide.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Adding headers to group documents.** To show groups under category headings (for example, "Correspondence", "Contracts", "Invoices"):

1. Hover over the row where a group should start — an **Add heading:** area appears.
2. Select the **Heading** chip and enter a title.
3. Drag documents beneath the heading.

See [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings.md) for the full guide.
{% endhint %}

Switch to **Preview** mode to confirm that serial numbers, dates, and descriptions look correct before exporting.

***

## Step 5 — Export the complete disclosure package

BriefTech produces the Word index, the Excel index, and the renamed files in a single export.

1. In the <img src="/files/tWb9d9khekIZfwvjHrgh" alt="Index tab" data-size="line"> tab, click <img src="/files/gab0Aco7pXjviDTP5eTs" alt="Download Files" data-size="line"> in the toolbar. The **Download Files** panel opens on the right.
2. Under **Export Type**, tick **All Files**. This produces a ZIP archive containing the renamed document files together with the Word and Excel index tables.
3. Under **File Naming Convention**, select **Serial Number + Date + Description**.
4. Leave **File Type**, **Word Separator in File Names**, and **Folder Export** at their defaults for now.
5. Click <img src="/files/XMmWEstV1lm8bZPH24nl" alt="Export" data-size="line">. If any documents are being exported for the first time, BriefTech will show a confirmation dialog listing the credit cost — review it and confirm to proceed.
6. BriefTech queues the job. You can navigate away — the **Background Jobs** panel (<img src="/files/Kb8zyAIYK1cMKC4IbdtS" alt="background jobs" data-size="line"> in the top bar) will notify you when the ZIP is ready. See [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs.md) if the job appears stuck.
7. Click the <img src="/files/vCiRV4qu1qeNviLpS0iK" alt="download" data-size="line"> download icon once the job completes.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Exporting spends credits.** Credits are charged at 1 credit per 50 pages (minimum 1 credit per document); documents you have exported before are free to re-export.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
**Customising the export:** This tutorial uses the defaults. To export files as searchable PDFs or preserve your folder structure inside the ZIP, see [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options.md) for the full settings reference.
{% endhint %}

Open the ZIP and check that it contains:

* a Word file with the index table,
* an Excel file with the index in spreadsheet form, and
* each document file named in the format `1-2024.01.15-email from alice to bob.pdf` (or similar).

***

## What you've accomplished

You took an empty matter and:

* uploaded a set of documents and let BriefTech extract dates and descriptions automatically,
* reviewed and corrected the metadata so the list is accurate,
* configured serial numbering, date format, and sort order in the Document Index, and
* exported a single ZIP containing the Word index, the Excel index, and every document renamed by serial number, date, and description — ready to share as a complete disclosure package.

***

## Where to go next

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file</strong></td><td>Export your Document Index in an editable Word or Excel format.</td><td><a href="/pages/3BZtu5E7I2aDmT4p42k5">/pages/3BZtu5E7I2aDmT4p42k5</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Sort documents in the Document Index</strong></td><td>Sort documents within index sections by date, file name, or description.</td><td><a href="/pages/P9Tb3lZJISMzO6JdjECf">/pages/P9Tb3lZJISMzO6JdjECf</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Manage headings in the Document Index</strong></td><td>Add, rename, move, and generate the headings that group the index.</td><td><a href="/pages/ieAV82knzNJMru5dLsYV">/pages/ieAV82knzNJMru5dLsYV</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples</strong></td><td>Edit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match.</td><td><a href="/pages/2HQR6widkii7lECN6YKJ">/pages/2HQR6widkii7lECN6YKJ</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Serial numbers and date formats</strong></td><td>Serial numbering options, date format presets, and sort order for the index.</td><td><a href="/pages/KN2LgxNA7iMxtRv0vVU2">/pages/KN2LgxNA7iMxtRv0vVU2</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Export formats and options</strong></td><td>Output formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index.</td><td><a href="/pages/dLT5HBp622x4XC6CGxhS">/pages/dLT5HBp622x4XC6CGxhS</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Document metadata fields</strong></td><td>The document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.</td><td><a href="/pages/L8nG61o2o8X9xUnAQSJq">/pages/L8nG61o2o8X9xUnAQSJq</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Background Jobs</strong></td><td>Status indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.</td><td><a href="/pages/REaGxjKXuLlDxbm28MDE">/pages/REaGxjKXuLlDxbm28MDE</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks</strong></td><td>What agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.</td><td><a href="/pages/pLl4zmTHql9gsVVTXlhP">/pages/pLl4zmTHql9gsVVTXlhP</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>The document lifecycle: from upload to ready</strong></td><td>What happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.</td><td><a href="/pages/u8eIgAY8I81LcXEFoaCo">/pages/u8eIgAY8I81LcXEFoaCo</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How credits work</strong></td><td>What credits measure and how your balance is calculated.</td><td><a href="/pages/O1QjNb4Cebaz4dJszQdJ">/pages/O1QjNb4Cebaz4dJszQdJ</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Credit costs and pricing</strong></td><td>How credits are consumed, what they cost, and when they expire.</td><td><a href="/pages/fw4wYZHpp052Zp2yI2kE">/pages/fw4wYZHpp052Zp2yI2kE</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


---

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