# Brief Tech Overview What BriefTech is, how it works, and where to start. BriefTech is an AI production infrastructure for dispute lawyers. It processes raw evidentiary files: PDFs, emails, spreadsheets — into court-ready work product: indexes, court bundles. ## The four-step pipeline Every matter in BriefTech follows the same pipeline: | Step | Tab | What happens | | -------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **1 — Upload** | Files | Documents are converted to PDF, OCR'd where needed, and added to the search index automatically. | | **2 — Review** | Review | You correct document metadata: dates and descriptions. | | **3 — Index** | Index | You build the Document Index — ordered, structured, numbered. | | **4 — Export** | Index → Export | You generate a paginated PDF court bundle, or export the Document Index as DOCX/Excel. | BriefTech runs two workstreams in parallel throughout your matter: **AI analysis** — For the agents you switch on in a matter, BriefTech extracts key facts and classifies documents automatically. The output is a structured, reviewable layer of work your team didn't have to do manually. **Human review** — Your team works directly on the AI output: accepting, correcting, and refining until the work product is court-ready. Share a matter with colleagues who have a BriefTech account, assign permissions, and collaborate in real time. {% hint style="info" %} **In short:** The AI handles the extraction and classification. The lawyers own the judgment calls. {% endhint %} ## Key concepts | Concept | What it is | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Matter** | A single case. All documents and exports for that case live here. | | **Document Index** | The structured, ordered index that becomes the spine of your court bundle. | | **Credits** | The unit BriefTech uses for billing, based on a document's page count. A document is charged once per matter, at 1 credit per 50 pages (minimum 1), the first time it is committed — for example by exporting it or adding it to a court bundle. Uploading, processing, and running AI agents are free. For exactly which actions charge, see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). | | **Collection** | A named subset of documents within a matter, used to segment the document set. | | **Preset** | A built-in Document Index configuration (columns, serial numbers, bundle settings) applied in one click. | ## How this help centre is organised The help centre is split into four sections — pick the one that matches what you need right now: * **Get Started** — guided, end-to-end walkthroughs you follow once to learn the shape of the product. * **How-To Guides** — short, goal-oriented steps for getting a specific job done. Grouped into eight sections that follow the flow of a matter: Upload Files, Process Files, Organise Documents, Review Documents, Index Documents, Build Bundles, Export Files, Manage Account. * **Reference** — exact fields, limits, settings, and formats, as a single flat list. * **Concepts** — background reading about how and why BriefTech works the way it does. {% hint style="success" %} **New to BriefTech?** Start with the [tutorial](/get-started/your-first-matter) — about ten minutes, using sample files, no real case data needed. {% endhint %} The structure follows the [Diátaxis](https://diataxis.fr) framework: each page is written as exactly one kind of content (tutorial, how-to, reference, or concept), so you always know what you're getting. *** ## Need more help? Contact the BriefTech support team at . *** ## Where to go next
Your First MatterA guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle.Your First Matter
How a matter moves through BriefTechThe staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it.How a matter moves through BriefTech
How AI analysis worksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
# Your First Matter A guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle. Welcome. In this tutorial we'll take a brand-new matter all the way through BriefTech together — from an empty matter to a finished court bundle you can open on your computer. By the end, you'll have loaded a set of documents, seen the AI describe them automatically, corrected a detail, built a Document Index, and generated and downloaded a bundle. We'll work in a throwaway **practice matter**, and we'll use BriefTech's built-in **sample files** so you don't need to find any documents of your own. Nothing here touches a real case, and you can archive the matter afterwards to clear it from your list. The whole run takes about ten minutes. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** This is a learning walkthrough with one fixed path. Once you've done it: * **How-To Guides** — how to do each task on real matters * **Reference** — every option listed * **Concepts** — why things work as they do {% endhint %} *** ## Before you start By the end of this tutorial you'll have: * a practice matter loaded with a set of sample documents, * AI-generated dates and descriptions for each one, * a structured Document Index built from a preset, and * a finished, paginated court bundle downloaded to your computer. **You don't need any documents of your own.** BriefTech provides built-in **sample files**, and we work in a throwaway **practice matter** you can [archive](/how-to-guides/manage/organise-your-matters#archive-a-matter-you-have-finished-with) afterwards — nothing here touches a real case. All you need is a BriefTech account (we'll create one in Step 1 if you don't have it). The whole run takes about ten minutes. *** ## Step 1 — Sign in and create a practice matter A **matter** is the container for a single case. 1. Open BriefTech in your browser and sign in. If you don't have an account yet, create one from the sign-in screen — if you use email, select the **Create account** link on the form first. If you create it with an email address and a password, verify your email from the message BriefTech sends before you go on. For more on each sign-in option, see [Signing in and creating an account](/reference/signing-in). 2. You'll land on the **Matters** screen. Click Create New Matter. If you don't have any matters yet, the **Create a New Matter** dialog is already open — go straight to the next step. 3. In **Input Matter Reference**, type `Practice — Tutorial`. 4. Click Create Matter. BriefTech opens the new matter on its Files tab tab. You should now see an empty document area with a **Drop files or folders here for upload** zone in the centre — your blank practice matter is ready. *** ## Step 2 — Load the sample files Instead of hunting for documents to upload, we'll let BriefTech load a ready-made set for us. On the empty upload screen, click the text link below the Select files button: **Just exploring? Load sample files to try BriefTech now.** BriefTech begins loading a sample set of around twenty documents of different types — PDFs, emails, and text notes. You should see the file list fill with documents as they load. *** ## Step 3 — Open the Review tab tab As each document finishes processing, BriefTech automatically extracts a date and a description — no action required from you. Open the Review tab tab. You should see a **Date** and **Description** filling in for each row as extraction runs in the background. *** ## Step 4 — Correct one detail The AI is a strong start, but you're in charge. Let's refine a description so you can see how corrections work. 1. In the Review tab tab, pick any document row. 2. Double-click its **Description** cell. An inline editor opens. 3. Edit the text to improve or clarify it, then click outside the cell to save. The cell updates immediately — there's no Save button. You should now see your revised description in that row, and it will stay that way: re-running the AI's analysis won't overwrite a value you've set by hand. Open the Index tab tab to continue. *** ## Step 5 — Build the Document Index The **Document Index** is the ordered index that becomes the spine of your bundle. The fastest way to start one is to apply a preset. 1. In the Index tab tab, you'll see your documents listed in a table. 2. Click Apply preset in the toolbar. 3. Under **Apply bundle/index preset**, select **Bundle of Documents**. 4. Under **Generate index headings**, select Group by folder. 5. Under **Sort all sections**, select **Date**. The table updates instantly. You should now see tidy columns — a serial-number column labelled **Tab**, then Date, Description, Vol, and Page — with headings generated from your folder structure and documents sorted by date within each section. That's your Document Index taking shape. {% hint style="success" %} **Tip:** **Bundle of Documents** is a general-purpose preset — one of several. When you prepare a real matter you can pick the one that matches your court and document type. See [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets) for the full list and what each configures. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 6 — Generate the court bundle Now we'll turn that index and the documents into a paginated PDF. 1. In the toolbar, click Create Bundle. The **Create Bundle** panel opens on the right. 2. Leave every bundle setting at its default. 3. Click Create Bundle. A **Job Logs** window opens and shows the bundle being built. You can close it at any time — the bundle keeps building. When it's ready, BriefTech shows a **Bundles created successfully** message. While it runs, the background jobs icon in the top bar pulses; click it to open **Background Jobs** and check the job's status. *** ## Step 7 — Download your bundle 1. In the **Create Bundle** panel — the same panel you opened in Step 6 — find the completed bundle, listed below the Create Bundle button. 2. On the bundle card, click the download download icon. The bundle downloads to your computer. You'll see a card for each volume PDF and a **Complete Bundle (ZIP)** card containing them all — download whichever you prefer, then open it. You should now see a finished court bundle: a table of contents listing the documents, and the documents themselves with continuous page numbers stamped across them and bookmark links to each document. That's a real, court-style bundle — built by BriefTech from scratch, for your review and approval, in seven steps. *** ## What you've accomplished You took an empty matter and: * loaded a set of documents and let them process, * watched the AI automatically extract dates and descriptions, then corrected one yourself, * built a structured Document Index from a preset — with folder-based headings and documents sorted by date, and * generated and downloaded a paginated court bundle. You now know the shape of the whole BriefTech pipeline. Everything else is a variation on these steps. *** ## Where to go next
Review an AI-Analysed MatterA guided run through the Review stage — take a matter the AI has analysed and confirm, correct and refine its details until it's ready to index.Review an AI-Analysed Matter
How a matter moves through BriefTechThe staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it.How a matter moves through BriefTech
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
# Review an AI-Analysed Matter A guided run through the Review stage — take a matter the AI has analysed and confirm, correct and refine its details until it's ready to index. When you upload documents, BriefTech's AI reads each one and fills in a **Date** and a **Description** for every document. That's a strong first draft — but you're the lawyer, and the finished index has to be right. **Review** is the stage where you check the AI's work and correct anything that matters, before those details flow into your Document Index and court bundle. In this tutorial we'll take a practice matter the AI has already analysed and work through a real review pass together: read what the AI produced, fix a date, sharpen a description, teach BriefTech your preferred wording so it rewrites the rest, and tidy the set with a label. By the end you'll have a fully reviewed matter and know how to run the same pass on a real case. We'll work in a throwaway **practice matter** with BriefTech's built-in **sample files**, so nothing here touches a real case and you can archive the matter afterwards to clear it from your list. The whole run takes about ten minutes. {% hint style="info" %} **New to BriefTech?** Do [Your First Matter](/get-started/your-first-matter) first — it takes a matter from empty all the way to a downloaded bundle. This tutorial zooms in on just the Review stage and goes deeper. {% endhint %} *** ## Before you start By the end of this tutorial you'll have a **fully reviewed matter** — every AI-generated date and description checked, corrected where needed, refined to a consistent style, and ready to flow into a Document Index. **You don't need any documents of your own.** We work in a throwaway **practice matter** with BriefTech's built-in **sample files**, so nothing here touches a real case and you can [archive](/how-to-guides/manage/organise-your-matters#archive-a-matter-you-have-finished-with) it afterwards. If you already have the practice matter from [Your First Matter](/get-started/your-first-matter), you can reuse it. The whole run takes about ten minutes. *** ## Step 1 — Open a practice matter with sample files {% hint style="info" %} **Already done** [**Your First Matter**](/get-started/your-first-matter)**?** Open that practice matter and skip to Step 2. {% endhint %} Otherwise, set one up: 1. On the **Matters** screen, click Create New Matter, name it `Practice — Review`, and click Create Matter. 2. On the empty Files tab tab, click the link **Just exploring? Load sample files to try BriefTech now.** BriefTech loads a set of around twenty mixed documents and, as each one finishes processing, the **Organise** agent automatically works out its date and description — no action needed from you. Give it a moment to finish. *** ## Step 2 — Read what the AI produced Open the Review tab tab. This is your review area: one row per document, with the AI's **Date** and **Description** filled in. Take a moment to read down the list the way you would on a real matter. Most rows will be right or nearly right — that's the point of the AI. You're looking for the few that need a human: a date that looks wrong, or a description that's too vague. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** Every field you can edit here, and exactly what each accepts, is listed in [Document metadata fields](/reference/document-metadata-fields). The AI agent behind these values is the **Organise** agent. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 3 — Correct a date The AI often finds more than one date in a document — the date on the letterhead, a date mentioned in the body, a date in the filename — and it has to pick one. Sometimes it picks the wrong one. When it does, you usually don't need to retype anything: the other dates it found are one click away. 1. Find a row whose **Date** looks off, and double-click its **Date** cell. 2. If the AI detected more than one date, a short list of the **candidate dates** it found appears. Click the correct one. 3. If the date you want isn't in the list — or the document had none — just type it in; the cell is a plain text date editor, not a calendar. Date and Description cells have no Save button — picking a date, pressing Enter, or clicking outside the cell saves your change. *** ## Step 4 — Sharpen a description Now let's improve a description by hand. 1. Double-click any **Description** cell. An inline editor opens. 2. Rewrite it the way you'd want it to read in the index, then click outside the cell. The row updates at once and your text turns blue — it is now a **manual override**. Hover the cell and a locked padlock shows it's locked. That's an important promise: **re-running the AI's analysis won't overwrite a value you've set by hand.** You can correct a document today and re-run analysis on the rest of the matter tomorrow without losing your edit. {% hint style="warning" %} **Clearing a cell doesn't blank it out.** If you delete your text and click away, BriefTech **unlocks** the cell and keeps your current text — it removes the padlock rather than leaving the field empty, and it won't bring the AI's original suggestion back either. For a fresh AI suggestion, hand the field back to it (Step 7). {% endhint %} *** ## Step 5 — Teach BriefTech your style, then let it do the rest Editing every description by hand would defeat the point. Instead, edit just a couple in the style you want, then have BriefTech rewrite the others to match — this is **Refine Descriptions**. 1. Edit **two or three** descriptions by hand (double-click, type, press Enter). These are your **examples**. Two or three beat one, especially if your documents are mixed (say, letters and invoices). 2. Tick the checkbox on your edited example rows **and** on a few un-edited rows you want rewritten (the **targets**). 3. In the toolbar, click Refine Descriptions. BriefTech rewrites each target to match the style of your examples and leaves your edited rows untouched. {% hint style="info" %} **Button greyed out?** The button stays greyed out until your selection includes at least one example (a row you've edited) **and** at least one target (a row you haven't). Hover it for the reason. Full details and troubleshooting: [Refine descriptions from examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples). {% endhint %} *** ## Step 6 — Translate a description If your matter mixes languages, BriefTech can translate a description in place. Let's translate one. 1. Hover over a **Description** cell — a row of action icons appears. 2. Click the translate translate icon and pick a language: **English**, **Bahasa Malaysia**, **Chinese (Simplified)**, or **French**. The description is replaced with the translation. {% hint style="warning" %} **Translating overwrites the description and can't be undone.** The translation replaces the current text in place — there's no undo back to the earlier version, so if you need it, copy it first. To move on you can retype the description or re-run the AI to generate a fresh one. Translate also works on a row you've edited by hand (a blue, locked row), and using it there unlocks the row. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 7 — Hand a field back to the AI (optional) You're always in control of the balance between your edits and the AI's suggestions. Let's hand some fields back. 1. Hover the description you locked in Step 4, click the lock padlock to unlock it, then click the Regenerate AI description sparkle button. The AI writes a fresh description for that document. 2. Tick a few other rows, right-click one of them and choose Regenerate Description & Date, then click **Continue** to confirm. BriefTech re-runs the Organise agent on just those documents in the background, keeping any value you've locked — their rows show a placeholder while it works and fill in when it's done. *** ## Step 8 — Tidy the set with a label A quick organising touch while you're here. Labels help you filter and group documents later. 1. Tick the checkbox on a few related rows. Bulk-action buttons appear in the toolbar above the table. 2. Click Apply labels. Your practice matter has no labels yet, so type a name such as `Correspondence` and click **Create "Correspondence"** — the new label is ticked for you. 3. Click Apply. The label now shows in the **Labels** column of every row you ticked. That's a bulk edit — the same pattern applies collections (Manage collections) and, via the toolbar **Tools** menu, spreadsheet edits of dates and descriptions. For the full set of bulk edits, see [Bulk-edit metadata](/how-to-guides/review/bulk-edit-metadata). *** ## What you've accomplished You've taken an AI-analysed matter and made it yours: corrected a date from the candidates the AI found, sharpened a description into a locked override, refined the rest from your own examples, translated one, handed fields back to the AI, and labelled a group — with no Save button for any of your edits. *** ## Where to go next
Index DocumentsBuild the Document Index: the structured, ordered index that becomes the spine of your court bundle.Index Documents
Review DocumentsThe human-review pass: verify and correct what the AI produced before building the index.Review Documents
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Document classesThe classes BriefTech's AI chooses from when it classifies a document, what each one covers, and how to filter a matter by class.Document classes
Refine descriptions using your own edits as examplesEdit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match.Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples
Translate document descriptionsTranslate document descriptions into Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese (Simplified), French, or English.Translate document descriptions
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
# Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure Turn a set of documents into a finished disclosure package — a ZIP with Word and Excel indexes and every file renamed by serial, date and description. 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** listing the same documents as a spreadsheet, with its own fixed set of columns, and * every **document file** renamed to `--.`. 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 Create New Matter. 3. In **Input Matter Reference**, type `Practice — Disclosure List`. 4. Click Create Matter. BriefTech opens the new matter on its Files tab tab, showing an empty upload zone. Now upload your practice documents: 5. Drag your files into the upload zone, or click Select files 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, select Apply preset, then **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) 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 Re-process Selection — see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document) 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 Review tab 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 BriefTech's AI, which reads its text, looks at the page itself when an image of it is available, and identifies 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). {% 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. The one exception is a document whose file name contains a date in a form BriefTech recognises, such as `2024-03-01`: the index and the renamed file use that date instead, so editing its **Document Date** here won't change either. **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 is locked as your manual override. Re-running the AI's analysis won't 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 its **Document Description** cell and click the Use file name as description 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. A file name applied this way doesn't count as a hand edit: it doesn't turn blue, and re-running the AI's analysis — including Refine Descriptions — can replace it. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} **Verifying against the source document:** Click a document's row to open a side-panel preview without leaving the Review tab tab. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Bring descriptions into a consistent style.** For many documents, use Refine Descriptions: 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 Refine Descriptions 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) for the full guide. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 4 — Configure serial numbering, date format, and sort order Serial numbers are assigned in the Index tab 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) for the full reference. 1. Click the Index tab tab. 2. To change where numbering starts, hover the **S/No.** column header and click the 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 Apply preset 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) 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 Heading and enter a title. 3. Drag documents beneath the heading. See [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings) 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 Index tab tab, click Download Files 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 Export. 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 and shows **Export started!**. The job keeps running if you move elsewhere. * When it finishes, BriefTech emails you a link to download the ZIP. * The finished ZIP is also listed in the **Download Files** panel when you return to the **Index** tab. * If you stay on the Index tab, BriefTech shows **Your export is ready to download!** when it's ready. * While the job runs, the background jobs icon in the top bar pulses; click it to open **Background Jobs** and check the job's status. See [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs) if the job appears stuck. 7. Click the download 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, which include a **File Type** of **Searchable PDF**. To export files in their original format or preserve your folder structure inside the ZIP, see [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options) for the full settings reference. {% endhint %} Open the ZIP and check that it contains: * a Word file with the index table, * an Excel file listing the documents as a spreadsheet, 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
Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel fileExport your Document Index as a Word or Excel file.Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file
Sort documents in the Document IndexSort documents within Document Index sections by date, file name, or description.Sort documents in the Document Index
Manage headings in the Document IndexAdd, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete headings in the Document Index, or generate them automatically from your folder structure.Manage headings in the Document Index
Refine descriptions using your own edits as examplesEdit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match.Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples
Serial numbers and date formatsSerial numbering options, date format presets, and sort order for the Document Index.Serial numbers and date formats
Export formats and optionsOutput formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index.Export formats and options
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
# Prepare a Bundle with BriefTech A guided, end-to-end walkthrough — take any set of documents from upload to a finished, paginated bundle ready for filing or sharing. Welcome. In this tutorial we'll prepare a bundle of documents — the steps are the same whether you are building a Common Bundle of Documents, a Bundle of Authorities, a Records of Appeal, or any other bundle type. Only the preset and column layout change. We'll follow the stages of the workflow in order, using a set of your own practice documents organised into folders — the fastest way to shape your index, though not a requirement: you can also upload loose files and add the index headings by hand in Step 5. The whole run takes around twenty minutes and produces a paginated, cover-paged PDF ready for filing. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** This is a learning walkthrough with one fixed path. Once you've done it, the **How-To Guides** show how to handle each task on real matters, the **Reference** lists every option, and the **Concepts** cover why things work the way they do. {% endhint %} *** ## Before you start By the end of this tutorial you'll have: * a paginated PDF for each volume, plus a ZIP containing them all, * a table of contents that reflects the structure you defined, * a cover page ready to customise with your firm's details, and * PDF bookmarks that jump directly to each document. **Before you open BriefTech**, prepare a set of practice documents on your computer. You can use folders to organise how documents are grouped in the index under headers — each folder you create can become a **header** in the Document Index once you run **Generate index headings → Group by folder** in Step 5. For example: ``` Bundle Practice/ ├── Cause Papers/ ├── Correspondence/ └── Expert Reports/ ``` You do not need many files — two or three documents per folder is enough to see the workflow in action. *** ## Step 1 — Create the matter and upload your documents A **matter** is BriefTech's container for a single case. 1. Sign in to BriefTech. You'll land on the **Matters** screen. 2. Click Create New Matter. 3. In **Input Matter Reference**, type `Practice — Bundle of Documents`. 4. Click Create Matter. BriefTech opens the new matter on its Files tab tab, showing an empty upload zone. Now upload your practice folders: 5. Drag the top-level folder containing all your subfolders into the upload zone. (Select files opens a picker for individual files only, so dragging is the only way to add a whole folder on a new matter. Once the matter has documents in it, the Files tab also offers an **Upload → Upload Folder** menu.) If you didn't organise your documents into folders, upload the loose files instead and add the index headings by hand in Step 5 — a folder structure is optional. 6. BriefTech stages the folder tree in a **Gather Files For Upload** step so you can check your selection. Click Upload Now to start the upload. 7. BriefTech uploads the entire folder tree and preserves the subfolder names, so they are available when you design the index / table of contents later. You should see the documents appear in the file list, grouped under their folders. {% hint style="info" %} **How folders become headers:** Each folder you upload *can* become a **header** in the Document Index — you turn folders into headings in Step 5 — and the documents inside it are then grouped beneath that header. You can rename, reorder, or add headers at any time in the Index tab tab — but starting with a folder structure is the fastest way to get your index shaped correctly. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} **A document showing an error or warning icon?** Hover over it to read the message, then: * **Persistent error** — right-click the row and choose Re-process Selection (see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document)). * **Still failing** — the file may be corrupted or an unsupported type; contact BriefTech support. * **Don't want it in the bundle?** An error document still appears in the table of contents and takes one page — tick its checkbox, click the bin icon in the toolbar and confirm. It moves to the Bin, where it stays recoverable, rather than being deleted outright. * **A document's own text is poor or garbled?** — if BriefTech kept a document's existing text (**Skipped Text**) but it's wrong, right-click and choose Force OCR to re-read every page from scratch (see [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors)). {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} **Force OCR brings a document's credit charge forward — it is not a separate fee.** Each document is charged once, roughly 1 credit per 50 pages, and choosing Force OCR triggers that charge early for any document not yet charged. * **Already charged** — Force OCR costs nothing, and no confirmation appears. * **Not yet charged** — BriefTech shows a **Confirm Force-OCR** dialog with the exact amount, so you can cancel. See [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work) and [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). {% endhint %} *** ## Step 2 — Let BriefTech process the documents BriefTech extracts text, dates, and descriptions automatically as each file uploads. This runs in the background and you don't need to do anything while it runs. 1. Click the Review tab tab. 2. Watch the **Document Date** and **Document Description** columns fill in for each row. A spinner shows that a document is still being processed. Wait until every row shows a date and a description before continuing. {% hint style="success" %} **Need to add or remove documents?** * **Add** — drag more files into the pool from the Review tab tab at any time, or go to the Files tab tab and use the Upload button (choose **Upload Folder**) to add whole folders. * **Remove** — tick a document's checkbox, then click the bin icon in the toolbar and confirm. Documents in the Bin stay recoverable until you delete them from there. * **Find recent uploads** — sort by the **Uploaded** column using its header. See [Upload documents](/how-to-guides/upload/upload-documents) for a full guide. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 3 — Review and correct dates and descriptions The bundle's table of contents is built from the **Document Date** and **Document Description** fields. Review them now so the index reflects your reading of the documents. 1. In the Review tab tab, find a row whose **Document Date** looks wrong or is missing. 2. Double-click the **Document Date** cell. It opens a free-text date editor, not a calendar. If BriefTech found more than one date in the document, a short list of those candidate dates appears — click the correct one. If it found only one, or none, type the date in yourself. 3. Click outside the cell to confirm. The cell updates immediately. Repeat for any other dates that need correcting. Now review the descriptions: 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 to match the document's title or your preferred form, then click outside to confirm. The cell turns blue to show it is locked as your manual override. Re-running the AI's analysis won't overwrite a value you've set manually. {% hint style="info" %} **Verifying against the source document:** Click any row to open that document in the side preview pane, without leaving the Review tab tab. Drag the splitter to widen the pane, or collapse it with the chevron. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Use the filename as the description.** If a document's filename is already the right description, hover the **Document Description** cell and click Use file name as description to apply it directly instead of typing. Once you've hand-edited a description (as in Step 3 above), that row locks: the quick-fill and regenerate icons disappear and the row's padlock closes (Locked). The translate translate icon stays available either way. Click the padlock to unlock the row and bring the AI icons back, then click Regenerate AI description to regenerate the AI description, or double-click the cell to edit. See [Bulk-edit metadata across many documents](/how-to-guides/review/bulk-edit-metadata) for other options. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} **Translating descriptions:** To translate a description into another language, hover the **Document Description** cell and click the translate icon. If the language you need is not listed, contact BriefTech. See [Translate document descriptions](/how-to-guides/review/translate-document-descriptions) for the full guide. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 4 — Refine descriptions for consistency A bundle often contains many documents. The **Refine Descriptions** feature lets you bring a batch of descriptions into a consistent style in one go. 1. Manually edit at least **one description** into the exact style you want — two or three consistent examples give BriefTech more to work from. These become the reference rows (shown in blue). 2. Tick the checkboxes for your reference rows plus the remaining documents you want to restyle. The button stays disabled until the selection holds both at least one edited row and at least one un-edited row. 3. Click Refine Descriptions in the toolbar above the **Original File Name** column. BriefTech rewrites the unedited descriptions to match the style of your blue reference rows. Rows you manually edited (blue) are protected and will not be changed. {% hint style="info" %} **Unlocking a manually-edited description:** If you want the AI or Refine Description to overwrite a description you've previously edited, click the lock icon on that row to remove the protection. See [Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples) for the full guide. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 5 — Generate the index using a preset Now we'll build the table of contents that becomes the spine of the bundle. 1. Click the Index tab tab. 2. Click Apply preset in the toolbar. 3. Choose **Apply bundle/index preset**. 4. Select **Bundle of Documents**. {% hint style="success" %} **Building a different bundle type?** Select the preset that matches your bundle type — for example **Bundle of Authorities**, **Records of Appeal (MY)**, or **Record of Appeals (SG)**. See [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets). {% endhint %} Applying the preset sets your index columns and bundle settings — but it does **not** create the section headings on its own. If you uploaded a folder structure, the quickest way to add them is to open the Apply preset menu again and choose **Generate index headings →** Group by folder: BriefTech creates one heading per uploaded folder and groups the documents beneath it. If you didn't, add the headings by hand using the tips below. (You can rename, reorder, or add headings afterwards in the Index tab either way.) {% hint style="warning" %} **Run Group by folder before you edit headings by hand.** Re-running it later replaces every heading in the index — including ones you added, renamed, or reordered yourself — and the change cannot be undone. BriefTech asks you to confirm only the **first** time you use **Generate index headings** on a matter; after that it rebuilds silently, with no warning. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Need to add or rename a header?** * **Add** — hover the top edge of the **Document Description** cell on the row where the heading should start; an "Add heading:" strip fades in. Click its Heading chip and the heading is inserted above that row. * **Rename** — double-click the heading (or use its ⋮ menu → **Edit heading**) to open the Edit Heading dialog. See [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings) for the full guide. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Need to reorder documents or sections?** Drag any row by the drag handle (⠿) at its left edge: * a **document row** moves that document; * a **header row** moves only the heading — the documents beneath it stay where they are. To move a whole section, tick the heading and every document under it first, then drag any one of the ticked rows — the drag carries the whole ticked selection. Do this in **Edit** mode, then switch to **Preview** mode to see the finished layout. Full guides: [Reorder documents and add structure](/how-to-guides/index/reorder-documents-add-structure) and [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings). {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Need to add sub-index entries?** Sub-index entries are the individual lines that appear beneath a document in the index — for example, the tabs or exhibits within an affidavit. See [Add or edit sub-index entries](/how-to-guides/index/add-edit-sub-index-entries) for the full guide. {% endhint %} Switch to **Preview** mode to check that the section headings match your folder names and that every document appears under the correct header. {% hint style="success" %} **Didn't upload a folder structure?** You can still divide the index into sections by adding headings by hand, as described above, then dragging documents beneath each one. See [Reorder documents and add structure](/how-to-guides/index/reorder-documents-add-structure). {% endhint %} *** ## Step 6 — Configure the cover page and volume settings Before generating the bundle, open the bundle settings: in the Index tab tab, click Create Bundle in the toolbar. The bundle settings appear in this panel — configure them here. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** The settings are grouped into collapsible sections. Only one section is open at a time, and all of them start closed — opening the next one closes the last, so finish a section before you move on. {% endhint %} **Cover Page** 1. Prepare a cover page template that includes your firm's details, the case reference, and the court. See the [Template syntax reference](/reference/template-syntax) for the tokens you can embed (case name, volume number, date, and so on). 2. Expand **Cover Page**, and under **Cover Page Template** click Upload to select your template file. (If a template is already set, the button reads Replace.) 3. Still in **Cover Page**, set **Blank pages before index** — the number of blank pages inserted after the cover page and before the index, in every volume. Leave it at 0 unless your filing rules require them. **Volumes Settings** 4. In **Max Pages Per Volume**, enter the maximum page count per volume (check the relevant Practice Direction or court rules for the current limit). 5. Use **Volume Split Strategy** and **Auto Split Threshold (pages)** to control how BriefTech handles a document that would straddle a volume boundary — the threshold sets the point at which BriefTech pushes the document to the next sub-volume rather than splitting it mid-document. Leave both at their defaults for now. 6. Scroll to **PDF Page Scaling** at the bottom of the same section and set **Scaling mode** to **Normalize to A4 by orientation**, so that any non-A4 pages (scanned A3, letter-sized exhibits) are resized to A4 for filing. (Leave it on **Keep original page size** to keep pages at their original size.) **Pagination** 7. In the **Pagination** section, you can hide the page-number stamp on specific pages (such as tab pages or cover pages) where stamping is not required. Those pages are still counted in the total pagination. You can also adjust the font size, font colour, and position of the page-number stamps. See [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings) for all available options. As you set each value the panel keeps your choice: once your template is accepted the **Cover Page Template** button changes from **Upload** to **Replace** with the filename shown in green, and every figure you entered stays in its field — so you can confirm your settings are in place before you generate. *** ## Step 7 — Create the bundle 1. Still in the **Create Bundle** panel, click Create Bundle at the bottom. If a red **"Bundle settings need attention"** banner appears, fix the settings it lists — the button stays disabled until they are valid. 2. If a warning dialog lists documents with processing issues (password-protected, unsupported type, empty, or too large), click **Create Bundle Anyway** to proceed — affected files appear as placeholder pages — or Cancel to resolve those documents first (see the [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors) reference). 3. The first time you export these files, BriefTech shows a **Confirm Export** dialog listing the credit cost ("This will consume N credits in total"). Review it and click Export to proceed. {% hint style="warning" %} **Clicking Export spends credits, and it cannot be undone.** BriefTech charges roughly 1 credit per 50 pages, once per document — documents already charged earlier (for example by Force OCR in Step 1) are not charged again, which is why the dialog's total is often smaller than the bundle. * **Cancel** closes the dialog and abandons the run — nothing is charged and no bundle is built. * **Not enough credits?** BriefTech offers a watermarked export instead. See [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). {% endhint %} BriefTech starts building the bundle, and generation can take a few minutes. A **Bundles created successfully** message appears when it finishes. A large bundle is handed to a background job that keeps running even if you move away — the success message then only reaches you if you are on the Index tab when it lands, but come back before it finishes and BriefTech picks the job up again, so you still get it. A practice set is normally small enough to finish in place and tell you wherever you are in the app. A **Job Logs** window opens by itself as soon as the run starts, showing the live log. You can close it at any time — the bundle keeps building. The background jobs icon in the top bar also pulses while any job is running; click it to open **Background Jobs** and check progress. *** ## Step 8 — Download and check the bundle 1. When the bundle is ready, return to the Index tab and click Create Bundle in the toolbar to reopen the panel — the finished volumes are listed directly below the Create Bundle button. The **Background Jobs** panel shows job status only; the downloads are always in the Create Bundle panel. 2. Click the download download icon on the volume you want. Every run also produces a **Complete Bundle (ZIP)** card containing every volume PDF in one file — use that to download the whole bundle at once. Open the PDF and check: * a **cover page** at the front of each volume, * a **table of contents** listing every document under its correct header, * continuous **page numbers** stamped across every document in each volume, * all pages are **A4-sized**, and * PDF **bookmarks** in the side panel that jump directly to each document. If anything looks off, return to the Index tab tab, adjust the settings or structure, click Create Bundle in the toolbar to reopen the panel, and click Create Bundle again — you can regenerate as many times as you need. From the second run onwards, BriefTech asks you to confirm first: **Existing bundle files detected — starting a new bundle will overwrite previous results.** Click **Proceed** to replace the volumes you downloaded earlier, or **Cancel** to keep them and stop. *** ## What you've accomplished You took an empty matter and: * uploaded a folder structure where each folder became a header in the Document Index, * reviewed and corrected AI-extracted dates and descriptions, * refined a batch of descriptions into a consistent style, * applied a bundle preset and refined the index by dragging rows, adding headers, and adding sub-index entries, * configured a cover page template, volume size, and A4 normalisation, and * generated and downloaded a paginated, bookmarked bundle. This workflow is the same for every bundle type in BriefTech. Switch the preset to match your document type — everything else stays the same. *** ## Where to go next
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
Reorder documents and add structureReorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions.Reorder documents and add structure
Add or edit sub-index entriesAdd, edit, or remove the sub-index entries that appear beneath a document in the Document Index.Add or edit sub-index entries
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
Template syntaxEvery syntax token for the cover page, tab page, page stamp, file name, bookmark title and volume header fields, with examples and jurisdiction notes.Template syntax
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
# Prepare Your First Record of Appeal (Singapore) A guided practice run: take a small pack from upload to a finished five-volume Record of Appeal for the Singapore courts, on a throwaway matter. {% hint style="info" %} **This is a practice run.** You'll build a Record of Appeal from throwaway sample files, so nothing here touches a real filing. To prepare a real Record of Appeal, use the [how-to guide](/how-to-guides/bundle/prepare-records-of-appeal-bundle) instead. {% endhint %} In this tutorial we will take a small set of practice documents and turn them into a finished, paginated Record of Appeal for the Singapore courts. Along the way we'll meet the Files tab, Review tab and Index tab tabs, document descriptions, index presets, and volume splitting. Everything happens on a throwaway practice matter, so you can follow along without touching a real filing. *** ## Before you start * **What we'll build:** a five-volume Record of Appeal — assembled, paginated, and ready to download as PDFs. * **What you need:** a BriefTech account, and the [Record of Appeal practice pack](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cM5HNB8u6jQ-C_GnBqvLlV1rki-6pNhB?usp=drive_link) — a small set of sample documents already sorted into five folders (`Volume I` through `Volume V`), plus a cover-page template, `Cover Page - ROA SG.docx`. * **Time:** about 20 minutes. * **Safe to repeat:** this is a practice matter. Nothing you do here affects a real filing, and you can archive it afterwards to clear it from your list. {% hint style="info" %} **Keep the practice pack's folder names exactly as they are** — that folder structure is what BriefTech turns into your five volumes later. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 1 — Create a practice matter *On the **Matters** screen.* 1. Sign in, then click Create New Matter in the top-right corner. Name it `Practice — Record of Appeal` so it's easy to find and archive afterwards. The new matter opens on the Files tab tab. ## Step 2 — Upload the documents *In the* Files tab *tab.* 1. Drag the five practice-pack folders into the upload zone — the large drop area in the middle of the Files tab. The five folders appear in the file list, and each document shows a small spinner while BriefTech reads it. Notice that the folders stay grouped — that grouping becomes your five volumes. Wait until every spinner has finished before moving on. *** ## Step 3 — Review the descriptions and dates *In the* Review tab *tab.* 1. Click the **Review** tab. Each row fills in on its own with a one-line **Document Description** and a **Document Date** that BriefTech generated for you. Notice that the descriptions are already written in a consistent voice — you didn't type any of them. 2. Double-click any **Document Date** cell to adjust it, then press Enter. The cell turns blue to show you edited it. 3. Double-click a **Document Description** to reword it, then press Enter. It turns blue too. {% hint style="info" %} **What blue means:** A blue field is locked as your manual override — usually because you edited it, as you just did above. Re-running the AI's analysis won't overwrite it. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 4 — Refine the descriptions into one style *In the* Review tab *tab.* 1. Edit two or three descriptions into the exact style you want — the same capitalisation and punctuation. These become your examples. 2. Tick those edited rows together with the other rows you want to match them. 3. Click Refine Descriptions above the **Original File Name** column. After a few moments the remaining descriptions rewrite themselves to match your examples. Notice how the whole list now reads in one consistent voice. *** ## Step 5 — Check a description against its source *In the* Review tab *tab.* 1. Click anywhere on a row. A preview of that document opens in a side panel, without leaving the Review tab. Read the description against the document to confirm it's accurate. Drag the splitter to widen the panel, or collapse it with the chevron. *** ## Step 6 — Generate the index and split it into volumes *In the* Index tab *tab.* 1. Click the **Index** tab. Your documents appear as a single index table. 2. Click Apply preset (top-right) → **Apply bundle/index preset** → **Record of Appeals (SG)**. The columns rearrange into the Singapore layout, and the volume settings — including a 300-page limit — are set for you. 3. Open Apply preset again → **Generate index headings** → Group by folder. The index redraws with a heading for each of your five folders, labelled **Index to Volume I** through **Index to Volume V** in Roman numerals. Notice that BriefTech built the five volumes straight from your folders. 4. Switch the mode toggle at the top of the index to Preview to see the index exactly as it will print, with the volume splits in place. Switch back to Edit when you're done looking. {% hint style="warning" %} **Group by folder** rebuilds the index from your folders and can't be undone. In this practice run there's nothing to lose — but on a real matter, run it before you start editing headings by hand, not after. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 7 — Add a cover page and confirm the Singapore settings *In the right-hand control panel of the* Index tab *tab.* 1. Click Create Bundle in the Index toolbar to open the bundle panel on the right. Its sections open one at a time. 2. Expand **Cover Page**, click Upload under **Cover Page Template**, and choose `Cover Page - ROA SG.docx` from the practice pack. 3. Expand **Volumes Settings** and confirm **Max Pages Per Volume** reads **300** — the Record of Appeals (SG) preset set this for you. 4. Expand **Pagination**. Notice the page-number format: **I RA 1**, **I RA 2**, then **II RA 1** in the next volume — the volume's Roman numeral in front, restarting at 1 in each volume. {% hint style="success" %} **Leave these settings as they are for the practice run** — they're already correct for a Singapore Record of Appeal. {% endhint %} *** ## Step 8 — Create and download your bundle *In the* Index tab *tab.* 1. Leave **Volumes to assemble** blank so BriefTech builds all five volumes, then click Create Bundle. 2. The first time you generate a bundle from these documents, BriefTech shows a **Confirm Export** dialog listing the credit cost ("This will consume N credits in total"). Review it and click Export to proceed. A job-log window opens and shows the bundle building. After a minute or two a **Bundles created successfully** message appears. 3. Under the Create Bundle button, download either the individual volume PDFs or the **Complete Bundle (ZIP)** that holds all five. {% hint style="warning" %} **Generating a bundle spends index credits, and it cannot be undone.** BriefTech charges once per document — the first time that document is included in a bundle or index — so documents charged earlier are not charged again, and the dialog's total is often smaller than the whole pack. * **Cancel** closes the dialog and abandons the run — nothing is charged and no bundle is built. * **Not enough credits?** BriefTech offers a watermarked export instead. See [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work) and [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). {% endhint %} Open the PDF and page through it: cover page, index, your documents, and the **I RA 1** page stamps — all assembled for you. *** ## What you've accomplished You took a set of documents from upload to a finished, paginated Record of Appeal — and, more importantly, you now know how to: * review and refine the descriptions and dates BriefTech generates; * apply the **Record of Appeals (SG)** preset for the Singapore column layout and volume settings; * split a bundle into volumes straight from your folder structure; * add a cover page and generate a paginated bundle — one PDF per volume. These are the same moves you'll use on every real Record of Appeal. Because this was a practice matter, archive it once you're done — and the flow becomes second nature the more you use it. *** ## Where to go next You've finished the practice run. Two ways to take it further:
Prepare a real Record of AppealTake a matter from upload to a filing-ready Record of Appeal for the Singapore or Malaysian courts, split into volumes and paginated per volume.Prepare Records of Appeal for the Singapore & Malaysian Courts
See it on your own matter, with usWould you rather have a hand? Book a short demo and we'll walk through it on your matter.https://tidycal.com/philipteo/brieftech-product-demo
*More how-tos and reference:*
Translate document descriptionsTranslate document descriptions into Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese (Simplified), French, or English.Translate document descriptions
Reorder documents and add structureReorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions.Reorder documents and add structure
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
# Upload Files Get files into BriefTech and give them their first layer of organisation. * [Upload documents](/how-to-guides/upload/upload-documents) — Drag and drop or browse to add files to a matter, and monitor them through processing. * [Fixing upload issues](/how-to-guides/upload/fix-upload-issues) — Resolve the errors that show up in the upload monitor when a file fails to upload. *** **Next step:** once your files are uploaded, BriefTech automatically [processes them](/how-to-guides/process) to extract their text and get them ready to use. # Upload documents Add documents to a matter by drag-and-drop, the Upload button, or dropping whole folders. In the Files tab tab, drag your files onto the file table. ## Drag-and-drop files or folders 1. Open the matter and go to the Files tab tab. 2. Drag files or folders from your computer onto the file table. The area highlights when it accepts the drop. 3. Release to drop. The **Upload Manager** opens with your files staged under **Gather Files For Upload**. 4. Review the list, then click Upload Now to start. {% hint style="success" %} **Tip:** You can also drop files or folders somewhere other than the file table: * Drop directly onto a folder in the folder tree on the left to upload into that folder. BriefTech recreates any nested folder structure automatically. * Drop straight onto the Review tab tab to add them at the top level of the matter. {% endhint %} ## Use the Upload button 1. On the Files tab tab toolbar, click Upload. 2. Choose **Upload Files** to pick individual files, or **Upload Folder** to pick a whole folder (the structure is preserved). 3. Select your files in the system picker. The **Upload Manager** opens with them staged. ## Start from an empty matter If a matter has no documents yet, the Files tab tab shows a large drop zone reading **Drop files or folders here for upload**. You can: * Drag files or folders onto it, or * Click Select files to pick them from your computer, or * Click **Just exploring? Load sample files to try BriefTech now.** to preload a set of sample documents and see how BriefTech works without using your own files. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** If Upload Now is missing from the Upload Manager, the dialog is waiting for a choice: * If some of your files match documents already in the same folder of the matter, BriefTech asks whether to skip the duplicates or upload them anyway — pick one and the button returns. * If you have unticked any item in the Files to Upload list, click **Apply Selection** to confirm your choice and continue. {% endhint %} ## Track uploads in progress Once an upload starts, you can keep working — uploads run in the background. * Click the upload status button in the top bar to open the upload monitor, where you can track progress, retry failures, and cancel or clear files. For a full description of statuses and actions, see [Upload monitor](/reference/upload-monitor). * In the upload monitor, each file moves through **Pending → Uploading → Uploaded**. * Once a file reaches **Uploaded**, the server begins processing it in the background. You can track this in the file table: under **Views** in the left panel, select Processing to see files still being processed, or Processed to see files that are ready. * A file that **fails to upload** shows **Error** in the upload monitor. It stays listed there until you retry it, and because it never finished uploading it does not appear in your document lists. * A file that **uploads but then fails to process** appears in the Exceptions view, marked with a red icon. The reason is shown in that view's **Exception** column, and hovering the icon shows it too — see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document). {% hint style="warning" %} **Wait for a file to appear under** Processed **before you run AI analysis on it.** Files still under Processing are not yet ready for AI analysis. {% endhint %} Your documents are now in the matter: each file moves from **Pending** through **Uploading** to **Uploaded** in the upload monitor while you keep working, and once the server has processed it, it appears under Processed and is ready for AI analysis. ## Related
Upload monitorStatus indicators, filter tabs, and actions in the upload monitor panel.Upload monitor
Supported file formatsHow BriefTech handles common file formats — conversion to PDF, OCR, and indexing.Supported file formats
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
Organise documents into foldersCreate folders, move documents between them, and filter the matter by folder.Organise documents into folders
# Fixing upload issues Resolve errors shown in the upload monitor when files fail to upload to BriefTech. If a file fails to upload, the upload monitor shows it with an Error badge (or a Cancelled badge). This page covers issues during **upload** — to fix problems that happen after a file has finished uploading and is being processed, see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document). ## Find the error message BriefTech shows upload errors in one of two places, depending on when they happen: * **A pop-up notification.** Storage-limit and path-length problems appear as a pop-up message the moment you start the upload — and they stop the upload before any file reaches the monitor. Read the message in the pop-up, then find it below. * **A red Error badge in the upload monitor.** A file that started uploading but did not finish shows up on a failed row: 1. Click the upload status button in the top bar to open the upload monitor. 2. Switch to the FAILED tab to see only files that errored. 3. Hover the Error badge on the failing row to read the message in the tooltip. Either way, find the message below and follow the steps. ## "This upload would exceed your storage limit" The total size of the files you tried to upload is bigger than the space BriefTech calculates you have left for **the matter you are uploading into**: your storage allowance minus the size of every document already in that matter, including any in its Bin. Documents in your other matters are not counted in this check, so the **Current usage** it shows can be lower than the figure on the **Usage/Billing** page. The upload is blocked before any file is sent. 1. Check the **Current usage**, **Upload size**, and **Total limit** shown in the message. 2. Free up space in this matter — delete files you no longer need from it. Deleting files in another matter frees space on your account but does not change this check. Deleting is a two-step action: 1. Move the files to the bin. 2. Open the Bin view and delete them there for good (see the warning below). There is no way to delete a whole matter. 3. Or contact BriefTech support to arrange a higher storage allowance. 4. Re-open the **Upload Manager** and start the upload again. {% hint style="warning" %} **Deleting is permanent** — the **Delete** action removes files for good and cannot be undone. It is also the only thing that frees up space: **Move to bin** keeps files recoverable, but binned files still count towards your storage. Only delete files you are sure you no longer need. {% endhint %} See [File size and storage limits](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits) for your storage allowance and what counts towards it. ## "Cannot add more files as it would exceed your storage limit" Adding this file would push the combined size of the files you have already staged past the space left for the matter you are uploading into — your storage allowance minus the documents already in that matter. Your allowance itself covers your whole account and there is no separate per-matter allowance; this check simply counts only the matter you are in, so passing it does not mean you are within your allowance overall. This is the check BriefTech runs on each file as you stage it; the *This upload would exceed your storage limit* message is the same check applied to the whole batch at once. BriefTech stops as soon as a file would take you over: that file, and any files after it in the batch, are skipped. 1. Free up space (see above), or contact BriefTech support to arrange a higher allowance. 2. Re-open the **Upload Manager** and add the skipped files again. ## "…exceeds the 260-character path limit" This check applies when you **drag and drop** files or folders into BriefTech. It rejects any item whose path is longer than 260 characters before the upload starts. The Upload button does not apply this check. There are two common causes, and each needs a different fix: **The path inside the folder you dragged is too long.** BriefTech measures the path from the item you dragged, not from where it sits on your computer — so moving the folder to a shorter place on your drive makes no difference. 1. Shorten the folder and file names *inside* the folder you are dragging, or drag from further down the folder tree so there is less path above the files. **Windows cannot open the file because its full path is too long.** This is Windows' own 260-character limit on the whole path, starting `C:\Users\...`. 1. In Windows Explorer, move the file or its enclosing folder closer to the root of the drive — for example, from `C:\Users\...\Documents\Cases\2024\...` to `C:\Cases\`. 2. Then drag the file into BriefTech again. If neither fix applies, add the files with the Upload button instead — it does not apply this check. ## "You are not allowed to upload files. Check your limits. (storage/unauthorized)" Your sign-in session is no longer authorised to write to storage, or your account has hit a hard limit. 1. Sign out of BriefTech and sign back in. 2. Try the upload again from the FAILED tab using Retry. 3. If it still fails, check your account storage and credit limits on the **Usage/Billing** page (in the left sidebar). 4. If everything looks within limits, contact support at with the file name and the time of the error. ## "Upload failed" A generic transfer failure — usually a network drop, a browser tab going to sleep, or a transient server issue. 1. Check that your internet connection is stable. 2. In the upload monitor, click Retry on the failed row, or Retry failed uploads to retry every Error row at once. 3. If the same file fails repeatedly, try uploading it on its own to isolate the problem. 4. If it still fails, contact support with the file name and the exact error message. ## Cancelled upload Not a failure — someone (or something) cancelled the upload before it finished, so it stopped partway. A cancelled file shows a Cancelled badge (not an Error badge) and has no error message or tooltip to read. * Open the CANCELLED tab in the upload monitor and click Retry on the row to re-queue the file. ## Related
Upload monitorStatus indicators, filter tabs, and actions in the upload monitor panel.Upload monitor
Upload documentsAdd documents to a matter by drag-and-drop, the Upload button, or dropping whole folders.Upload documents
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
# Process Files Most files move through processing automatically. These guides cover the cases that need attention. * [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document) — Retry a document that hit an error during conversion, OCR, or another processing step. * [Unlock a password-protected file](/how-to-guides/process/unlock-password-protected-file) — Remove a file's password protection outside BriefTech, then upload the unlocked copy. * [Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment](/how-to-guides/process/extract-zip-attachments) — Unpack the contents of a ZIP archive or email into individual documents. * [Split a PDF](/how-to-guides/process/split-pdf) — Cut one PDF into several separate documents. * [Edit a PDF](/how-to-guides/process/edit-pdf) — Change a PDF's pages in the built-in editor, then choose how to apply the changes. *** **Next step:** with your documents processed, [organise them](/how-to-guides/organise) into folders and collections to shape the set before review. # Reprocess a failed document Re-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed. 1. Open the Files tab tab. Each failed document shows a red error icon in the **Status** column — hover it to read the error message. To list only failed files, switch to the Exceptions view. 2. Select the document (or several), then open the **Tools** menu in the toolbar and choose Re-process Selection — or right-click the selection and choose Re-process Selection from the menu. The file re-runs through the pipeline immediately — there is no confirmation dialog or options to set. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** The whole selection is checked before anything runs. If any selected file is currently mid-processing, or is in the Bin or archived, the request is rejected and **none** of the selected files are re-processed — deselect it and try again. A file that has been stuck mid-processing for more than 10 minutes is treated as stalled and can be re-processed normally. {% endhint %} ## Retry from the Exceptions view Open the Exceptions view and re-run the failed files. 1. Open the Exceptions view. 2. Re-run the files. One toolbar button re-runs them, and it renames itself based on your selection: with nothing selected it reads Retry All and re-runs every failed file in the current view; with rows selected it reads Retry Selected and re-runs only those. The number in brackets is the count it will act on. 3. If a file failed specifically at the PDF-conversion step, Skip PDF Conversion appears; it retries the file while skipping that step. **Retry All** and **Retry Selected** resume from the last completed stage where they can, so work already done — detection, PDF conversion, OCR — is usually kept; a file that failed at the final optimisation or finalising steps restarts from the beginning instead. **Re-process Selection** (in the Files tab's Tools menu) always restarts from the very beginning and discards that work; use it for a completely clean run. Password-protected files cannot be reprocessed in-app; see [Unlock a password-protected file](/how-to-guides/process/unlock-password-protected-file). For the meaning of each error type (password protected, unsupported file type, empty file, file too large), see [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). ## What you've done You've re-run a failed document without leaving BriefTech — either with **Re-process Selection** from the Files tab, which restarts from the beginning, or with **Retry All** / **Retry Selected** in the Exceptions view, which resume from the last completed stage where they can. The file goes back through the same processing pipeline. ## Related
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
Unlock a password-protected fileDecrypt a password-protected file so BriefTech can process it.Unlock a password-protected file
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
Extract files from a ZIP or email attachmentUnpack the contents of a ZIP archive or email's attachments into separate documents in your matter.Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment
Document processing and errorsProcessing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons.Document processing and errors
# Unlock a password-protected file Decrypt a password-protected file so BriefTech can process it. To get a password-protected file into BriefTech, remove its protection outside the app first: 1. Open the file with its password, in a PDF reader or the app that created it. 2. Remove the protection: * **PDF** — save or print it to a new, unprotected PDF, or clear the password in the document's security settings. * **Word, Excel or PowerPoint** — open it with the password and save a copy with the encryption removed. * **ZIP archive** — extract the contents with the password, then upload the extracted files. 3. Upload the unprotected copy to BriefTech. This applies only to a file that cannot be opened at all: BriefTech does not ask you for a document password, so such a file stops with an error and is flagged as **Password Protected** in the Exceptions view. A file that is merely *restricted* — a PDF that opens without a password but blocks printing or copying, or a Word file marked read-only — is not affected and processes normally. {% hint style="info" %} **Retrying will not help.** **Retry All** and **Retry Selected** in the Exceptions view re-run the file from the beginning, exactly as it was uploaded — the protection is still there and no password is supplied on retry, so it stops again at the same point. (**Skip PDF Conversion** does not appear for these files; it only applies to files that failed during PDF conversion, not at the password check.) Replacing the file with an unprotected copy is the only fix. {% endhint %} See [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). ## If you leave the file protected The file stays in the matter but is never converted. If you build a court bundle that includes it, BriefTech warns you first — listing it under **Password-protected**, with a note that a placeholder page will appear in its place — and, if you continue, inserts a single placeholder page, labelled with the file name and reading *"This document is password-protected and could not be included."* The unprotected copy you upload in its place processes like any other upload. ## Related
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
Extract files from a ZIP or email attachmentUnpack the contents of a ZIP archive or email's attachments into separate documents in your matter.Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment
Document processing and errorsProcessing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons.Document processing and errors
# Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment Unpack the contents of a ZIP archive or email's attachments into separate documents in your matter. First, open the matter and go to the Files tab tab. You need edit access to the matter — you must be its **Owner** or an **Editor**. ## Find files that are ready to extract In the left panel under **Views**, select Extractable. A file is extractable when it contains embedded files — a `.zip` archive, or a `.msg`/`.eml` email with attachments — and has not yet been extracted; this view shows only those. ## Extract the files 1. Select one or more files in the Extractable view. You can select multiple files to extract them all at once. 2. In the toolbar, click Extract ZIP & Attachments. It appears as an icon; hover it to see how many of your selected files are eligible — its tooltip reads, for example, **Extract ZIP & Attachments (3)**. 3. BriefTech unpacks the contents and creates a new document for each embedded file, linked to the source file as its parent. {% hint style="warning" %} **Decide which extraction you want before you run either one.** There is a second extract action, *Extract Attachments Only*, which unpacks only genuine attachments and leaves out images embedded in an email's body — useful when a signature logo or an inline screenshot would otherwise arrive as its own document. Once one of them **succeeds**, that is the extraction you get: the other stops appearing for that file. (If a run fails partway, the file stays extractable and you can try either action again.) {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} **Other ways to reach either extract action:** * Right-click the selected file(s) and choose the action from the menu. * Neither action is limited to the Extractable view — the toolbar buttons and the right-click items appear in any Files-tab view, and on the Review tab. The Extractable view above is simply the easiest way to find the files. * Both are hidden, not greyed out, when none of the selected files still has embedded contents to unpack. {% endhint %} ## Extract only the attachments When the source is an email, a second action unpacks **only its genuine attachments** and leaves out images embedded in the message body — a signature logo, an inline screenshot, or a tracking pixel that would otherwise each arrive as its own document. 1. Select one or more eligible files in the Extractable view. 2. In the toolbar, click Extract Attachments Only. It appears as an icon; hover it to see its name, *Extract Attachments Only*, followed by a count of how many of your selected files are eligible. 3. BriefTech creates a new document for each attachment, linked to the source file as its parent. Images embedded in an email's body are skipped, so an email whose only embedded content is inline images produces nothing. {% hint style="info" %} **Which one to pick.** For a ZIP archive the two actions do the same thing — a ZIP has no message body, so there are no inline images to leave out. The difference only matters for emails: use *Extract Attachments Only* when you want the genuine attachments without the sender's inline graphics. {% endhint %} ## Large batches If the total size of the selected files comes to more than about 10.5 MB — the sizes BriefTech shows in the **Size** column, added together — extraction runs as a background job. A progress dialog opens automatically — you can close it and continue working; the job continues in the background. You can track its progress in the [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs) panel. ## After extraction Each extracted file appears as an individual document in the matter. It inherits the same folder as its source file and is linked to it as a child document. The extracted files then process independently, like any newly added document — see [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). The source file remains in the matter and is marked as extracted. {% hint style="info" %} **Extraction is free — you are billed only when you index or export the extracted files.** Each extracted file becomes a standard document in the matter and consumes credits like any other, so unpacking a large archive adds to the documents you may be billed for later. {% endhint %} ## Related
Supported file formatsHow BriefTech handles common file formats — conversion to PDF, OCR, and indexing.Supported file formats
Embedded file extractionWhich file formats BriefTech can detect embedded content in, how detection works, and how extraction behaves.Embedded file extraction
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
# Split a PDF Split one PDF into several separate documents with the PDF Splitter tool. In the Files or Review tab, select the PDF, then choose **Split PDF** from the **Tools** menu. You need exactly **one file that has a PDF version** selected — that includes files BriefTech has converted to PDF for you, such as a Word document, an email, or a scanned image, not only files that arrived as PDFs. If you select more than one file, or a file with no PDF version yet, the action does not appear. ## Split a PDF into separate documents 1. Open the matter's Files tab tab (or the Review tab tab) and select the file you want to split. 2. Open the **Tools** menu and choose Split PDF. You can also right-click the file's row and choose it there. The PDF Splitter opens. 3. Mark where the PDF should be cut. Each cut point starts a new document: * Hover between two page thumbnails and click the scissors to add a cut point there. * Or open **Preset** and pick a pattern — split every few pages, split at the document's top-level bookmarks, or auto-detect divider pages. * To leave a page out of the results, hover its thumbnail and click the bin icon; click again to bring it back. 4. Check the **Output Segments** panel on the right. It lists the documents that will be created and the pages each one covers. 5. Click **Done**. BriefTech cuts the PDF and stages the new documents in the **Upload Manager**. 6. In the Upload Manager, click Upload Now to add the new documents to the matter. If you close the Upload Manager without uploading, the split is discarded. {% hint style="info" %} **What you get:** The new documents are named after the original with a numbered suffix — for example `Bundle A_split_001.pdf`, `Bundle A_split_002.pdf` — and are added as children of the original file, in the same folder. The original file is not changed or removed. {% endhint %} ## Related
Upload documentsAdd documents to a matter by drag-and-drop, the Upload button, or dropping whole folders.Upload documents
Extract files from a ZIP or email attachmentUnpack the contents of a ZIP archive or email's attachments into separate documents in your matter.Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment
Organise documents into foldersCreate folders, move documents between them, and filter the matter by folder.Organise documents into folders
# Edit a PDF Open a PDF in BriefTech's built-in editor, then choose how to apply your changes. Select the file you want to change, then open BriefTech's built-in PDF editor from the **Tools** menu. ## Before you start * You need access to the matter that lets you change its documents — see [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions). * Select **exactly one file that has a PDF version**. That includes files BriefTech has converted to PDF for you — a Word document, an email, a scanned image — not only files that arrived as PDFs. If you select more than one file, or a file that has no PDF version yet, the action does not appear at all. * The editor opens in a **separate pop-up window**, so allow pop-ups for BriefTech if your browser blocks them. If it is blocked, BriefTech tells you so. ## Open the editor 1. On the Files tab tab or the Review tab tab, select one such file. 2. Open the **Tools** menu and choose **Edit PDF** — or right-click the row and choose **Edit PDF**. 3. Make your changes in the editor window that opens, and save them. ## What you can do in the editor The editor shows your PDF as a grid of page thumbnails, with a larger single-page view for closer work. Inside it you can: * Reorder, rotate, delete, insert, crop, and mark up pages * Undo or redo as you work * Split the document into separate files (see *If you split the PDF into several files* below) Nothing in your matter changes until you choose **Save** — **Cancel** closes the editor and discards your edits. ## Choose how to apply your changes In the **Apply PDF edits** dialog — which BriefTech shows when you save a single-PDF edit — choose one of two options: * **Apply edits** — BriefTech stores your edited PDF and shows it from then on. * **Replace original** — the same, and BriefTech additionally re-runs conversion, OCR and text extraction over the edited PDF, so the document's searchable text and extracted details match what you have just changed. This takes longer. Either way **your original file is kept** — neither choice deletes or overwrites the file you uploaded, and no second document appears in your list. {% hint style="info" %} **Which option?** **Apply edits** is quicker; choose **Replace original** when the change should be reflected in search and the document's extracted details too. {% endhint %} ## If you split the PDF into several files In your matter, if your edits split the document into separate files, BriefTech does not ask the question above — it creates the split sections as new documents alongside the original, and they process like any newly added file. ## What you've done You've edited the PDF in the built-in editor and chosen how the result applies to the document in your matter. Your original file is always kept; if you split the document, the new sections are added as their own documents alongside it. ## Related
Split a PDFSplit one PDF into several separate documents with the PDF Splitter tool.Split a PDF
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
Previewing documentsThe document preview toolbar in BriefTech — moving through pages, zooming, rotating, panning, selecting an area, and downloading the original file.Previewing documents
Supported file formatsHow BriefTech handles common file formats — conversion to PDF, OCR, and indexing.Supported file formats
# Organise Documents Shape your document set before review: sort documents into folders, label them, group them into collections, and remove duplicates. * [Organise documents into folders](/how-to-guides/organise/organise-documents-into-folders) — Create folders and move documents into them to mirror your case structure. * [Apply labels to documents](/how-to-guides/organise/apply-labels-to-documents) — Create colour-coded labels and apply them to documents to mark relevance, privilege, or any category you need. * [Group documents into a collection](/how-to-guides/organise/group-documents-into-collection) — Create a named collection to scope analysis or exports to a sub-set of the matter. * [Find and remove duplicate documents](/how-to-guides/organise/find-remove-duplicates) — Detect near-identical documents and remove redundant copies before review. *** **Next step:** once your document set is organised, [review the AI's work](/how-to-guides/review) — check and correct the extracted dates and descriptions. # Organise documents into folders Create folders, move documents between them, and filter the matter by folder. ## Create a folder 1. In the left sidebar, select the parent location where the new folder should live — **Folder Root** for the matter root, or an existing folder to nest inside it. 2. Click New folder in the toolbar. 3. Enter a name and confirm. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** A folder you create with New folder stays in the sidebar even while it is empty. Folders that appear only because you uploaded or moved documents into them are removed automatically once their last document leaves. {% endhint %} You can also create a sub-folder from an existing folder directly: hover over it in the left sidebar, click its menu button (the ⋮), and choose **New folder** — the sub-folder is created inside that folder. ## Move documents into a folder 1. In the file table. Select one or more documents using their checkboxes. 2. Click Move Files in the bulk-action toolbar (its tooltip reads **Move Files (N)**). 3. Pick the target folder from the dropdown and click Move. **Other ways to move documents into a folder:** * **Using drag-and-drop** — select one or more documents in the file table, then drag the selection onto a folder in the left sidebar. The documents move into that folder. * **Using the right-click menu** — select one or more documents, right-click the selection, and choose **Move Files** — this opens the same folder picker as the toolbar button. To move documents back to the matter root, select **Root** as the destination in the Move Files dialog (or drag the selection onto **Folder Root** in the left sidebar). ## Move a folder into another folder To re-nest a folder, drag it onto another folder in the left sidebar. The folder — and everything inside it — moves under the target. You cannot drop a folder onto itself, its current parent, or one of its own sub-folders. ## Rename or remove a folder 1. Hover over the folder in the left sidebar and click its menu button (the ⋮ that appears next to the folder name). 2. Choose **Rename** or **Remove folder**. Removing a folder that still contains documents moves the folder and its documents to the bin, where you can restore them. Removing an empty folder deletes it outright — there is nothing to restore. ## Upload directly into a folder 1. Select the folder in the left sidebar before you start the upload — its name highlights to confirm it is active. 2. Drag-and-drop onto the file table, or click Upload in the toolbar; the **Upload Manager** opens with the destination already set to the selected folder. To preserve a nested folder structure from your computer, drag a desktop folder (with files inside) onto the upload area — BriefTech rebuilds the same hierarchy. Alternatively, click Upload → **Upload Folder** in the toolbar. ## Filter by folder To view only the documents in one folder, click its name in the left sidebar. Click **Folder Root** at the top of the folder tree to return to the top level of the folder view — this shows the documents held directly at the matter root alongside your top-level folders, rather than every document in the matter. See [Folders, labels, and collections](/reference/folders-labels-and-collections). You now have a folder structure for the matter — documents grouped where you want them, and a one-click way in the left sidebar to view a single folder's contents. ## Related
Apply labels to documentsCreate labels and apply them to documents in bulk.Apply labels to documents
Folders, labels, and collectionsHow folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter.Folders, labels, and collections
Group documents into a collectionCreate a collection and add documents to segment your document set — at upload or afterwards.Group documents into a collection
Find and remove duplicate documentsDetect duplicate documents and remove the copies you don't need.Find and remove duplicate documents
# Apply labels to documents Create labels and apply them to documents in bulk. 1. On the Review tab, find the **Labels** section in the left panel and select the add (add) icon beside its heading. In the **Create Label** dialog that opens, enter a name (a colour is filled in for you, or pick your own), then select **Create**. 2. To apply it, select one or more document rows with their checkboxes, click Label as in the bulk-action toolbar, choose the labels, and click Apply. If the label you want does not exist yet, type its name into the menu's search box and choose **Create "…"** — the new label is created and ticked for you. 3. To see only labelled documents, tick the label in the Review panel sidebar. ## Other ways to apply a label Once a label exists, there are several other ways to apply it to selected documents: * Right-click one or more selected documents and choose **Label as** — this opens the same label menu as the bulk-action button in step 2. * In the Review tab, click a document's **Labels** column cell to open the label picker for that row. * On the Files tab, middle-click a document's row to open it in the [full-screen pop-up viewer](/reference/preview-pane#the-full-screen-pop-up-viewer), expand **Organisation** in the properties down the right, and edit the **Labels** field. * On the Review tab, drag one or more selected rows onto a label in the sidebar, then select **Apply** to confirm. ## Remove a label from documents Select the documents, open the same label menu as in step 2, untick the label, and click Apply. A label shown with a dash is on only some of the selected documents; leave it as it is to keep it unchanged on each of them. ## Related
Folders, labels, and collectionsHow folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter.Folders, labels, and collections
Organise documents into foldersCreate folders, move documents between them, and filter the matter by folder.Organise documents into folders
Group documents into a collectionCreate a collection and add documents to segment your document set — at upload or afterwards.Group documents into a collection
Find and remove duplicate documentsDetect duplicate documents and remove the copies you don't need.Find and remove duplicate documents
# Group documents into a collection Create a collection and add documents to segment your document set — at upload or afterwards. ## Create a collection In the left sidebar, find the **Collections** section and select the add (add) icon beside its heading. In the dialog that opens, enter a name for the collection and confirm (or type the name in the collection field and press **Enter**). ## Assign a collection at upload In the **Upload Manager**, use the **Add to Collection(s)** panel on the right to assign every file in an upload batch to one or more collections. 1. Trigger your upload — the **Upload Manager** opens. 2. In the **Add to Collection(s)** panel, tick the collections you want to assign. 3. Click Upload Now. Every file in the batch is added to the selected collections on arrival. ## Add documents to a collection after upload Select documents with their checkboxes, click Edit Collections in the bulk-action toolbar, tick the collection, and click Apply. A document can belong to several collections at once. To work with just one collection, click its name in the sidebar to filter the matter to that collection. You can then act on just those documents — for example, select them and re-run analysis from the **Review** tab, or [export the subset](/how-to-guides/export/export-filtered-subset). See [Folders, labels, and collections](/reference/folders-labels-and-collections) for how collections behave and for the other ways to add documents to one. ## Clone a collection To reuse an existing collection as a starting point, hover over one of your collections in the left sidebar and click the Clone collection **Clone collection** icon. BriefTech opens the collection dialog pre-filled with the name "Copy of …" so you can rename it and confirm. The new collection starts as a copy of the original — its documents, its index and bundle/export settings, and any per-document headings — and is independent afterwards, so later changes to one do not affect the other. Cloning is offered on the collections you created, not the built-in **All** or **None** views. ## Related
Organise documents into foldersCreate folders, move documents between them, and filter the matter by folder.Organise documents into folders
Folders, labels, and collectionsHow folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter.Folders, labels, and collections
Apply labels to documentsCreate labels and apply them to documents in bulk.Apply labels to documents
Find and remove duplicate documentsDetect duplicate documents and remove the copies you don't need.Find and remove duplicate documents
# Find and remove duplicate documents Detect duplicate documents and remove the copies you don't need. 1. In the Review tab tab (or the Files view), click the **Tools** menu and choose **Duplicate Document Finder**. 2. The first time you use the finder in a matter, click **Activate** when prompted ("Activate duplicate document agent feature? This is currently in BETA so being offered for FREE"). Only the matter's owner can activate the agent; if you have shared (non-owner) access, ask the owner to activate it once for the matter. 3. In the dialog, set the **Similarity Threshold** (default **70%**) and click Run Duplicate Check. The finder returns document pairs at roughly 70% similarity or higher; raise the threshold to narrow the results to closer matches. BriefTech lists candidate **pairs** in a table: Document A, Document B, and a similarity score. (Use **Export to CSV** if you want the full list.) 4. For any pair, click **Compare** to see the two documents side by side, then click Move to bin on the copy you want to remove. Repeat for each pair you want to resolve. Binned documents are excluded from the check, so once you move a copy to the bin its pair no longer appears in the results. You don't have to open **Compare** to remove a copy. Back in the matter's document list (the **Review** tab or **Files** view), you can tick a copy's row — or several rows — and choose Move to bin from the right-click menu, which confirms before binning. (The finder's own results table doesn't offer row-ticking, so bin from **Compare** while you're inside it.) Binned documents can be restored from the Bin view — open it, select the documents, and click **Restore**. To remove them for good, select them in the Bin and click **Delete**. You now have the matter's duplicate pairs reviewed, and the copies you didn't need moved to the bin. ## Same-filename warning at upload If some files in an upload batch share a filename with a document already in the **same folder** of the matter, the Upload Manager shows a **Duplicate Files Detected** warning before the batch lands. You can: * **Exclude Documents with the same filename** — drop the same-named files from this batch, or * **Upload them anyways** — keep them; this creates additional copies alongside the existing documents. This warning only compares file names within the same folder. To catch duplicates that have different names, run the **Duplicate Document Finder** after upload (above). ## Related
Folders, labels, and collectionsHow folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter.Folders, labels, and collections
Organise documents into foldersCreate folders, move documents between them, and filter the matter by folder.Organise documents into folders
Apply labels to documentsCreate labels and apply them to documents in bulk.Apply labels to documents
Group documents into a collectionCreate a collection and add documents to segment your document set — at upload or afterwards.Group documents into a collection
# Review Documents The human-review pass: verify and correct what the AI produced before building the index. {% hint style="info" %} **New to reviewing?** Walk through a full review pass end to end in the [Review an AI-Analysed Matter](/get-started/review-an-ai-analysed-matter) tutorial, then use the how-tos below for individual tasks. {% endhint %} * [Bulk-edit metadata across many documents](/how-to-guides/review/bulk-edit-metadata) — Update a metadata field on many documents at once instead of one by one. * [Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples) — Edit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest of the selection to match. * [Translate document descriptions](/how-to-guides/review/translate-document-descriptions) — Translate one or many descriptions into Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese (Simplified), French, or English in one step. * [Customise the file-list columns](/how-to-guides/review/customize-file-list-columns) — Show, hide, and reorder the columns in the on-screen document list. * To correct a single document, edit inline in the Review tab tab — see [Document metadata fields](/reference/document-metadata-fields). * To narrow the list to one kind of document, tick a class in the **Classes** group of the left-hand panel in the Review tab tab — the classes, and what each covers, are listed in [Document classes](/reference/document-classes). *** **Next step:** with the details reviewed, move on to the [Document Index](/how-to-guides/index). BriefTech builds it for you from the documents in your matter — your job there is to refine it into the ordered spine of your court bundle. # Bulk-edit metadata across many documents Change labels, collections, dates, descriptions and index categories on many documents at once. 1. In the Review tab tab, tick the checkbox on each row you want to change (or use the header checkbox to select every visible row). 2. In the toolbar above the table, select Apply labels to apply labels to the selected documents, or Manage collections to add them to a collection. Both are icon buttons — hover to confirm ("Apply labels to selected files" and "Manage collections for selected files"). 3. Tick a label or collection to add it to all the selected documents, or untick one to remove it from all of them — a part-filled box means only some of them have it. Then select **Apply**. ## Bulk-edit dates, descriptions and index categories in a spreadsheet To change many documents' dates, descriptions or index categories at once: 1. In the Review tab tab toolbar, open the **Tools** menu and select **Bulk Edit Dates & Descriptions**. The **Bulk Edit Document Metadata** dialog opens. 2. Select **Download Excel** and save the file. It is not limited to the rows you ticked — narrow the list with a folder, label or collection first if you want a smaller file. 3. Edit the file offline, then select **Upload edited Excel file** in the same dialog and choose it (you can also drag the file onto the field). 4. BriefTech lists every row it will change, old value next to new. Check the list, then select **Apply Changes**. Closing the dialog without selecting it discards your edits. You can edit three columns: * **Document Date** * **Document Description** * **Index Category** Leave the **File ID** column untouched so each row still maps back to its document. A date or description you replace with new text is saved as your own edit, so AI re-analysis won't overwrite it, and a replaced description is locked with the padlock. {% hint style="info" %} **Downloading this spreadsheet can cost index credits.** It's billed like [exporting a Document Index](/how-to-guides/export/export-index-word-pdf-excel): BriefTech charges index credits for any documents that aren't already part of a paid index, and shows a **Confirm Export** dialog before charging. The charge covers every row currently visible in the tab, whatever you selected — so check the total in that dialog before confirming. Documents you've already paid to index cost nothing to download again. {% endhint %} **Index Category** is a category you set yourself to group documents in your index; see [Document metadata fields](/reference/document-metadata-fields). ## Other bulk description actions With rows selected in the Review tab, the toolbar (and its **Tools** menu) offers more actions that change many descriptions at once: * Translate description… — translate the selected descriptions into another language; see [Translate document descriptions](/how-to-guides/review/translate-document-descriptions). * Use filename as description — set each selected document's description to its file name. This replaces the current description and unlocks any manual edit. * Regenerate Description & Date — have the AI analyse the selected documents again. Confirm at the **Confirm Re-extraction** prompt; the run replaces the AI's own values across every field it fills, and keeps any date you've set by hand and any description you've locked with the padlock. This one is a toolbar icon button rather than a **Tools** entry — you can also right-click any selected row to reach it. To rewrite descriptions in your own wording from a few examples, see [Refine descriptions from examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples). ## What you can change in bulk You can now update metadata across many documents in one pass — apply labels and collections from the Review-tab toolbar, and change dates, descriptions and index categories together by exporting the metadata spreadsheet, editing it offline, and importing it back. ## Related
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
Refine descriptions using your own edits as examplesEdit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match.Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Review an AI-Analysed MatterA guided run through the Review stage — take a matter the AI has analysed and confirm, correct and refine its details until it's ready to index.Review an AI-Analysed Matter
Translate document descriptionsTranslate document descriptions into Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese (Simplified), French, or English.Translate document descriptions
# Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples Edit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match. Teach BriefTech your preferred style by editing a few descriptions by hand, then have it rewrite the rest of your selection to match. Use this when the AI descriptions are close but not in the style, length, or detail you want. ## Steps 1. Open the Review tab tab. 2. **Edit at least one description** by hand in the style you want (two or three give better results, especially if your documents are mixed). Double-click the description cell, type, and press Enter. If an AI description is already in the style you want, hover it and click its open padlock instead — this locks it as it is, with no retyping. These locked descriptions are your **examples** (also called manual description overrides). 3. **Tick the checkboxes** on both: * your edited rows (the **examples**), and * the rows you want rewritten (the **targets**). Go by the cell, not by memory: an edited description is shown in a different colour from an AI one, and hovering the cell shows a closed lock padlock. An un-edited row's description is in the normal colour, and hovering shows an open padlock instead. The button stays greyed out unless your selection includes at least one example *and* at least one target. Tick both before clicking. 4. In the toolbar, click Refine Descriptions. It is a toolbar button — it is not in the right-click menu or the **Tools** menu. 5. Wait for the run to finish. BriefTech rewrites each target to match the style of your examples. Your edited rows are left untouched. ## Button greyed out? Hover for the reason: | Message | What to do | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *"Select documents first"* | Tick at least one row before clicking. | | *"Select rows that have manual description overrides to use them as examples for refinement"* | Edit a description first (double-click, type, Enter), then tick that row. | | *"Select at least one row without a manual description override to refine"* | Add at least one un-edited row to the selection. | ## Good to know * **Run it as often as you like.** Each run uses whatever edits are in the current selection. * **Scope is the selection only.** Refining does not change settings or affect documents outside the selection. * **To have an example rewritten too, unlock it first.** Hover that row's description, click its lock padlock, and the row becomes a target on the next run. Unlocking keeps the text that is currently showing — it does not restore the AI's earlier wording. See [Document metadata fields](/reference/document-metadata-fields). ## What you've built Your target rows now carry descriptions rewritten to match the style of your hand-edited examples, while your edited rows stay untouched. ## Related
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
# Translate document descriptions Translate document descriptions into Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese (Simplified), French, or English. {% hint style="warning" %} **Translating a locked row discards your edit.** Both the translate translate icon and Translate description… work on rows you have edited by hand, and translating one translates *your* text, clears the manual override and leaves the row unlocked — the padlock does not protect the description from a translation. Copy anything you need first. {% endhint %} ## Translate a single description 1. In the Review tab tab, hover over the description cell of the document you want to translate — a row of action icons appears. 2. Click the translate translate icon. 3. In the dropdown that appears, select the target language. The description updates immediately. ## Translate multiple descriptions at once 1. In the Review tab tab, select the documents you want to translate using their checkboxes. 2. In the toolbar above the table, open the **Tools** menu and select Translate description…. 3. In the dialog, select the target language from the list. 4. Click **Translate**. BriefTech translates each selected description and reports how many were updated. ## After translating The translated text is saved as a generated description: * **Editing it** — double-click into the cell to edit the text by hand. Once you save a change, the description is locked and marked as a manual override. * **Unlocking it** — hover the cell and click the lock lock icon. This keeps your current text and removes the padlock — it does **not** restore the translated text that was there before your edit. * **Reverting it** — there is no one-step revert to the description that existed before the translation. To get an AI description back, hover the cell and click the Regenerate AI description regenerate icon — BriefTech writes a fresh description of the document, which may not match the one you had before. Otherwise, retype the earlier text by hand. See [Document metadata fields](/reference/document-metadata-fields) for details on how generated values and locked overrides work. ## Related
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
Bulk-edit metadata across many documentsChange labels, collections, dates, descriptions and index categories on many documents at once.Bulk-edit metadata across many documents
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Review an AI-Analysed MatterA guided run through the Review stage — take a matter the AI has analysed and confirm, correct and refine its details until it's ready to index.Review an AI-Analysed Matter
Refine descriptions using your own edits as examplesEdit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match.Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples
# Customise the file-list columns Show, hide, and reorder the columns in the on-screen document list on the Files and Review tabs. The document list — the table of files you see on the Files and Review tabs — can be tailored to show the columns you want, in the order you want. ## Customise the columns 1. **Open the column picker.** In the document-list toolbar, select Customise columns. The column picker opens. 2. **Show or hide a column.** Tick a column to show it in the list, or untick it to hide it. When the list is long, type in the search box to find a column by name. 3. **Reorder the columns.** Drag a column by its handle to move it up or down. The top-to-bottom order in the dialog is the left-to-right order of the columns in the list. 4. **Apply your changes.** Select Apply to update the list with your changes. To change a column's width, drag the border between two column headers in the list itself, not in the picker. The new width is saved as soon as you let go — there is nothing to apply. Reset to defaults restores the standard columns, their order, and their widths. Cancel closes the dialog without making changes. ## Search within columns Select Search in the document-list toolbar (labelled "Search" on a wide screen, icon-only on a narrow one) to show a filter row beneath the column headers. Type in the box under any searchable column to narrow the list to the rows that match. Fill in more than one box to narrow it further — a row has to match every box you have typed in. Select the button again — it now reads "Hide Search" — to hide the row. Hiding it clears everything you have typed, so leave the row showing if you want to keep your filters. {% hint style="info" %} **What these settings affect, and how they're saved:** * They change how the **on-screen** document list looks, and which columns — in the same order — go into a spreadsheet you make with **Export Selected Rows To Excel** or **Export All Rows To Excel** from the **Tools** menu (that spreadsheet also always ends with a **Directory** column). They do **not** change the columns in the exported Document Index. * Your column choices and widths are saved in your browser, so they are kept when you reload the page, but they don't follow you to another browser or computer. They are saved separately for each matter and each document list: the Review tab keeps one layout, and on the Files tab each view in the left-hand panel — such as **ALL**, **Exceptions** or **Bin** — keeps its own. * On the Files tab, your sort and column search are remembered too. To change the Document Index columns, see [Column options](/reference/column-options). {% endhint %} ## Related
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
Bulk-edit metadata across many documentsChange labels, collections, dates, descriptions and index categories on many documents at once.Bulk-edit metadata across many documents
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Review an AI-Analysed MatterA guided run through the Review stage — take a matter the AI has analysed and confirm, correct and refine its details until it's ready to index.Review an AI-Analysed Matter
Refine descriptions using your own edits as examplesEdit a few descriptions the way you want them, then have BriefTech rewrite the rest to match.Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples
# Index Documents Build the Document Index: the structured, ordered index that becomes the spine of your court bundle. The **Document Index** is the ordered, structured list of your documents that becomes the spine of your court bundle (it's a different thing from the search index used to find documents). BriefTech builds it automatically from the documents in your matter, assigning serial numbers by order. The guides below help you refine that index — reorder documents, add headings, split into volumes, and more. * [Reorder documents and add structure](/how-to-guides/index/reorder-documents-add-structure) — Drag documents into the order you want and add headings. * [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings) — Add, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete the headings that group your documents. * [Add or edit sub-index entries](/how-to-guides/index/add-edit-sub-index-entries) — Add, edit, or remove the sub-index entries that appear beneath a document in the index. * [Sort documents in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/sort-documents-in-index) — Sort the Document Index by date, file name, or description. * [Split a bundle into volumes](/how-to-guides/index/split-into-volumes) — Control how the bundle is split into volumes — BriefTech splits automatically by page count, and you can split by heading or force a break. To set the columns and bundle settings (hyperlinks, sort order, volume options) from the toolbar menu, see the [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets) reference. Presets don't set serial numbers. *** **New to this?** For a guided, end-to-end walkthrough — from uploading documents to a finished, exported package — follow [Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure](/get-started/prepare-disclosure-list). **Next step:** with your Document Index built, [build the court bundle](/how-to-guides/bundle) from it. # Reorder documents and add structure Reorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions. In the Index tab tab, switch to Edit mode, then grab any document row (⠿) and drag it. 1. Grab any document row — anywhere along the row, or using the handle (⠿) — and drag it to reposition it. 2. Drop it in place. Serial numbers renumber automatically, and changes save instantly. {% hint style="info" %} **Reorder in Edit mode, not Preview.** The toolbar's Edit/Preview toggle — Edit Preview — switches between them, and Preview mode shows how the final bundle will look. Rows can still be dragged in Preview, but the move is applied to the Edit list rather than the one on screen. {% endhint %} You can drag a document into a different heading section — drop it above or below any row, including rows under a different heading, and it moves there. **What keeps your order, and what resets it.** A manual order is saved with the matter, and the bundle is built from the order you see: * It survives reloading the page, applying a bundle or index preset, and generating the bundle. * Re-running **Generate index headings** — with any of its options — rebuilds the whole index, discarding every manual position along with the current headings. Do your reordering *after* you have settled on headings, not before. * Documents uploaded later are added to the **end** of the index, beneath the last heading, rather than into the section their folder matches — drag them into place, or re-generate the headings and reorder again. You can also drag a document onto a heading in the left-hand tree panel to move it into that section — useful when the target heading is far from the row you're dragging. The documents land at the **top** of that section, directly beneath the heading. Attachments are the exception: an attached row stays with its parent, so dropping one on a heading **doesn't move it into that section**, and gives you no message. Move the parent instead — its attachments follow. To add, rename, move, sort, or delete headings, see [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings). ## Move multiple documents at once In the Document Index. You can drag several documents to a new position in one operation. 1. Tick the checkboxes on the rows you want to move. You can also hold **Shift** and click to select a range, or hold **Cmd/Ctrl** and click a row to toggle it in or out of the selection. A **Shift** range also selects any heading it crosses, and a selected heading moves with the documents when you drop them in the index. Dropping them on a heading in the left-hand panel moves only the documents. 2. Drag any one of the selected rows — anywhere along the row, or by its handle (⠿). 3. All selected rows move together and are dropped at the target position, in the order you ticked them rather than their order in the index. To keep them in their current order, tick them from top to bottom. {% hint style="info" %} **Drag blocked?** If you try to drag a row that is **not** in your current selection while other rows are checked, the drag is blocked. Either include that row in your selection first, or click Clear selection to clear it and drag just that row. {% endhint %} ## More ways to reorder and restructure In the Document Index. Each document row has a More actions menu. Hover the **Description** cell and click the More actions that appears at its bottom-right, or right-click anywhere on the row, to open it. Right-clicking a row you haven't already ticked replaces your whole selection with just that row, so when you have several rows selected, open the menu with the More actions button instead. Alongside dragging, it offers: * Select family / Deselect family — available on any member of a family (the parent or one of its attachments); selects the parent and all its attached rows together so you can act on them as one group. You don't need this just to keep attachments with their parent — when you move a parent row, its attachments move with it automatically. Take care when dragging a family you have selected this way: dropping it on a row outside the family offers to detach every attachment in it — see [Detach attachments by dragging them out](#detach-attachments-by-dragging-them-out). * Detach from parent — on an attached (child) row, permanently promotes it out of its family into a standalone document. BriefTech asks you to confirm first, because this can't be undone: once detached, a row can't be grouped back to its parent. You can also detach by dragging — see below. * Push to Next Volume and Split to Next Volume… — move a document (or a page range) into the next bundle volume; see [Split a bundle into volumes](/how-to-guides/index/split-into-volumes). * Configure Bundle Overrides, and Reset Volume Placement when a volume override is set — per-document volume settings; see [Split a bundle into volumes](/how-to-guides/index/split-into-volumes). You can also reorder the documents in a section by sorting them — see [Sort documents in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/sort-documents-in-index). ## Undo and redo In the Document Index. The Index tab toolbar has Undo and Redo buttons that step backwards and forwards through the structural changes you make to the index. Each is **greyed out — not hidden** — when there is nothing to undo or redo. You can also press **Ctrl/Cmd + Z** to undo and **Ctrl/Cmd + Y** to redo — see [Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/keyboard-shortcuts). Undo and redo cover the edits you make to the index's rows and headings: * reordering documents, and moving them between sections or into a heading; * adding, renaming, indenting, outdenting, or moving a heading up or down; * sorting documents within a section or across the whole index. They do **not** cover generating headings — that is a separate action that cannot be undone, and it asks you to confirm only the first time you generate headings on an index (see [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings)). Undo keeps up to your last 50 changes to the index — as you make new changes, the oldest drop off. Leaving the Document Index or reloading it clears the history, so undo does not carry your changes over once you navigate away and come back. ## Detach attachments by dragging them out In the Document Index. Dragging an attached (child) row onto a row outside its own family detaches it — the same permanent change as the Detach from parent menu action, so BriefTech asks you to confirm first. This is the only way to detach several attachments at once. 1. In Edit mode, drag one or more child rows and drop them on a row that is **not** their parent and **not** one of their siblings. 2. Confirm the **Detach from parent** prompt. It warns that the attachments become standalone documents and cannot be grouped back again. When more than one attachment is being detached it also says how many — a count of the attachments leaving their parents, not of every row the drag moves. 3. Click **Detach** to go ahead — the rows lose their parent and land where you dropped them. Click Cancel and nothing moves at all: the whole drag is abandoned, including any other rows you were dragging alongside them. This also fires when you drag a **whole family** — a parent and its attachments together, which is exactly what **Select family** gives you. Dropping that selection on a row outside the family offers to detach every attachment in it, and confirming breaks the family permanently. {% hint style="warning" %} **Dropping a child row inside its own family — onto its parent, or onto one of its siblings — is an ordinary reorder and never prompts.** The prompt appears whenever the row you drop onto belongs to a different family, or to none. So even a small nudge past the last attachment in the family will ask you to detach. {% endhint %} ## Collapse a document's attachments In the Document Index. When a document has attached files (for example, files unpacked from a ZIP or email), its attachments appear as child rows beneath it in **Edit** mode. 1. Hover the parent row to reveal the **chevron** in the gutter at the left — it's hidden until you hover the row. 2. Click the chevron to collapse the group — the attached rows hide and a **+N** badge on the parent's serial number shows how many are tucked away. 3. Click the chevron again (tooltip *Expand (N attached)*) to show them. Collapsing is a view convenience only; it does not change document order or the generated bundle. ## Search the index by column In the Document Index. Select Search by columns in the Index tab toolbar to show a filter row at the top of the index, with a box above each column. Type in the box above a column to show only the rows whose entry in that column contains what you typed. Capitals don't matter, and part of an entry is enough — typing 1 in the serial-number box (**S/No.** unless the column has been renamed) also finds 10 and 21. Fill in more than one box to narrow the list further — a row has to match every box you have typed in. Select the button again — it now shows ×, with the tooltip *Hide column search* — to hide the row. Hiding it clears everything you have typed, and so does leaving the Index tab or reloading the page. Searching changes only what you see: the order, the serial numbers, and the exported index and bundle stay as they are. While you have text in any box: * **Headings and the row of column titles are hidden.** The exception is a section heading whose title matches when the description box is the only one you have filled in — so note which column each box sits above before you type. * **Sub-index entries are searched on their own**, so an entry can show without its document, and a document without its entries. * **In Edit mode, collapsed attachments stay hidden** even when they match — expand their parent before you search (see [Collapse a document's attachments](#collapse-a-documents-attachments)). * **Rows you ticked stay ticked when the search hides them**, and move with the rest if you drag the selection. To move just the matching rows, click Clear selection first, then tick them. ## What you've built You now have a Document Index whose documents sit in the order you want — dragged into place, moved between sections, or rearranged several at a time — with that manual order saved to the matter and carried through to the generated bundle. ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Manage headings in the Document IndexAdd, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete headings in the Document Index, or generate them automatically from your folder structure.Manage headings in the Document Index
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
Prepare a List of Documents for DisclosureTurn a set of documents into a finished disclosure package — a ZIP with Word and Excel indexes and every file renamed by serial, date and description.Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure
Add or edit sub-index entriesAdd, edit, or remove the sub-index entries that appear beneath a document in the Document Index.Add or edit sub-index entries
# Manage headings in the Document Index Add, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete headings in the Document Index, or generate them automatically from your folder structure. Wherever these steps say to open a heading's **⋮** menu, you can also right-click the heading row to open the same menu. ## Generate headings from folders In the Document Index, if your documents are organised into folders: 1. Open the Index tab tab and click Apply preset in the toolbar. 2. Hover over **Generate index headings** to open the submenu. 3. Choose Group by folder — "Generates headings per uploaded folder". {% hint style="warning" %} **Generating folder headings cannot be undone.** Generating discards the current headings, including any you have created or edited by hand: * The first time you generate headings on an index, BriefTech asks you to confirm — "This will delete all your current manually created/edited headings and cannot be undone". * After headings have been generated once, generating again replaces them without a prompt. * Undo in the Document Index covers changes you make to the index rows, not heading generation, so hand-made headings cannot be brought back once they have been replaced. Switch to folder headings before you invest in hand-made ones. {% endhint %} BriefTech replaces the current headings with a heading for each folder, grouping documents under the heading that matches the folder they are in — so you don't add headings one by one. If your folders contain sub-folders, the generated headings mirror that nesting — a sub-folder becomes a heading nested under its parent. To remove the generated headings and return to a flat list, repeat the steps above and choose No headings. The same submenu also offers Group by LOD category, which creates one heading per assigned document category instead of per folder — see [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets) for all three options. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** "Group by folder" uses the folder each document is in now — the one it was uploaded into, or the one you have since moved it to. If you have not organised your documents into folders, or all documents are at the matter root, no headings are generated. {% endhint %} See [Folders, labels, and collections](/reference/folders-labels-and-collections) for more on how folders work. ## Add a heading In the Document Index. 1. Hover over the document row where you want the heading to start — an **Add heading:** area appears. 2. Click the Heading chip to open the **Add Heading** dialog. 3. Enter the **Heading Title** and click Save (Save is disabled until you enter a title). The heading is inserted **above** that row; use the ⋮ menu or the drag handle to move it afterwards. ## Rename a heading In the Document Index. 1. Double-click the heading text (or hover the heading row, click the ⋮ menu, and choose **Edit heading**) to open the **Edit Heading** dialog. 2. Update the title and save. ## Move a heading up or down In the Document Index. 1. Hover over the heading row. 2. Click the ⋮ menu. 3. Choose Move Up or Move Down. The heading moves one row at a time, swapping places with whatever sits immediately above or below it — a document or another heading. The documents themselves stay put, so each step simply changes which section the document the heading steps past belongs to. To move a heading a long distance, drag it by its handle (⠿) instead — this drops the heading at the new position in a single action. Only the heading moves; the documents stay where they are, so dragging a heading changes which documents fall beneath it and beneath the section it leaves behind. ## Sort documents under a heading To sort the documents under a heading, see [Sort documents in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/sort-documents-in-index). ## Indent a heading In the Document Index. 1. Hover over the heading row. 2. Click the ⋮ menu. 3. Choose Increase Indent to show the heading one indent level deeper, or Decrease Indent to bring it back up. Indenting changes the heading's own display level only — it doesn't attach the heading to the one above it. Indenting is only available when Senior Volumes mode is not enabled. ## Enable or disable Senior Volumes To turn Senior Volumes on or off, and for what the mode does, see [Split a bundle into volumes](/how-to-guides/index/split-into-volumes). While Senior Volumes is on: * The **Add heading:** strip becomes **Add:** with two chips — Senior Volume and Heading — so you can add a volume divider or an ordinary heading. * Each volume-heading row has its own **⋮** menu with Edit Volume and Delete Volume Heading. * **Edit volume** opens a volume-label *template* dialog (not a plain title field), and the delete item is relabelled **Delete senior volume heading**. * Deleting the **first** volume heading turns Senior Volumes off. ## Delete a heading In the Document Index. 1. Hover over the heading row. 2. Click the ⋮ menu. 3. Choose **Delete heading**, then confirm. Documents that were under the deleted heading remain in the index and move up to the section above (or to the root level if it was the first heading). Any nested sub-headings under it are kept too — they aren't deleted, they just move up with the documents. To delete several headings at once, tick the checkbox on each heading row and choose the delete action in the bulk-action strip that appears — it reads **Delete heading** for one selected, or **Delete N headings** for several. As with a single delete, the documents under each removed heading stay in the index and move up to the section above. Note: if some heading rows are ticked and you use the ⋮ menu's **Delete heading** on one of the ticked headings, BriefTech deletes **all** the ticked headings, not just that one. Clear the checkboxes first if you mean to delete a single heading. ## What you've built You now have a Document Index divided into labelled sections: each heading groups the documents beneath it and appears as a section title in the table of contents and the generated bundle. ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Reorder documents and add structureReorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions.Reorder documents and add structure
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
Prepare a List of Documents for DisclosureTurn a set of documents into a finished disclosure package — a ZIP with Word and Excel indexes and every file renamed by serial, date and description.Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure
Add or edit sub-index entriesAdd, edit, or remove the sub-index entries that appear beneath a document in the Document Index.Add or edit sub-index entries
# Add or edit sub-index entries Add, edit, or remove the sub-index entries that appear beneath a document in the Document Index. Sub-index entries are the individual lines that appear beneath a document row in the Index tab tab — typically the exhibits or chapters from an affidavit or bundle tab. Each entry has a title, a level, and a page range. ## Open the Edit Subindex dialog 1. In the Index tab tab, hover over the document row you want to edit — action icons appear at the bottom-right of its **Description** cell. 2. Click the Edit subindex icon. The **Edit Subindex** dialog opens, showing the current sub-index entries for that document. If there are none yet, it opens with a single placeholder row ("Enter document description") for you to fill in. The dialog is persistent — pressing Esc or clicking outside won't close it; use Cancel to close without saving. ## Check entries against the document Click any row in the table to jump the document to that entry's page start, so you can confirm each title and page number against the document as you go. The **Edit Subindex** dialog is split in two — the entry table on the left, the source document alongside it on the right — and the document opens straight away, even for a large file. If the document has no PDF attached, the right-hand side shows "No PDF available to preview for this document." instead. ## Generate sub-index entries from the PDF 1. In the **Edit Subindex** dialog, click Generate from PDF Generate from PDF. 2. Review the entries that appear in the table. 3. Click Save to apply them. BriefTech builds the sub-index from the PDF for you, and it works even when the PDF has no bookmarks of its own. Generate from PDF needs a PDF — if the document has no PDF attached, BriefTech asks you to upload one first. {% hint style="warning" %} **Generate from PDF replaces the whole table.** When it finds entries, it overwrites every row currently shown in the dialog — including any you added or edited by hand — with the generated set. It does not merge, and there's no confirmation first. The replacement isn't stored until you click **Save**. Only when generation finds nothing is the table left unchanged. {% endhint %} ## Review the generated entries Auto-generated entries are a starting point, not a finished index — always check them before you save. * If BriefTech runs into anything it isn't sure about while reading a bundle index — for example page numbers it can't line up with the pages in this PDF — an amber banner appears at the top of the dialog listing the issues (for example "2 issues found while reading the index — review before saving"), with a Dismiss button. Read each issue and fix the affected rows before saving. * If the bundle's index table lists documents from a **later volume**, those entries may be pulled in as well, and their page numbers can be wrong — a later volume's page numbers can't be worked out from this PDF. Delete any entries that don't belong to this volume before you save. ## Add entries manually 1. In the **Edit Subindex** dialog, click add **Add subindex item**. 2. A new row appears. Double-click each field to edit it: * **Level** — the entry's depth, as a whole number from `0` upwards. Leave it at `0` in most cases: sub-index entries always sit one level beneath their parent document in the exported bundle, so a higher number here won't nest an entry any deeper. * **Title** — the text that appears in the index. Required. * **Page start** — the page number where this entry begins (1-based). Required. * **Page end** — the page number where this entry ends. Optional; if you set it, it must be the same as or after the **Page start**, or BriefTech won't let you save. * **Date** — the date of the entry. Optional; BriefTech accepts several formats and standardises them when you save: * A full date, for example `2018-01-31`, `31/01/2018`, or `31.01.2018` * A month and year, for example `01/2018` * A range, for example `2018-01-01 to 2018-12-31` Dates are read **day-first**, so `31/01/2018` means 31 January (US month-first order isn't supported). Type `undated` for a document with no date, or leave the field blank to clear it — an undated sub-index entry shows a **blank** date in the index and bundle (not the word "Undated"). If the value can't be read as a date, BriefTech shows **Invalid date format**. 3. Click Save to apply. {% hint style="info" %} **How the sub-index stays ordered:** * The list is always kept in **page order** — entries sort by their page start as you add or edit them, so the sub-index reads top to bottom in the same order as the document. * A new entry is added at the **bottom**, with its **Page start** pre-filled to one page after the furthest page any existing entry covers (page 1 for the very first entry). Change it to the entry's real page — the list re-sorts into page order when you do. * If two entries' page ranges **overlap**, or leave a **gap** between them, an amber warning icon appears next to the page number on the affected rows — hover it to see what's wrong. * These warnings are **guidance only** — they never stop you saving. {% endhint %} ## Edit an existing entry Any field in the table can be edited the same way — make your change, then click Save. After the bundle has been paginated (switch to **Preview**), sub-index entries appear as their own rows in the Document Index. There you can edit a sub-index title or date directly without opening the dialog — double-click the cell in the sub-index row, or hover the row and click the edit icon that appears on the cell. Before pagination, edit entries from the **Edit Subindex** dialog (above). ## Preview an entry at its page Once the bundle has been paginated (switch to **Preview**) so sub-index rows appear in the Document Index, hover over a sub-index row in the Index tab tab and click the Preview at page icon that appears next to its number to open the source document in the preview pane at that entry's page — a quick way to confirm an entry points at the right page. The icon appears only when the entry has a page to jump to. ## Remove an entry Click the delete icon on the right of the row you want to delete, then click Save. ## What you've built You now have a sub-index that sits beneath its document's heading in the Index tab tab and mirrors the tabs and pagination of the original bundle, so the main index reads as one complete guide to the record — the way to show what's inside a document that is itself a bundle, such as a Bundle of Documents or an affidavit with exhibits. When you generate a paginated court bundle, each entry is written into the bundle PDF as a nested bookmark (outline entry) beneath its document's own bookmark, so it appears in the PDF reader's bookmark panel indented one level under the parent document, each jumping to the page where it begins. ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Manage headings in the Document IndexAdd, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete headings in the Document Index, or generate them automatically from your folder structure.Manage headings in the Document Index
Reorder documents and add structureReorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions.Reorder documents and add structure
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
# Sort documents in the Document Index Sort documents within Document Index sections by date, file name, or description. In the Index tab, sort documents by date, description, or filename — all sections at once, or one on its own. ## Sort all sections at once In the Document Index. 1. Open the Index tab tab. 2. Click Apply preset in the toolbar. 3. Click **Sort all sections**. 4. Choose **Date**, **Description**, or **Filename**. ## Sort one section In the Document Index, sort a single section from either its heading row or its column-header row: * **From the heading row for that section** — click the **sort icon** (tooltip *Sort documents under heading*), or open the heading's **⋮** menu and choose Sort Files Under Heading, then choose **Date, File Name**, **File Name**, or **Description**. * **From the column-header row** — hover the **Description** column header and click the **sort icon** (tooltip *Sort documents below*), or right-click the **column-header row** and choose **Sort Files**. For exactly what each order does, see [Serial numbers and date formats](/reference/serial-numbers-and-date-formats#sort-order). Once you sort, the new order is saved straight away and applies for everyone working on the matter: it becomes the saved order, serial numbers renumber to match, and the change carries through to the exported index and the generated bundle. {% hint style="info" %} **Sorting stays within each section.** Sorting reorders documents within each section only — it does not move documents across heading boundaries. You can drag rows manually after sorting, or sort again at any time. {% endhint %} ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Reorder documents and add structureReorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions.Reorder documents and add structure
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
Prepare a List of Documents for DisclosureTurn a set of documents into a finished disclosure package — a ZIP with Word and Excel indexes and every file renamed by serial, date and description.Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure
Manage headings in the Document IndexAdd, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete headings in the Document Index, or generate them automatically from your folder structure.Manage headings in the Document Index
# Split a bundle into volumes Control how a large matter is split into bundle volumes, including forcing a volume break. First, open **Volumes Settings**: in the Index tab tab, click Create Bundle in the toolbar, then expand **Volumes Settings**. ## Change the pages per volume In **Volumes Settings**, set **Max Pages Per Volume** to the number of pages you want per volume (default 300). The value must be greater than 30, and a value of 0 is not accepted. To effectively disable splitting, set a very large number. ## Choose how splitting is decided In the same **Volumes Settings**, the **Volume Split Strategy** select sets the rule for where volumes break in the collection you are bundling — **Auto (smart split)** (which uses an **Auto Split Threshold** page count), **Allow split when needed**, or **Never split**. It applies to this collection's bundle — a matter with several collections can use a different strategy per collection — whereas the per-document overrides below force a single document. See [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings) for what each option does. ## Edit volume headings and labels In **Preview** or **Edit**, each volume-heading row carries a **⋮** menu for changing the heading wording: * **Preview** — the **⋮** menu has Edit Volume and Delete Volume Heading. **Edit Volume** opens the **Senior Volume Header Template** dialog, which sets the wording of the heading rows themselves (default `Volume {vol}`). * **Edit** — the same heading is an ordinary heading row. Its **⋮** menu reads **Edit volume** — which opens **Volume Header Templates**, covering both senior and junior headings — and **Delete senior volume heading**. Heading rows and the **Vol** column label appear only once a bundle spans two or more volumes; a single-volume bundle shows no volume heading rows in the Document Index and no volume label on the cover page. To set the bundle-wide volume *label*, click the pencil in the **Vol** column on a **document** row (not a heading row): it opens the **Volume Column Template** dialog (for example `Volume {v}`; see [Template syntax](/reference/template-syntax)). That label fills the **Vol** column and is also used on cover pages, page stamps and volume file names. If you enter names under **Volume Names Overrides** in Bundle settings, those names replace the label on all of those. Volume *heading rows* are the exception — they always use the heading template and never pick up the overrides. ## Split by heading instead (Senior Volumes) To make each top-level heading start its own volume — useful when your natural volume boundaries are your sections (for example, one volume per witness) rather than a page count — turn on Senior Volumes: 1. Find the first heading in the index — any heading with no document rows above it, at any indent level. 2. Click its **⋮** menu. 3. Choose Enable Senior Volumes. To turn it off, choose Disable Senior Volumes from the same menu, or delete the **first** volume heading in either view (see [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings)). Each top-level heading then starts a new volume, so the bundle splits at every top-level heading, in addition to any page-limit splitting. A top-level heading only starts a volume where it has documents beneath it, and if two top-level headings share the same title, only the first of them starts a volume. For the heading controls, see [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings#enable-or-disable-senior-volumes). ## Override where a single document splits On any document row, open the **⋮** menu — click the row, or right-click it — for actions that override how that document splits: * Push to Next Volume — forces the document to always begin a fresh volume. * Split to Next Volume… — for a document longer than one page, splits it across a volume break. Enter the page to split after: pages up to and including that page stay in the current volume, and the rest move to the next volume. * Configure Bundle Overrides — opens the **File Overrides** dialog, where **Volume Split Strategy** can be set for that one document. Use **Auto** or **Allow split when needed** to let one document split when the collection is set to **Never split**. The same dialog also sets a per-document tab page — see [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings#per-document-overrides) for the full set of overrides. Push to Next Volume and Split to Next Volume… can't both apply to the same document — using one of these **⋮** actions clears the other, with no warning. Setting **Force into new volume** in the **File Overrides** dialog does *not* clear a manual split, however: if both are set, the manual split is what the bundle uses. To clear any of these overrides — Push, a manual split, or a **Volume Split Strategy** set in the **File Overrides** dialog — use **⋮** → Reset Volume Placement. It leaves a per-document tab page setting alone; to clear that too, open Configure Bundle Overrides and click **Reset to defaults**. When you split a document across a volume break, each part is listed as its own row in the Document Index. Both parts keep the **same serial number** — the split doesn't create a new one — and each part's description gains the original page range (for example `Witness statement (Pages 1-60)` in one volume and `Witness statement (Pages 61-120)` in the next), so the reader can tell which pages of the source document each part contains. If a sub-index entry's page range spans a volume break, the entry appears in both volumes, each showing the part of its page range that falls in that volume. ## Preview the volumes To preview the volumes: 1. Switch the index to **Preview** using the Edit/Preview toggle above the table. 2. Type a volume number into the **Vol** field beside the toggle. **Vol** starts at **1**, which shows the whole bundle — every volume, one after another. Enter **2** or higher to see that volume on its own. The field accepts any number: one past your last volume shows an empty volume rather than an error. Volume and split changes show in the **Preview** immediately, but a bundle you have already generated won't update on its own — click Create Bundle in the toolbar to reopen the panel, then click Create Bundle in the panel to produce a fresh bundle that reflects the changes. By default, each volume's page numbers restart at 1 rather than running continuously across the whole bundle. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** The volume breaks preview is an estimate — it assumes a one-page table of contents per volume, so the final pagination can shift by roughly your index's actual TOC length (a 15-page index can shift a volume by around 14 pages). {% endhint %} ## What you've done You've set how a large bundle breaks into volumes — the page limit and split strategy in **Volumes Settings**, splitting by heading with Senior Volumes, and any per-document overrides from a row's **⋮** menu. Left alone, BriefTech splits the bundle automatically once the running page count passes the volume page limit (default 300 pages). For more volume and split settings, see [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings). ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Reorder documents and add structureReorder documents in the Document Index — move them between sections, drag multiple rows, and use the ⋮ menu for family, detach and volume actions.Reorder documents and add structure
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
Prepare a List of Documents for DisclosureTurn a set of documents into a finished disclosure package — a ZIP with Word and Excel indexes and every file renamed by serial, date and description.Prepare a List of Documents for Disclosure
Manage headings in the Document IndexAdd, rename, move, sort, indent, and delete headings in the Document Index, or generate them automatically from your folder structure.Manage headings in the Document Index
# Build Bundles Assemble paginated court bundle PDFs from your Document Index. {% hint style="info" %} **New to bundles?** * For a guided walkthrough from documents to a filing-ready bundle, follow [Prepare a Bundle with BriefTech](/get-started/prepare-any-bundle). * Preparing a Record of Appeal? Start with the guided tutorial — [Prepare Your First Record of Appeal (Singapore)](/get-started/prepare-record-of-appeal-singapore) — then follow [Prepare Records of Appeal for the Singapore & Malaysian Courts](/how-to-guides/bundle/prepare-records-of-appeal-bundle). * For how the index and the bundle relate, see [From Document Index to court bundle](/concepts/index-and-court-bundle). {% endhint %} * [Generate a paginated court bundle](/how-to-guides/bundle/generate-paginated-bundle) — Produce the paginated bundle PDFs — one per volume — with a cover page, an optional intro document, table of contents, tab pages, bookmarks, and stamped page numbers. * [Prepare Records of Appeal for the Singapore & Malaysian Courts](/how-to-guides/bundle/prepare-records-of-appeal-bundle) — Take a matter's documents from upload to a filing-ready, paginated Record of Appeal for the Singapore or Malaysian courts — split into volumes, cover pages in place, paginated per volume. * [Regenerate a court bundle after making changes](/how-to-guides/bundle/regenerate-court-bundle) — Re-run bundle generation after edits to the Document Index or settings. For every bundle option and its default, see the [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings) reference. *** **Next step:** your finished bundle downloads straight from the Create Bundle panel — a card per volume, plus a Complete Bundle (ZIP). To also deliver the Document Index as a Word or Excel file, or to hand over the original files separately, see [Export Files](/how-to-guides/export). # Generate a paginated court bundle Produce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks. 1. In the Index tab tab, click **Create Bundle** in the toolbar. The **Create Bundle** panel opens on the right. 2. Expand the sections you need — **Cover Page**, **Document Upload**, **Index / Table of Contents**, **Volumes Settings**, **Tab / Page Separators**, **Bookmarks**, and **Pagination** — and configure each. 3. Optionally, in **Volumes to assemble**, enter the volumes you want — single numbers and ranges separated by commas, for example `1,2,5-7`. Leave it blank to assemble every volume. 4. Click Create Bundle at the bottom. If a setting is missing, a red **"Bundle settings need attention"** banner lists what to fix and the button stays disabled. 5. If any documents have processing issues (password-protected, unsupported type, empty, or too large), a warning dialog lists them. Click **Create Bundle Anyway** to continue — affected files appear as placeholder pages — or Cancel to fix them first. 6. If anything in the collection you are bundling has not been charged before, a **Confirm Export** dialog shows what it will cost. Click **Export** to commit the charge and continue, or Cancel to stop.

If your credit balance is short, BriefTech offers Export with watermark instead:

  • It produces the bundle without charging you.
  • Every page carries a BriefTech watermark — fine for a draft, not for filing.
  • The ZIP contains the PDF volumes only. None of the editable Word copies of the cover pages, tab dividers and contents pages are included — see What you get below.
  • On a watermarked run, Volumes to assemble produces only those of your chosen volumes numbered 3 or lower — if you ask for volumes 4 and up, nothing is produced. The cap applies only when you name volumes: leave the field blank and a watermarked run produces every volume. So on a watermarked run, naming volumes can give you fewer than asking for none.
  • Top up and regenerate for a clean copy.

A missing subscription does not block bundle generation — credits are the only gate. There is no separate Subscription Required step: if your balance is short you are offered Export with watermark (above), and declining it cancels the export without producing a bundle.

See How credits work and Credit costs and pricing.

7. If a bundle already exists for this collection, BriefTech warns **Existing bundle files detected** — click **Proceed** to overwrite the previous results, or Cancel to keep them. **Cancelling here does not refund the credits committed in the previous step.** 8. You can navigate away while it runs — a flat **View details** button shows progress, and the job keeps running. A **Bundles created successfully** message appears when it finishes. 9. To check on a run in progress, click the background jobs icon in the top bar — it pulses while any job is running. It opens **Background Jobs**, where you can check status; return to the **Create Bundle** panel for the downloads. 10. To stop a bundle that is still generating, open **View details** and click Cancel job. BriefTech confirms with **Cancellation requested** and stops the run shortly after. **Cancelling does not refund the credits you committed at step 6.** See [Job Logs](/reference/job-logs) for when this button is available and the full cancellation rules. ## What you get When it's ready, a download row appears. Each volume is listed as its own white, bordered card with a navy download icon that downloads just that volume, and a bordered **Complete Bundle (ZIP)** card with a blue download icon downloads everything together as a single ZIP. Click anywhere on a card — including its download icon — to save it. The ZIP contains one PDF per volume. Provided the bundle was paid for — that is, you committed the charge at step 6 rather than exporting with a watermark — it also includes editable **Word** (`.docx`) copies of the structural pages your bundle contains, sorted into subfolders: * **`cover/`** — cover pages. * **`tab/`** — tab and separator pages, but only if you uploaded your own tab template under **Tab / Page Separators**. BriefTech's own auto-generated tab pages have no Word version, so a bundle that uses them has no `tab/` folder. * **`toc/`** — the index printed inside the volumes themselves (every volume, or volume 1 only, depending on your **Index generation** setting). The cover and table-of-contents copies are named after the volume they belong to, so they match that volume's PDF and follow your **Filename on Export** setting — a bundle whose volumes export as `Volume 1.pdf` gives `Cover - Volume 1.docx` and `TOC - Volume 1.docx`. See [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings). Tab pages are named from the document's serial number instead, as `tab_17.docx`, regardless of that setting. These are not the Document Index export. To hand the index itself to counsel as a Word or Excel file, see [Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file](/how-to-guides/export/export-index-word-pdf-excel). Use these to reprint the structural pages on their own — for example on coloured paper — without regenerating the whole bundle. ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Regenerate a court bundle after making changesReplace a stale court bundle after reordering or editing the Document Index.Regenerate a court bundle after making changes
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
Prepare a Bundle with BriefTechA guided, end-to-end walkthrough — take any set of documents from upload to a finished, paginated bundle ready for filing or sharing.Prepare a Bundle with BriefTech
# Prepare Records of Appeal for the Singapore & Malaysian Courts Take a matter from upload to a filing-ready Record of Appeal for the Singapore or Malaysian courts, split into volumes and paginated per volume. First, sort your documents into **one folder per volume** — I, II, III or IV for Singapore; **Part / Bahagian** A, B, C or D for Malaysia — on your computer **before** you upload. That folder structure sets how the index and the finished bundle are grouped. ## Step 1 — Create the matter *On the **Matters** screen.* 1. Click Create New Matter in the top-right corner, then enter the matter details. The new matter opens on the Files tab tab. ## Step 2 — Upload and check the documents *In the* Files tab *tab.* 1. Drag your volume/Part folders into the upload zone. Select files picks individual files only; once the matter has documents, **Upload → Upload Folder** is also available. See [Upload documents](/how-to-guides/upload/upload-documents). 2. Check the file list for error or warning icons, and hover an icon to read its message. See [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). 3. If a document's text is wrong or garbled — usually because it arrived with its own low-quality text that BriefTech kept (**Skipped Text**) — right-click and choose Force OCR to re-read every page from scratch. The option appears only when *every* selected document is eligible, so clear a mixed selection first. 4. If a document shows a processing error, right-click and choose Re-process Selection. A persistent error usually means the file is corrupt or unsupported — contact BriefTech support. An error document still takes one page in the bundle, so move it to the Bin (tick it, bin icon) before you go on; it stays recoverable there. See [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document). ## Step 3 — Review and edit the index fields *In the* Review tab *tab.* 1. Switch to the Review tab and wait for the **Document Description** and **Document Date** to be generated automatically. A spinner shows a document is still being processed. See [Document metadata fields](/reference/document-metadata-fields). 2. Double-click the **Document Date** field to type a date, or to pick one BriefTech found in the document (the list appears only when a document yielded more than one). Press Enter to confirm. 3. Double-click the **Document Description** field to edit it. Press Enter to confirm. An edited field turns blue. ## Step 4 — Refine descriptions *In the* Review tab *tab.* To bring multiple descriptions into a consistent style in one go, use Refine Descriptions above the **Original File Name** column. See [Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples). 1. Manually edit at least one description into the style you want — two or three consistent examples give BriefTech more to work from. Edited descriptions turn blue and become your reference rows. 2. Tick your reference rows together with the remaining documents you want to follow that style. The button stays greyed out until your selection holds both at least one edited row and at least one un-edited row. 3. Click Refine Descriptions. ## Step 5 — Translate a description (optional) *In the* Review tab *tab.* To translate one or more Document Descriptions into another language: 1. Tick the checkbox on each document whose description you want to translate. 2. Open the **Tools** menu in the toolbar and choose Translate description…. 3. Pick a language and confirm. To translate a single row, hover its **Document Description** cell and click the translate icon. If the language you need isn't listed, contact BriefTech support. See [Translate document descriptions](/how-to-guides/review/translate-document-descriptions). ## Step 6 — Use the file name as the description (optional) *In the* Review tab *tab.* To use a document's file name as its Document Description, hover the **Document Description** cell and click the Use file name as description icon. To revert, double-click the cell to edit or click Regenerate. ## Step 7 — Verify edits against the source document *In the* Review tab *tab.* 1. Click anywhere on the row to open a side-panel view of the document without leaving the Review tab. 2. A large document opens with a **Click to preview** overlay — click it to load. 3. Drag the splitter to widen the pane, or collapse it with the chevron. See [The preview pane](/reference/preview-pane). ## Step 8 — Add or remove documents *In the* Review tab */* Files tab *tab.* * **Remove** — tick the checkbox next to a row, then click the Move to bin bin icon in the toolbar (hovering shows **Move (N) to bin**), and confirm. Documents in the Bin stay recoverable until you delete them from there. * **Add from the Review tab** — drag the new files onto the folder in the left-hand folder panel where they belong; the folder highlights as you drag over it, and dropping there adds them straight into that folder. (Dropping onto the document list instead adds them without assigning a folder.) The files are added and processed without affecting documents already processed. * **Add from the Files tab** — return to the Files tab and drag the additional files or folders onto the file table, or use **Upload → Upload Folder**. * **Find recent uploads** — sort by the **Uploaded** column using its header. See [Upload monitor](/reference/upload-monitor). ## Step 9 — Generate the index and split into volumes *In the* Index tab *tab.* 1. Click the Index tab to see the generated index table. 2. Click Apply preset (top-right) → **Apply bundle/index preset**, then choose the preset for your court: | | Singapore | Malaysia | | -------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------- | | **Preset** | Record of Appeals (SG) | Records of Appeal (MY) | | **Groups into** | Volumes | Parts (Bahagian) | | **Volume labels** | Roman — I, II, III… | Letters — A, B, C… | | **Pages per volume** | 300 | 200 | | **Page stamp** | `I RA 1` (Roman-prefixed) | bare `1, 2, 3` | The preset sets your index columns, turns on **Senior Volumes**, and applies that jurisdiction's volume settings automatically. See [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets). 3. To divide the index to match your folders, open Apply preset again → **Generate index headings** → Group by folder. BriefTech creates a heading per folder and labels each following the preset — *Index to Volume I / II / III* for Singapore, *Index to Volume A / B / C* for Malaysia. (For Malaysia, BriefTech labels each Part as a **Volume** — *Volume A* is *Part A*.) 4. Check the order before you go on. BriefTech keeps neither your folder order nor your file order: documents inside each heading are re-sorted by document date, then file name. If a volume/Part must follow a different order, drag the rows into place — see [Reorder documents and add structure](/how-to-guides/index/reorder-documents-add-structure) and [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings). 5. Switch the mode toggle to Preview to see the index as it will appear in the finished bundle, with volume splits applied. Switch back to Edit to make further changes. **Add a sub-index (optional).** If a document in your Record of Appeal is itself a bundle — an affidavit with exhibits, or a Bundle of Documents — you can add a sub-index so the main index shows what's inside it. Hover the document's row, then click the Edit subindex icon on its **Description** cell to open the **Edit Subindex** dialog, where you can generate the entries from the PDF or add them by hand. See [Add or edit sub-index entries](/how-to-guides/index/add-edit-sub-index-entries). ## Step 10 — Add the cover page and volume settings *In the right-hand **Create Bundle** panel of the* Index tab *tab.* 1. Click Create Bundle in the Index toolbar to open the bundle panel on the right. Its sections start collapsed and behave as an accordion; expand each as you reach it. 2. Prepare a cover page template as a DOCX file, using the variables from the Taxonomy & Syntax Guide where required — see [Template syntax](/reference/template-syntax). 3. Expand **Cover Page**, then under **Cover Page Template** click Upload and select your template file. (If a template is already set, the button reads **Replace**.) 4. Set the number of blank pages to insert before the index in each volume, if required for your filing. 5. Expand **Volumes Settings**. **Max Pages Per Volume** is already set by the preset you applied in Step 9; change it only if your filing requires a different limit. See [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets). 6. Use **Volume Split Strategy** and, when set to **Auto (smart split)**, **Auto Split Threshold (pages)** to control where a document that would straddle a boundary is pushed to the next sub-volume rather than split mid-document. See [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings) and [Split a bundle into volumes](/how-to-guides/index/split-into-volumes). 7. If required for filing, set **Scaling mode** to **Normalize to A4 by orientation** so non-A4 pages are resized. (Leave it on **Keep original page size** to keep pages as they are.) 8. Expand **Pagination**. The preset already applies your jurisdiction's page stamp, with numbering restarting at 1 in each volume. * **Stamp page numbers on** lists the page types that carry a stamp. Remove any one to leave that section unstamped — those pages are still counted. * Adjust the font size, colour and position of the stamps if your filing requires it. ## Step 11 — Create and download the bundle *In the* Index tab *tab.* 1. When you're done, click Create Bundle. To build only some volumes, first fill in **Volumes to assemble** just above the button — e.g. `1,2,5-7`; leave it blank to build every volume. Up to three confirmations may follow — always in this order, and each only when it applies. 2. **Processing issues.** If a warning dialog lists documents with issues, click Cancel to fix them first, or **Create Bundle Anyway** to proceed. Each affected file becomes a one-page placeholder: * **Password-protected** — a stamped page naming the file. See [Unlock a password-protected file](/how-to-guides/process/unlock-password-protected-file). * **Too large to process, or no PDF produced** — a blank page. Blank placeholders are counted and paginated like any other page, so fix them before filing. 3. **Credits.** If any documents haven't been charged yet, you'll be asked to confirm the credit deduction; if they were all charged earlier — by Force OCR, say — no confirmation appears. 4. **Existing bundle files detected.** If this matter already has a generated bundle, BriefTech warns that a new one overwrites the previous results. Click **Proceed** to replace, or **Cancel** to keep them. 5. BriefTech starts building and opens a job-log window showing progress — you can close it; the bundle keeps building. A **Bundles created successfully** message appears when it finishes. See [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs). 6. Once generated, download the bundle under the Create Bundle button. BriefTech produces one PDF per volume and a **Complete Bundle (ZIP)** containing all of them. You can regenerate at any time after further edits. See [Regenerate a court bundle after making changes](/how-to-guides/bundle/regenerate-court-bundle). Your Record of Appeal is now filing-ready: the volumes divided from your own folders, your jurisdiction's columns, page limits and stamp applied by the preset, cover pages in place, and a paginated PDF for each volume. **BriefTech builds the bundle from the way you organise your documents** — the folders you sorted at the start are what shaped everything downstream. ## Related
Prepare Your First Record of Appeal (Singapore)A guided practice run: take a small pack from upload to a finished five-volume Record of Appeal for the Singapore courts, on a throwaway matter.Prepare Your First Record of Appeal (Singapore)
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
Template syntaxEvery syntax token for the cover page, tab page, page stamp, file name, bookmark title and volume header fields, with examples and jurisdiction notes.Template syntax
# Regenerate a court bundle after making changes Replace a stale court bundle after reordering or editing the Document Index. If you reorder rows, add headings, or change columns after generating a bundle, the previous bundle is stale. Regenerate it: 1. In the Index tab tab, click Create Bundle in the toolbar. 2. Click Create Bundle in the panel to build the bundle again. 3. If any documents have processing issues, a warning dialog lists them — click **Create Bundle Anyway** to continue or Cancel to fix them first. 4. If anything in the collection you are regenerating has not been charged before, a **Confirm Export** dialog shows what it will cost — click **Export** to commit the charge and continue, or Cancel to stop. Documents you have moved to the Bin are not charged. 5. Because a bundle already exists **for this collection**, BriefTech warns **Existing bundle files detected** — "Starting a new bundle will overwrite previous results." Click **Proceed** to regenerate, or Cancel to keep the current bundle. See [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings) and [Generate a paginated court bundle](/how-to-guides/bundle/generate-paginated-bundle) for the full dialog sequence. {% hint style="warning" %} **Heads up:** Clicking **Proceed** clears the previous bundle's files immediately, before the new one is assembled — a run that fails partway leaves you with neither. Download anything you still need from the current bundle before regenerating. {% endhint %} Your court bundle is rebuilt and now reflects the current Document Index — the stale version is replaced. ## Related
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
Prepare a Bundle with BriefTechA guided, end-to-end walkthrough — take any set of documents from upload to a finished, paginated bundle ready for filing or sharing.Prepare a Bundle with BriefTech
# Export Files Deliver the Document Index and your source files in the formats you need. * [Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file](/how-to-guides/export/export-index-word-pdf-excel) — Choose a format and export the Document Index for sharing or court filing. * [Export only a filtered subset of documents](/how-to-guides/export/export-filtered-subset) — Filter the matter to a collection and export only those documents, rather than the whole matter. * [Download the original or individual files](/how-to-guides/export/download-individual-files) — Pull down the original uploaded files or per-document PDFs instead of a merged bundle. # Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file Export your Document Index as a Word or Excel file. 1. In the Index tab tab, click Download Files in the toolbar. The **Download Files** panel opens on the right. 2. Under **Export Type**, tick **Word** to get the index as a Word document, **Excel** to get it as a spreadsheet, or **All Files** to get a ZIP containing the source files plus the index in both Word and Excel. 3. Click Export. For Word and Excel, the file downloads automatically. All Files is prepared in the background: when the ZIP is ready it appears as a download in the panel and you are emailed a link to it — click the ZIP to save it. The emailed link stops working after one day, so do not treat the email as your copy. The latest ZIP stays in the panel: reopen **Download Files** later and download it again from there. {% hint style="info" %} **Exporting the Document Index spends index credits.** BriefTech charges for any documents that aren't already part of a paid index, and it never charges without first showing a **Confirm Export** dialog with the cost. Documents you have already paid to index cost nothing to export again, and **Preview Index PDF** is always free. {% endhint %} ## Get the index as a PDF 1. Click **Preview Index PDF**. 2. Use the Download original button in the preview's toolbar to save it. If the panel is narrow, the button moves into the toolbar's **⋮** menu, where it appears as **Download original**. None of the Export Type options — **Word**, **Excel** and **All Files** — produces a PDF of the index. DOCX is the standard editable format for filing or sharing with counsel; Excel suits tracking and case-management imports. See [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options). ## Related
Export only a filtered subset of documentsExport only the documents in a chosen collection.Export only a filtered subset of documents
Export formats and optionsOutput formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index.Export formats and options
Download the original or individual filesDownload original or searchable PDFs as separate files in a ZIP.Download the original or individual files
# Export only a filtered subset of documents Export only the documents in a chosen collection. ## Step 1 — Filter to a collection *In the left sidebar.* Click the collection name to filter the matter to that collection. To clear the filter, click **ALL** in the same **Collections** list — it looks like a collection but is a shortcut back to every document in the matter that you have not moved to the Bin. ## Step 2 — Run the export *In the* Index tab *tab toolbar.* With the matter filtered, click **Create Bundle** (a paginated court-bundle PDF) or **Download Files** (the Document Index and source files). Each button opens a panel rather than exporting anything — set your options there, then start the export from the panel's own button: **Create Bundle** in the bundle panel, **Export** in the Download Files panel. The export contains every document in that collection, apart from any you have moved to the Bin. It is not decided by what the table happens to be showing: searching the columns narrows the rows on screen but not the export. {% hint style="info" %} **Filtering reduces what both exports cost.** **Download Files** and **Create Bundle** both charge only for the documents in the collection you filtered to, and neither charges for documents you have moved to the Bin. Either way you only pay for documents that aren't already part of a paid index, and a **Confirm Export** dialog shows the cost before anything is charged. If your balance is too low, Create Bundle offers a watermarked bundle instead rather than charging you; Download Files stops and asks you to top up. {% endhint %} To produce separate bundles for different parties, filter to each collection in turn and export it. ## Step 3 — Narrow by volume (optional) *At the bottom of the Create Bundle panel, just above the button.* In **Volumes to assemble**, enter volume numbers and ranges — for example `1,2,5-7` — and it builds only those volumes. Leave it blank to assemble every volume. This works with or without a collection filter: you can combine the two, filtering to a collection *and* naming volumes. Your export now covers just the documents in the collection you filtered to — a paginated court bundle, or the Document Index and source files — charged only for the documents in it, and limited to the volumes you named if you set any. ## Related
Group documents into a collectionCreate a collection and add documents to segment your document set — at upload or afterwards.Group documents into a collection
Export formats and optionsOutput formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index.Export formats and options
Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel fileExport your Document Index as a Word or Excel file.Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file
Download the original or individual filesDownload original or searchable PDFs as separate files in a ZIP.Download the original or individual files
# Download the original or individual files Download original or searchable PDFs as separate files in a ZIP. 1. In the Index tab tab, click Download Files in the toolbar. 2. Under **Export Type**, tick **All Files** to include your source documents in the ZIP. 3. Under **File Type**, select **Searchable PDF** or **Original**. 4. Pick a file-naming convention. 5. Click Export. {% hint style="info" %} **Building the ZIP spends index credits — always after a Confirm Export dialog shows the cost.** BriefTech charges for any documents that aren't already part of a paid index. Documents you have already paid to index cost nothing to export again. Downloading a single original from the preview toolbar is free. {% endhint %} BriefTech builds the ZIP in the background, so nothing downloads when you click Export. Once you have confirmed the export, a message tells you it has started and that an email is coming; you can carry on working or leave the page. When it is ready, the ZIP appears as a card lower down the same panel — and BriefTech emails you either way, so leaving the page does not cost you the export. Your last export is not cleared when you leave — reopen **Download Files** later and your last ZIP is still offered, showing when it was created, so you can download it again instead of exporting afresh. This is the format to use when a court or counterparty expects separate files. See [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options). ## Download one original straight from the preview To grab a single document's original file quickly, you don't need the export flow — as long as BriefTech can show the document in the preview. If the preview reads **Preview unavailable for this file type**, there is no toolbar to download from, so use the export flow above instead. 1. Open the document in the preview. 2. Move the pointer over the preview. If it dims and shows **Click to preview**, the document has not loaded yet — click anywhere on the preview to load it. Until it loads, the toolbar above is a cut-down placeholder that does not carry the download button — see [Previewing documents](/reference/previewing-documents). 3. Click Download original in the preview toolbar. The file downloads in the format it was uploaded in. On a narrow preview pane the button moves into the More controls More controls menu. ## Related
Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel fileExport your Document Index as a Word or Excel file.Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file
Export formats and optionsOutput formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index.Export formats and options
Export only a filtered subset of documentsExport only the documents in a chosen collection.Export only a filtered subset of documents
Previewing documentsThe document preview toolbar in BriefTech — moving through pages, zooming, rotating, panning, selecting an area, and downloading the original file.Previewing documents
The preview paneThe preview pane — the document tabs beside Files, Review and Index; the PDF, Text and Summary views of a document; and the full-screen pop-up viewer.The preview pane
# Manage Account Cross-cutting account work: sharing matters, managing access, and handling credits. * [Find, organise, and archive your matters](/how-to-guides/manage/organise-your-matters) — Create, find, pin, filter, edit, share, and archive your matters from the Matters list. * [Share a matter with a colleague](/how-to-guides/manage/share-matter-with-colleague) — Invite a colleague to collaborate on a matter as an editor. * [Change or remove a colleague's access](/how-to-guides/manage/change-remove-colleague-access) — Remove a colleague from a matter you have shared with them, or change their role where more than one role is offered. * [Transfer a matter to another user](/how-to-guides/manage/transfer-matter-to-another-user) — Hand over ownership of a matter to another BriefTech user (not available in-app; the page explains how). * [Top up the credit balance](/how-to-guides/manage/top-up-credit-balance) — Buy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe. * [See what consumed credits](/how-to-guides/manage/see-what-consumed-credits) — Review your usage history to see which operations consumed credits. * [Check your storage usage](/how-to-guides/manage/check-storage-usage) — See how much of your storage allowance you have used. * [Download an invoice](/how-to-guides/manage/download-invoice) — Find the receipt Stripe emails you when you pay, and what to do if you need a formal invoice. * [Check whether credits are about to expire](/how-to-guides/manage/check-credit-expiry) — Check the validity period of your credit purchases. # Find, organise, and archive your matters Find, pin, filter, and archive your matters from the Matters list. Start on the **Matters** screen, where you land after signing in. It lists every matter you own or that a colleague has shared with you; as your list grows, the tools below help you keep it manageable. For what each icon, badge, and label on a matter's row means, see [Matters list: states and indicators](/reference/matters-list-states). ## Create a matter 1. On the **Matters** screen, select Create New Matter. If you don't own any matters yet, the dialog may already be open when you sign in — if it is, go straight to the next step. 2. In the **Create a New Matter** dialog, type a reference into **Input Matter Reference** — for example `MTR-2024-123`. The matter's identifier has to be different from every matter you already own. 3. Select Create Matter. The matter opens on its **Files** tab, ready for you to upload files. Creating a matter doesn't use credits. The first matter you create is also when BriefTech decides your one-time welcome credits — see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing#welcome-credits). You can own up to 100 matters, and archived matters count towards this limit; matters that other people share with you do not. Buying credits does not raise the limit, and archiving a matter does not free a place. Once you reach it, selecting Create New Matter shows **You have reached the maximum number of matters** and takes you to the **Usage/Billing** page instead of opening the dialog. ## Find a matter 1. Type any part of a matter's name — or of its identifier, the code shown beneath the name — into the **Search matters…** box at the top of the list. The list filters as you type. The identifier comes from the name the matter was created with: the letters a to z and the digits 0 to 9 are kept, in lower case; any run of other characters between them becomes a single underscore; and the result is cut off at 50 characters. For example, a matter created as `MTR-2024-123` has the identifier `mtr_2024_123`, so typing that also finds it. 2. To narrow the list further, use the two dropdowns beside the search box. Neither carries a printed label — each shows its current setting: * The ownership dropdown shows **All matters** by default. Set it to **My matters** (ones you own) or **Shared with me**. * The status dropdown shows **Active** by default, which hides archived matters. Set it to **Archived** or **All statuses** to see them. ## Open a matter Select a matter's row to open it and start working on it. ## Pin a matter to the top On a matter's row in the **Matters** list. Select the Pin matter pin icon to keep the matter at the top of your list. Select it again to unpin. Pinned matters stay above the rest of the matters your search and filters show; a pinned matter they exclude is hidden like any other. ## Edit a matter's details On a matter's row in the **Matters** list. 1. On a matter you own, select the Edit matter details edit icon. 2. In the **Edit Matter** dialog, change the name in **Input Matter Reference**. It is the dialog's only field, so the name is the only detail you can change here. 3. Select Update Matter. The matter's identifier does not change when you rename it. ## Share a matter On a matter's row in the **Matters** list. On a matter you own, select the Share matter share icon to invite a colleague. See [Share a matter with a colleague](/how-to-guides/manage/share-matter-with-colleague) for the full steps and the roles you can grant. ## Archive a matter you have finished with On a matter's row in the **Matters** list. 1. On a matter you own, select the Archive matter archive icon. 2. Confirm in the dialog that appears. The matter moves out of your active list but is not deleted. If you have shared it, it is archived for your colleagues too: it leaves their active list the next time their list of shared matters loads. You can't delete a matter. An archived matter still opens: set the status dropdown to **Archived** or **All statuses** and select its row. You don't need to restore it first. To bring back a matter you own that has been archived: 1. Set the status dropdown to **Archived** or **All statuses**. 2. Find the matter and select the Restore matter restore icon on its row. 3. Confirm in the dialog that appears. The matter returns to your active list. ## What you've done You now have a **Matters** list you can keep on top of: the matters you work on most pinned above the rest, and the ones you have finished with archived out of your active list without being deleted. ## Related
How a matter moves through BriefTechThe staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it.How a matter moves through BriefTech
Download an invoiceGet a receipt or invoice for a credit pack purchase.Download an invoice
Profile settingsThe fields in your user profile.Profile settings
Matters list: states and indicatorsThe icons, badges, and metadata shown on each matter in the Matters list.Matters list: states and indicators
# Share a matter with a colleague Invite a colleague to a matter and assign them a role. ## Step 1 — Open the matter's Share dialog In **Matters** in the sidebar. Find the matter you want to share (you can only share matters you own) and click its Share Share icon. ## Step 2 — Enter your colleague's email In the **Share Matter** dialog, under **Share with New Users**, enter the colleague's email address. Their role is **Can edit**. ## Step 3 — Share the matter In the **Share Matter** dialog, click Share to share the matter. You'll see **Shared successfully**, and the colleague appears under **Currently Shared With**. {% hint style="info" %} **Heads up:** Your colleague needs a BriefTech account already, and you must use the email address on that account. If BriefTech can't find it, you'll see "This email is not associated with any registered user" — ask them to sign up, then retype the address and share again. Sharing takes effect straight away, and BriefTech does not email them. Let your colleague know — they'll find the matter under **Matters**, filtered by **Shared with me**, the next time they open BriefTech. If they already have it open, they'll need to reload the page before it shows up. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Tip:** To share with several colleagues, add them one at a time — the form takes one email address per share. After each share the form clears itself and the person moves down to **Currently Shared With**, so you can type the next address straight away. An address already listed there can't be added twice. {% endhint %} Your colleague now has edit access and can open the matter under **Matters**, filtered by **Shared with me**. See [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions). ## Related
Roles and permissions in a shared matterHow access is shared and what each role can do.Roles and permissions in a shared matter
Change or remove a colleague's accessChange a member's role or remove their access to a matter.Change or remove a colleague's access
Matter roles and permissionsThe matter roles you can assign and what each can do.Matter roles and permissions
Transfer a matter to another userTransfer matter ownership to another user.Transfer a matter to another user
# Change or remove a colleague's access Change a member's role or remove their access to a matter. Only the matter **Owner** can manage members. 1. Go to **Matters** in the sidebar and click the Share Share icon on the matter you own. 2. In the **Share Matter** dialog, find the person under **Currently Shared With**. 3. To change their role, use the role dropdown next to their name. To remove them, click the **✕** next to their name. See [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions). {% hint style="info" %} **Only one role may be available:** In the standard setup the role dropdown offers only one role — **Can edit** — so removing access is the reliable way to manage a colleague's access. A **Can view** (view-only) option appears only when view-only sharing has been switched on for your user, or when someone already on the matter holds that role. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} **Heads up:** Clicking the **✕** removes access straight away — there is no confirmation prompt, and BriefTech does not notify the colleague. * If they have the matter open, the page keeps showing what had already loaded but stops updating, and their next action fails. * The matter disappears from their list after a reload. * Any corrections they already made stay in the matter. * You can share the matter with them again to restore access. {% endhint %} ## Related
Roles and permissions in a shared matterHow access is shared and what each role can do.Roles and permissions in a shared matter
Share a matter with a colleagueInvite a colleague to a matter and assign them a role.Share a matter with a colleague
Matter roles and permissionsThe matter roles you can assign and what each can do.Matter roles and permissions
Transfer a matter to another userTransfer matter ownership to another user.Transfer a matter to another user
# Transfer a matter to another user Transfer matter ownership to another user. To transfer a matter to another user, contact BriefTech support at — ownership transfer isn't available from the interface yet. In the meantime, you can [share the matter with the other user as an Editor](/how-to-guides/manage/share-matter-with-colleague). {% hint style="info" %} **Heads up:** Sharing as an Editor lets your colleague work on the documents as you do — upload, edit and delete them, build the Document Index and generate court bundles — but the matter itself stays yours: inviting or removing members, editing the matter's details, and archiving or restoring the matter are owner-only, and your colleague will not see those controls. {% endhint %} ## Related
Roles and permissions in a shared matterHow access is shared and what each role can do.Roles and permissions in a shared matter
Share a matter with a colleagueInvite a colleague to a matter and assign them a role.Share a matter with a colleague
Matter roles and permissionsThe matter roles you can assign and what each can do.Matter roles and permissions
Change or remove a colleague's accessChange a member's role or remove their access to a matter.Change or remove a colleague's access
# Top up the credit balance Buy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe. ## Step 1 — Open the Buy Credits page In the sidebar. Open **Buy Credits**. ## Step 2 — Choose a credit pack On the **Buy Credits** page. Choose a credit pack and click its Buy Credits button. ## Step 3 — Buy a specific amount instead (optional) In the **Custom Credit Purchase** section of the **Buy Credits** page. To buy a specific amount rather than a pack: * Enter a whole number of credits (from 1 to 10,000) in the **Number of credits** field. * An **Estimated cost** in Singapore dollars (SGD $0.80 per credit) appears once the amount is valid, and the Buy Custom Credits button stays inactive until then. * You can optionally add a note in the **Customer Note** field before buying. ## Step 4 — Complete the payment In Stripe Checkout. Complete payment. When you finish — or if you cancel — BriefTech returns you to the **Usage/Billing** page. Credits from a successful payment are added automatically; open the **Purchase History** tab there to confirm the purchase and its status. ## Other ways to start a top-up You can also reach this top-up flow two other ways: * On the **Usage/Billing** page, click **Buy credits** in the credit-balance panel. * When something you're doing needs more credits than you have, you can also start from an **Insufficient Credits** prompt: for most actions it offers a **Buy Credits** button that opens the **Usage/Billing** page. Your credits are now on your balance, and the purchase is recorded in the **Purchase History** tab on the **Usage/Billing** page. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). ## Related
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
See what consumed creditsReview your usage history to see which operations consumed credits.See what consumed credits
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
Check your storage usageSee how much of your storage allowance you have used, from the Usage/Billing page.Check your storage usage
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
# See what consumed credits Review your usage history to see which operations consumed credits. To see which operations consumed credits: 1. Open **Usage/Billing** from the sidebar and select the **Usage History** tab. 2. The table lists each **Matter** with its **Total Usage**. Expand a matter row to see its per-document detail — **Date**, **File Name**, **Pages**, and **Usage**. 3. Use the **Start Date** / **End Date** filters, or the **Current Month** / **Previous Month** shortcuts, to narrow to a period. On the same **Usage/Billing** page, the **Credits Ledger** (shown above the tabs) lists a per-entry history; each **debit** row is credits consumed. For what each operation costs and how credits are priced, see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). ## Related
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
Check your storage usageSee how much of your storage allowance you have used, from the Usage/Billing page.Check your storage usage
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
# Check your storage usage See how much of your storage allowance you have used, from the Usage/Billing page. Open **Usage/Billing** from the sidebar. Next to your credit balance, the **Storage usage** panel shows how much of your allowance you are using: * ***used***** used of *****allocated***** allocated** — the storage you are currently using, and your total allowance. * ***remaining***** remaining • *****n*****% used** — how much space is left, with the percentage of your allowance in use. * A progress bar fills as your usage approaches your allowance. Your allowance depends on your account — see [File size and storage limits](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits#storage-allowance). If your account goes over its allowance, a red **Storage limit exceeded** banner appears on the panel — see [File size and storage limits](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits#when-you-go-over) for how the limit works. To free up space, delete documents you no longer need; to raise your allowance, contact [BriefTech support](mailto:support@brieftech.ai) for an upgrade. ## Related
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
See what consumed creditsReview your usage history to see which operations consumed credits.See what consumed credits
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
# Download an invoice Get a receipt or invoice for a credit pack purchase. Check the inbox of the email address on your BriefTech account — Stripe emails a receipt the moment your payment clears, so you do not need to ask for one. If you cannot see it, check your spam or junk folder. The email includes that purchase's invoice and receipt as PDF attachments, and carries **Download invoice** and **Download receipt** links, so you can save both. ## Review your purchases in the app In **Usage/Billing**, select the **Purchase History** tab. This list is for reference only — it does not include an invoice download or an invoice number. ## Get a formal invoice or a correction On the **Buy Credits** page, before you pay, add your own reference in the **Customer Note: (optional)** field (up to 100 characters) on the card you are buying from — each card has its own field, and only the note on that card is used. Stripe creates an invoice for every purchase, and your note is added to that purchase's invoice, so you can carry a matter number or PO reference through to your own accounts — it is added as a note only, and does not change who the invoice is addressed to. To have an invoice addressed to a company name and address, to get a copy if you can no longer find the receipt email, or to correct an invoice for a purchase you have already made, contact [BriefTech support](mailto:support@brieftech.ai). Your invoice and receipt arrive by email as PDFs automatically at purchase; Purchase History gives you a reference list, and a Customer Note or BriefTech support covers anything a formal invoice needs. ## Related
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
How a matter moves through BriefTechThe staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it.How a matter moves through BriefTech
See what consumed creditsReview your usage history to see which operations consumed credits.See what consumed credits
# Check whether credits are about to expire Check the validity period recorded against each of your credit purchases. To check how long each purchase's credits remain valid: 1. Open **Usage/Billing** from the sidebar. 2. Select the **Purchase History** tab. 3. Find your purchase — each row is one payment attempt, and the **Status** column shows which succeeded — and read its **Expiry (months)** value, which shows the validity period recorded against that purchase. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). If you think you have unused credits nearing the end of their validity, contact [BriefTech support](mailto:support@brieftech.ai) to discuss your options. {% hint style="warning" %} **Heads up:** Purchased credits are valid for 12 months and cannot be used or refunded once expired. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). {% endhint %} The app does not display a per-credit expiry date or an "about to expire" warning, so check each purchase's **Expiry (months)** value yourself. ## Related
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
See what consumed creditsReview your usage history to see which operations consumed credits.See what consumed credits
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
# Signing in and creating an account How to sign in to BriefTech, create an account, reset your password, and choose between Google, Microsoft, and email sign-in. BriefTech opens on a sign-in screen. You can sign in three ways, and you use the same three choices to create an account the first time. ## Ways to sign in | Option | Best for | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Continue with Google** | Quick, password-free sign-in with a Google account. | | **Continue with Microsoft** | Corporate accounts. Microsoft SSO may need your IT team's approval. | | **Continue with Email** | Signing in with an email address and password, when you don't use Google or Microsoft SSO. | ## Create an account You create an account with the same three options — there is no separate sign-up screen: * **Continue with Google** or **Continue with Microsoft** creates your account from that identity the first time you use it. * **Continue with Email** opens the **Sign in with email** form. Select its **Create account** link to switch the form to **Create your account**, enter an email address and a password, and select Create account. The **Sign in** link switches back, and Cancel returns you to the three sign-in buttons. The eye icon in the password field shows or hides what you type. Creating an account with an email address and a password signs you in straight away and sends a verification email to that address. Until you verify it, your profile shows a banner with a button to resend the email — see [Profile settings](/reference/profile-settings#email-verification). Accounts created with Google or Microsoft have no verification step. {% hint style="warning" %} **Verify your email before you create your first matter.** An email-and-password account receives the one-time welcome credits only if its email is verified when its first matter is created — see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing#welcome-credits). If BriefTech opens the **Create a New Matter** dialog straight after you create the account, select **CANCEL** and create your first matter once your email is verified. {% endhint %} The sign-in screen states that by signing up and using BriefTech you accept its **General Terms** and **Privacy Policy**, both linked there. There is no checkbox to tick. ## Reset your password Password reset applies only to email-and-password sign-in. Google and Microsoft passwords are managed by Google or Microsoft, not BriefTech. 1. Choose Continue with Email. 2. Select **Forgot password?** below the password field. The **Reset your password** form opens, keeping any email address you had typed. 3. Enter your email and select Send reset link. BriefTech confirms that the reset email was sent and returns you to the sign-in form. Cancel returns you to the sign-in form without sending anything. 4. Follow the link in the email BriefTech sends to set a new password. ## After you sign in * If you opened a BriefTech link while signed out, you return to that page once you sign in. * Otherwise you land on the **Matters** screen, and if you don't own any matters yet, the **Create a New Matter** dialog opens there by itself. * If BriefTech has just been updated, you may first see a message asking you to wait for the website to update — refresh the page after a minute, and contact support if that doesn't help. ## If you can't sign in * **An account for your email already exists with a different sign-in method.** Sign in with the option you first used for that email address. * **Wrong email address, or no account yet.** Check the address you typed, or create an account — see [Create an account](#create-an-account). * **Incorrect password.** Try again, or reset it — see [Reset your password](#reset-your-password). * **Too many attempts.** Wait a while before trying again. ## Which option should I use? Select **Sign-in options & SSO help** on the sign-in screen for guidance. In short: * **Google** — the quickest, hassle-free choice. * **Microsoft** — best for corporate users, though it may need IT approval. * **Email & password** — a good choice when you don't have SSO, or while you wait for IT to approve Microsoft SSO. You can start with a personal email to explore BriefTech and create a corporate account once SSO is approved. ## Related
Profile settingsThe fields in your user profile.Profile settings
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
Your First MatterA guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle.Your First Matter
# Supported file formats How BriefTech handles common file formats — conversion to PDF, OCR, and indexing. BriefTech does not restrict uploads to a fixed list of file types — almost any file can be uploaded. A file BriefTech can't convert to a PDF has no text extracted, so it isn't searchable. It lands in the Exceptions view instead (see [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors)). ## How common formats are handled The table below summarises how BriefTech handles the most common formats, based on testing against a representative document set. The three support columns show what BriefTech does with each file: * **Converted to PDF** — BriefTech creates a PDF rendition of the file for on-screen viewing and inclusion in court bundles. * **OCRed** — optical character recognition reads text from scanned pages and images so it is searchable and available to AI features. BriefTech skips OCR outright for some file types, and a file with no PDF rendition never reaches it. For everything else, whether OCR runs is decided by the converted PDF rather than by the original format — so a **Yes** in this column doesn't guarantee it runs, because a file that already carries its text keeps what it has: see [What OCR reads](/reference/document-processing-and-errors#what-ocr-reads). * **Searchable** — the file's text is extracted and added to BriefTech's **search index**, so the document can be found by its text and used by AI features. (This "search index" is a different feature from the **Index** tab, which is the list of documents you build for a court bundle.) The text is taken from the PDF rendition, so a file that can't be converted to a PDF isn't searchable. | Format family | Examples | Converted to PDF | OCRed | Searchable | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Word processing & documents | `.doc`, `.docx`, `.odt`, `.rtf`, `.wpd`, `.wps` | Yes | No¹ | Yes | | Spreadsheets & databases | `.xls`, `.xlsx`, `.ods`, `.csv`, `.dbf` | Yes | No¹ | Yes | | Presentations | `.ppt`, `.pptx`, `.odp` | Yes | No¹ | Yes | | PDF | `.pdf` | Already PDF | Yes | Yes | | Images | `.png`, `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.tif`, `.tiff`, `.bmp`, `.gif` | Yes | Yes | Yes | | High-efficiency images | `.heic` | No⁴ | No | No | | Email | `.msg`, `.eml` | Yes | No¹ (the email itself); image attachments are OCRed after you extract them as separate documents | Yes (attachments [extractable](/reference/embedded-file-extraction) as separate documents) | | Web, markup & plain text | `.txt`, `.md`, `.html`, `.htm`, `.xml` | Yes | No¹ | Yes | | Vector graphics | `.svg` | Yes | Yes | Yes | | CAD drawings | `.dwg`, `.dxf`, `.dwf` | Usually² | Yes² | Yes | | Text-based formats | `.sam`, `.igs`, `.pgl` | Usually⁵ | No¹ | Usually⁵ | | Not converted (uploaded only) | `.epub`, `.tsv`, `.wks`, `.wdb`, `.rst`, `.wpg` | No³ | No | No | | Legacy raster images | `.pct` (PICT) | No | No | No | | Archives & containers | `.zip`, `.tar`, `.7z`, `.rar`, `.gz`, `.pst`, `.ost`, `.mbox` | No | No | No (member names are detected, and members become searchable after [extraction](/reference/embedded-file-extraction)) | ¹ BriefTech skips OCR for these formats, based on the file type it detects when it processes the file. Their text is taken from the converted PDF instead, so they are searchable without it. Text inside an image embedded in one — a scanned page pasted into a Word document, say — is not recovered this way; see [Force OCR](/reference/document-processing-and-errors#force-ocr). ² BriefTech skips none of the three CAD formats on file type, so a drawing that converts to a PDF goes on to OCR. From there the ordinary rules apply — what BriefTech does is decided by the converted PDF and how much text it already carries; see [What OCR reads](/reference/document-processing-and-errors#what-ocr-reads). Two outcomes are particular to drawings: * **An empty or corrupt drawing** — produces no PDF rendition, so it is not OCRed and its text isn't searchable. * **A `.dxf` file saved in DXF's text format** — may be detected as a plain text file rather than as a drawing. Where that happens BriefTech converts and handles it as text, and it is not OCRed, as footnote ¹ describes. ³ BriefTech does not guarantee a PDF rendition for these formats, so treat them as not converted. To make one viewable and searchable, convert it to a supported format (for example PDF or DOCX) before uploading. ⁴ BriefTech accepts `.heic` files for upload but cannot open them, so they get no PDF rendition and are not searchable — they land in the Exceptions view. Convert a `.heic` image to JPEG or PNG before uploading it. ⁵ These formats are usually plain text. When the file you upload is plain text — the normal case — BriefTech detects it as text and converts it to a searchable PDF, and OCR is skipped as for the other text formats (footnote ¹). What you get is the file's **text** — so an IGES or HP-GL drawing becomes searchable text, not a picture of the drawing. A binary version of one of these formats is not converted and lands in the Exceptions view. ## Related
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
Upload documentsAdd documents to a matter by drag-and-drop, the Upload button, or dropping whole folders.Upload documents
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
Your First MatterA guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle.Your First Matter
# File size and storage limits Maximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits. ## Maximum file size BriefTech checks a file's size against a limit for its type — the type it **detects**, which is not always the one the extension claims. | File type | Maximum size | | ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | | PDF | 1 GB (reported as 1024 MB) | | Legacy Office (`doc`, `xls`, `ppt`) | 500 MB | | Modern Office (`docx`, `xlsx`, `pptx`) and ZIP archives | No fixed limit | | All other supported types | 500 MB | Types shown as "No fixed limit" are read metadata-only at this step, so their size isn't checked — but your [storage allowance](#storage-allowance) still applies. The size is checked while the file is processed, not while it uploads. A file that is too large shows a **File Too Large** error in the Exceptions view of the file list. See [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). A document left in this state still takes its place in a court bundle, as a single blank page. BriefTech warns you before the bundle is built, naming the files it could not process — the first five of each kind, then a count of the rest. ## Storage allowance Every account has a storage allowance for the documents it uploads. New accounts start at **1 GB**, but the allowance is set on your account and yours may differ — the figure shown on the **Usage/Billing** page is always the one that applies. See [Check your storage usage](/how-to-guides/manage/check-storage-usage). To change it, contact [BriefTech support](mailto:support@brieftech.ai); there is no self-service setting. ### What counts towards it Every document in your matters counts towards the allowance, whether you uploaded it yourself or BriefTech created it by extracting an archive. Things that catch people out: * Documents you have moved to the bin still count. Deleting a document permanently is what frees the space. * Documents in matters you have finished with still count — the allowance covers your whole account, not one matter. * Extracting a ZIP or an email's attachments adds the extracted files as documents in their own right, and the archive or email you extracted from is kept as well. The two together can take up considerably more space than the archive did on its own. * The same document uploaded twice counts twice. BriefTech warns you when a file looks like a duplicate, but if you go ahead both copies are stored. Splitting a PDF works the same way: the parts are added alongside the original. Documents count against the account that **owns** the matter they are in. Files a colleague uploads into your matter use your allowance; files you upload into a matter shared with you use the owner's, not yours. The other files BriefTech creates from your documents — the PDF version, previews and extracted text — do not count. ### When you go over Before files are added to the upload queue, BriefTech checks their combined size against the space left in **the matter you are uploading into**. Your allowance covers your **whole account**, so passing this check does not mean you are within your allowance overall. Once your account total does pass the allowance, BriefTech stops accepting new uploads in every matter you can upload to, including matters shared with you, until the total comes back under. An upload blocked this way fails with *"You are not allowed to upload files. Check your limits. (storage/unauthorized)"*, and a red banner appears on the Usage/Billing page: *"Storage limit exceeded. Please free up space or contact support for an upgrade."* The block is applied after your uploads finish processing, so a large batch can take you over before it takes effect; the next upload is the one that is stopped. To clear it, permanently delete documents and wait for the totals to update. {% hint style="info" %} **Still blocked after freeing space?** The same message can also appear because BriefTech support has disabled uploads on your account. If freeing space does not clear it, contact [BriefTech support](mailto:support@brieftech.ai). {% endhint %} ## Path length When you **drag and drop** files or folders into BriefTech, an item whose path is longer than **260 characters** is rejected before the upload starts. The Upload button does not apply this check. One over-long item stops the rest of that drag: anything BriefTech had not yet reached is never staged. Files it had already gathered stay in the upload list, so check that list before uploading, or cancel and start the drop again. The length counted is the path *inside the item you dragged* — not where that item sits on your computer, and not the BriefTech folder you are uploading into. The same message can also appear for other reasons. See [Fixing upload issues](/how-to-guides/upload/fix-upload-issues) for what to do about it. ## Related
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
Supported file formatsHow BriefTech handles common file formats — conversion to PDF, OCR, and indexing.Supported file formats
Fixing upload issuesResolve errors shown in the upload monitor when files fail to upload to BriefTech.Fixing upload issues
Your First MatterA guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle.Your First Matter
# Upload monitor Status indicators, filter tabs, and actions in the upload monitor panel. The upload monitor tracks every file in the current upload session. The upload status button appears in the top bar whenever the monitor has files in it — waiting, uploading, finished, failed or cancelled — and goes once the list is empty and the panel is closed. It is only ever shown inside a matter: on the Matters list or an account page it is hidden, even while an upload is running in the background. Click it to open the monitor panel, or wait for BriefTech to open the panel for you when an upload starts. ## The upload button The upload status button's appearance signals the upload state before you open the panel: | State | What the button shows | | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Uploading | The button pulses and a badge shows the number of files still uploading or queued. | | A file failed | The button turns red and the badge shows the number of failed files. This takes priority — you'll see it even while other files are still uploading. | | All files uploaded | A small green dot appears on the button until you open the panel. | | Idle | No badge — shown in grey while recently finished or cancelled files are still in the list. | Hovering the button shows the same heading that appears at the top of the panel. The monitor's list only lasts as long as the page does. Reloading BriefTech, or closing and reopening the tab, empties it and hides the button — including any Error or Cancelled rows you had not dealt with yet, and any transfer still in flight. * Files that already reached **Uploaded** are safe on the server and carry on processing. * Anything else has to be uploaded again. ## Panel headings When you open the monitor panel, the heading at the top reflects the upload state at the moment you click the button. It does not update live while the panel is open. If you open the panel after uploads have already finished, you will see **Uploads** even if files were actively uploading beforehand. | Heading | Meaning | | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Uploads in progress | At least one file is still uploading or queued, and no files have failed. | | Uploads require attention | One or more files failed (Error status). This heading takes priority — you will see it even while other files are still uploading. | | Uploads | All files finished with no failures — or nothing is happening: the list holds only cancelled files, or files you have already seen. | The sub-line below the heading shows a live summary. * While uploads are running it reads, for example, **3 files uploading · 2 files remaining** — the first number is how many files have finished so far, and the second is how many are still uploading or waiting. Before any file has finished it reads just **5 files uploading**, where that single number is how many are still to go. * Once everything is done it reads, for example, **3 files uploaded · Completed at 5:17:11 PM** — the time uses your browser's local format. * The sub-line disappears entirely when no file has finished and none is left to send. If one or more uploads had already failed when you opened the panel, a red ***N***** failed uploads** line appears at the top of the panel body, above the progress and summary area. Like the heading, this line is fixed at the moment you open the panel: * A file that fails while the panel is open does not add it. * It stays on screen — counting down, and eventually reading **0 failed uploads** — if you retry those files without closing the panel. Close and reopen the panel for an up-to-date reading. The red banner further down the panel is the signal that does keep up. ## Upload progress While uploads are in progress and none have failed, the panel shows progress in two places: * A progress bar under the heading fills as the overall upload completes, weighing each file by its size so large files move it more than small ones. It is shown only while the heading reads **Uploads in progress**: * If a file had already failed when you opened the panel the heading reads **Uploads require attention** instead, and no bar is shown. * Where it is shown, files that were cancelled — or that fail while you are watching — still count towards the total but contribute nothing to it, so the bar stops short of the end. Retrying those files is what makes it fill again. * Each uploading file's row shows a small circular indicator: a plain spinner while the transfer is starting, then that file's own percentage. The row indicators clear as each file finishes. The overall bar does not: once the panel is open it stays there until you close and reopen the panel. * BriefTech uploads three files at a time. Everything else waits at Pending and starts automatically as slots free up, so a long list of Pending files is normal while a run is in progress. * Files you add while an upload run is already going wait for that run to finish before they start. * Files you retry rejoin the same queue. If you leave or reload the page while any file in the monitor has not reached 100%, your browser asks you to confirm before it goes. This includes files that failed or were cancelled — both are reset to 0%, so they keep the confirmation appearing even though nothing is uploading. * Retrying those files to completion stops it. * A cancelled file can also be taken off the list with the Close button — but only if at least one other file uploaded successfully, and only on the first time you open the panel after that. See the Actions table for when the button appears. * A failed file cannot be removed from the list at all, so retrying is the only way to clear it. ## What a file row shows Each file in the monitor is one row, reading left to right: | Part | What it shows | | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | File icon | The same generic document icon for every file — it does not vary by file type. | | File name | The file's name. Long names are shortened with an ellipsis; the full name is not shown. | | File size | The size of the file on your computer, not how much of it has been sent. | | Progress indicator | Shown only while the file is uploading; it starts as a plain spinner, then shows a percentage (see [Upload progress](#upload-progress)). | | Status badge | The file's current status (see [File status badges](#file-status-badges)). | | Action button | Retry on a failed or cancelled row, Cancel on a waiting or uploading row. A finished row has neither. | ## File status badges Each file row shows one of the following status badges. | Status | Meaning | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Pending | The file is queued and waiting to start. | | Uploading | The file is actively transferring. | | Uploaded | The file reached the server and is now processing. | | Error | The upload failed. Hover the badge to see the reason it failed, when one is available. Use Retry on the row, or Retry failed uploads to retry all failures. | | Cancelled | The upload was cancelled before it completed. | ## Filter tabs The tabs above the file list narrow the view. Each tab shows a live count of the files it matches, in brackets — for example ALL (5) or FAILED (1). The counts update as files change status. The tab you are on is shown in blue and the others in grey, which is the only difference between them, so it is easy to miss which one is selected. | Tab | Shows | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ALL | Every file in the session. | | ACTIVE | Files with status Pending or Uploading. | | FAILED | Files with status Error. | | UPLOADED | Files with status Uploaded. | | CANCELLED | Files with status Cancelled (only shown when at least one file was cancelled). | Within whichever tab you are on, the list re-sorts itself continuously rather than keeping the order you added the files: 1. Failed files. 2. Files uploading — the closest to finished at the top. 3. Files waiting. 4. Finished files. 5. Cancelled files. Rows move as their status and progress change, so a file you are watching will jump up or down the list on its own. If a tab has nothing in it the list is simply blank — there is no "no files" message. The CANCELLED tab is a special case: it only exists while at least one file is cancelled, so retrying the last cancelled file removes the tab while you are still standing on it. The list goes blank and no tab appears highlighted. Click ALL to get the view back. ## Actions The two batch buttons each sit in a coloured banner above the file list, and the banner is what makes them appear: * A red banner reading **Some uploads failed. You can retry them.** shows whenever any file has an Error status, and carries the Retry failed uploads button. * A grey banner reading **Some uploads are still queued. You can cancel the remaining queued uploads.** shows whenever any file is still Pending, and carries the Cancel remaining button. | Action | What it does | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Retry failed uploads | Re-queues all files with an Error status. Cancelled files are not included — retry those from their own row. It is greyed out, and shows a spinner in place of its label, while any file is still uploading or waiting, so a file that fails part-way through a batch can only be retried once nothing is left uploading or waiting. | | Cancel remaining | Cancels every file that is still Pending or Uploading. This button only appears while at least one file is still Pending (queued). If every remaining file is already Uploading, cancel them one at a time with the per-row Cancel button instead. | | Clear uploaded | Removes Uploaded entries from the list. It only appears once at least one file has finished, and is greyed out while any file is still uploading or waiting. | | View Processing | Opens the Files panel so you can watch the uploaded documents process. The button reads "UPLOADING..." while any file is still transferring and "VIEW PROCESSING" once uploads finish, with a line beneath it counting how many files have uploaded. It appears once at least one file has uploaded or is still uploading. Moving to the Files panel closes the monitor — unless you are already on the Files panel, in which case nothing moves and the panel stays open. | | Retry (per row) | Re-queues a single file that failed (Error) or was cancelled. Greyed out while any file is still uploading or waiting. | | Cancel (per row) | Cancels a single file that is Pending or Uploading. | | Close | Shown only when uploads have just finished successfully and you have not yet opened the panel since. Dismisses the summary and closes the panel, and also clears every uploaded and cancelled file from the list. It is not shown once you have opened the panel and closed it again, nor when every file was cancelled — in those cases close the panel by clicking anywhere outside it. | The monitor closes whenever you go to a different page in BriefTech, including the move VIEW PROCESSING makes. Uploads carry on regardless, and the list is unchanged when you reopen the monitor, though it always reopens on the ALL tab. ## Related
Upload documentsAdd documents to a matter by drag-and-drop, the Upload button, or dropping whole folders.Upload documents
Fixing upload issuesResolve errors shown in the upload monitor when files fail to upload to BriefTech.Fixing upload issues
Document processing and errorsProcessing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons.Document processing and errors
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
# Background Jobs Status indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog. The Background Jobs dialog lists the server-side jobs queued from your matter in the last 48 hours — for example, batch OCR, fact extraction, Document Index export, and court bundle creation. Quick jobs that finish on the spot are listed too, so a row may go straight to **success** with a very short duration. Open it from the top bar, while you have a matter open: * Click the background jobs icon to open the dialog. The icon appears only inside a matter. * The icon pulses while one or more jobs are running or still queued (pending). * Hovering it shows a live count of those jobs — for example "3 jobs running..." — or "View background jobs" when none are active. ## Columns | Column | Meaning | | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Function | The internal name of the job — for example `ocrGcsBatch`, `extractFilesBatch`, `extractFacts`, `exportLod`, `generateCharacterSummary`, `readDocuments`, or `agent.bundleCreation.createBundle`. | | Status | Current job status. See **Status badges** below. | | Created | Local timestamp when the job was queued. | | Duration | Elapsed time between the job starting and ending. Shows a dash ("-") until the job has finished — including while it is still queued or running. | The table is sorted by **Created** (newest first) and starts at ten rows per page; you can sort by any column heading and change the page size. The list updates by itself as jobs progress. A matter with no jobs in the last 48 hours shows "No data available". ## Status badges | Status | Colour | Meaning | | --------- | ------ | --------------------------------------------------- | | pending | Grey | The job is queued but has not started on Cloud Run. | | starting | Grey | Cloud Run is provisioning the job. | | running | Blue | The job is executing. | | success | Green | The job finished successfully. | | error | Red | The job failed. | | cancelled | Grey | The job was cancelled before it finished. | ## Row actions Clicking a row opens the [Job Logs](/reference/job-logs) dialog for that job, where you can follow its progress. Two more buttons sit in the **Status** column, to the right of the status badge. Both are BriefTech support tools: they appear for everyone, but only BriefTech support can use them. | Button | What it does | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Refresh (circular arrow) | Re-reads the job's status from Cloud Run and writes it back. It only asks Cloud Run for the job's live status when the job has a server execution name recorded against it; for a job without one it writes back the status already stored, so the displayed row cannot change. Refresh reports success either way — it does not check what came back. | | Error (red exclamation) | Shown only for **pending** jobs. Marks the job as `error` after confirmation. This changes the row's status so the job stops showing as pending; it does not stop work that has already started, and it does not fill in the Duration column. | Clicking either button acts on that button only — it does not also open the Job Logs dialog. A job that is queued but whose server run never begins does not stay **pending** for good: BriefTech marks it **error** on its own, and its [Job Logs](/reference/job-logs) show the message `Execution failed to initialize`. You can start the work again. If a job is stuck in any other way, contact BriefTech support. ## Related
Document processing and errorsProcessing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons.Document processing and errors
Upload monitorStatus indicators, filter tabs, and actions in the upload monitor panel.Upload monitor
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
# Job Logs The Job Logs dialog — progress, provisioning stages, log levels, and cancelling a job. The Job Logs dialog shows what a single background job is doing: how far along it is, what it has recorded, and — while it is still running — a button to cancel it. ## Opening it Click any row in the [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs) dialog to open the logs for that job. Some screens also offer a button to open it directly for a job they started. It also opens by itself when you start work that runs as a background job: creating a court bundle, running batch OCR, and extracting embedded files or email attachments when the job is large enough to be offloaded. You can close it and carry on working; the job keeps running. ## When a job runs in the cloud A court bundle is offloaded to the cloud when the documents in the collection you are bundling total about 1,000 pages or more — counted across every document in that collection that you have not moved to the Bin, not just the volumes you are assembling. Smaller runs finish in place. Where the completion message reaches you follows from that. A run that finishes in place tells you wherever you are in the app. An offloaded run reaches you with its message only if you are on the Index tab tab when it lands — though if you come back before it finishes, BriefTech picks the job up again and you still get it. ## What it shows A line at the top identifies the job with four values: the account the matter belongs to, the matter's ID, the job ID, and the server execution name. The first value is the matter's owner, who may not be you — on a matter shared with you it appears as the owner's internal user ID rather than an email address. Below it: | Field | Meaning | | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Status | The job's current status, shown as a chip in capitals. See [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs) for what each status means. | | Function | The internal name of the job. | | Created | When the job was queued. | | Started | When the job began running. Shows a dash ("-") until then. | | Ended | When the job finished. Shows a dash ("-") until then. | | Error | The error message, shown only when the job has failed. | ## Cancelling a job The **Cancel job** button appears while the job has a server execution name recorded — the fourth value in the line at the top — and has not yet finished. It is not there before the job starts, because the execution name is only recorded when the job begins running; and a job that runs without one recorded shows no button either. For a court bundle that means the button appears only on a run that was offloaded to the cloud, and only once that run has started — while the job is still being provisioned, in the **Preparing** stage, there is nothing to click yet. The button goes once the job has finished. Cancelling does not always remove it straight away: the app re-checks the execution after sending the cancellation, and if the server does not yet show it as finished, the job is re-recorded at the stage that check found it — pending, starting, or running — and the button stays. Cancelling requires editor or owner access to the matter. It shows a "Cancellation requested" message and records the request in the log. ## While the job is starting A job whose status is **pending** shows a **Preparing** section: a spinner, a message that changes as time passes, an animated orange bar, and an elapsed-time counter. On-screen guidance notes that large requests take 30–60s to start. A strip below it lists the start-up stages — Queued, Provisioning, Warming up, Running, Packaging, Done. Only the first three ever light up; the last three are placeholders that stay grey. The section is replaced by the progress bar once the job leaves **pending**. ## Progress A progress bar shows how far the job has got, with the percentage in the middle. The bar turns red if the job fails. The short message below the bar is generic — it is chosen from the percentage alone, so it may not describe what your particular job is doing. A job whose work does not report progress stays at 0% for the whole run, including after it has finished. ## Log Details **Log Details** is collapsed by default — expand it to see the individual log entries, oldest first. The list scrolls to the newest entry as the job runs; scroll up and it stops following, and scrolling back to the bottom starts it again. Each entry has a level, a timestamp and a message. Levels are shown in capitals: | Level | Colour | | ----- | ------ | | DEBUG | Grey | | INFO | Blue | | WARN | Amber | | ERROR | Red | Where an entry carries extra detail, an information icon appears beside it — hover it to see the detail. A job with no log entries yet shows "No logs available". ## Related
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
Document processing and errorsProcessing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons.Document processing and errors
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
# Document processing and errors Processing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons. ## Processing stages After upload, each document passes through the stages below before it is ready to review. | Stage | What happens | | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Detect | The file type is detected and validated. | | Convert | Every document passes through this stage. Non-PDF files are converted to PDF; existing PDFs are cleaned up. It is also where the document's page count and its preview image are produced. | | OCR | Scanned or image-only PDFs have their text recognised. | | Parse | The document text is split into pages and sections. | | Process | The document text is embedded and added to the search index so it can be found. | | Linearise | The reviewable PDF is optimised for fast web viewing (linearised) so it opens quickly in the preview. | | Finalise | The final step: the document becomes ready to review. Any AI agents set up for the matter are then triggered to run in the background (for example, generating a summary); their results fill in on the already-ready document once extraction finishes. | While a document is still being processed, the **Status** column shows a progress dial that fills as it moves through the stages above; hover the dial to see which stage it has reached. A document that completes all stages is ready to review and is shown with a blue tick. A document that cannot be processed shows an error with a reason. ## What OCR reads OCR reads text from scanned or image-only pages so the document becomes searchable. How much of a PDF it reads depends on how much text the PDF already contains, and that test looks at the whole document, not page by page: a PDF with little or no text is treated as a scan and every page is read, while a PDF that already carries enough text keeps that text, and only its pages without text are read. Some file types never go to OCR at all — their text is taken from the converted PDF instead of being recognised. Which formats these are, and what each supports, is set out in [Supported file formats](/reference/supported-file-formats). In general: * Pages that already contain readable text are left as they are, rather than being recognised again. * Where a PDF needs OCR, BriefTech reads the whole document, however long it is, so all of its pages become searchable. A very large scanned file is read in the background and may take a little longer to finish. OCR runs the same way whenever BriefTech processes a document, including when you reindex or retry it. [Force OCR](#force-ocr) goes further still: it re-reads every page on demand, even pages that already contain text. A document whose OCR is skipped — because its text was already available, or its file type doesn't need it — still finishes processing and can be added to the Document Index; only AI features that rely on extracted text are affected. ## Force OCR **Force OCR** re-reads a document from scratch and replaces whatever searchable text it currently has. Use it when a document already has text but that text is poor — most often a document that arrived with its own text layer, so BriefTech kept that existing text rather than re-reading it (its OCR status is **Skipped Text**), but that text turns out to be inaccurate, garbled, or misaligned, for example from a low-quality scan or an external OCR tool. Select the documents in the Files tab tab (or right-click a row) and choose Force OCR. It is available for any document that has finished processing (is *ready*) and that BriefTech has not already OCR'd successfully. If your selection includes even one document that isn't eligible, the choice does not appear at all — it isn't shown greyed out — so narrow the selection to eligible documents to bring it back. Force OCR is only for a document that finished processing. A document that **failed** to process is a different case — fix it with **Retry** in the Exceptions view, not Force OCR (see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document)). Because Force OCR commits the document to your indexed set, it draws the standard index charge of 1 credit per 50 pages — the same charge an export makes, brought forward, not a separate OCR fee. Whoever runs it, the credits are taken from the **matter owner's** balance, not the acting user's. * **A document already charged** for a previous export or Force OCR is not charged again, and no confirmation appears. * **Otherwise** BriefTech shows a **Confirm Force-OCR** dialog with the exact amount, so you can cancel before anything is spent. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). Force OCR runs as a background task. A [Job Logs](/reference/job-logs) window opens automatically to show its progress; you can close it and carry on working, and follow the job later from [Background Jobs](/reference/background-jobs). When it succeeds, the document re-enters the processing pipeline from the Parse stage — its text is split into pages and sections again, and re-added to the search index — before it returns to ready. ## OCR status The Files tab tab includes an **OCR** column showing what happened to each document's text recognition. Each value is a small coloured icon; hover it to see the status name and a short explanation. It lets you tell at a glance why a document is, or isn't, fully searchable. | Status | What it means | | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Not started | OCR has not run yet — the document is still being processed. | | Skipped | The document's file type does not go through OCR; its text comes from the converted PDF instead. | | Skipped Text | The document already contained readable text, so those pages were kept as they are; any remaining scanned or image pages were still read. | | Missing PDF | No PDF version of the document was available to read, so no text was recognised. | | Page limit exceeded | You may see this on an older document that was processed before OCR covered files of any length. On those documents, OCR was limited on very long files; documents are no longer treated this way. If such a document is missing text, run [Force OCR](#force-ocr) to read every page. | | Succeeded | OCR read the document's pages successfully. | | Running | OCR is in progress. You see this while a [Force OCR](#force-ocr) job is running, and while BriefTech reads a long document in the background during processing. | | Failed | OCR could not complete. During processing, the document also shows a processing error. After a [Force OCR](#force-ocr) run that fails, the document stays ready and keeps the text it already had. | ## Error reasons | Error | Cause | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Password Protected | The file is locked with a password and cannot be read. | | Unsupported Type | The detected file type is not in the [supported formats](/reference/supported-file-formats). | | Empty File | The file contains no content (zero bytes). | | File Too Large | The file exceeds the [size limit](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits) for its type. | A document that stops for one of the reasons above shows it in the **Exception** column, in the Exceptions view of the Files tab tab. Not every failure has a listed reason, though. If a document fails partway through processing — for example a conversion or OCR step that could not complete — it shows the red error icon with a free-form message instead. That message usually begins with the stage that failed (for example `converting:` or `ocring:`), which is the clue to where the document stopped; hover the icon to read it. > For how to fix each error, see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document). ## Related
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
Unlock a password-protected fileDecrypt a password-protected file so BriefTech can process it.Unlock a password-protected file
# Embedded file extraction Which file formats BriefTech can detect embedded content in, how detection works, and how extraction behaves. BriefTech can detect embedded content inside uploaded files and make it available for extraction. This page lists every supported container format, explains how detection works, and describes the behaviour of the extraction process. ## Supported container formats BriefTech reports embedded content at **depth 1** for any format in the tables below — the immediate children of the container, not recursively nested content. Inner containers that are themselves extracted appear as new documents and can be extracted in turn. ### Email and mailbox containers The highest-value containers in litigation collections. BriefTech extracts each attachment or message as a separate document. | Format | Extension(s) | MIME type | Embedded content detected | | ------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Outlook PST mailbox | `.pst` | `application/vnd.ms-outlook-pst` | All messages and attachments in the mailbox | | Outlook OST mailbox | `.ost` | `application/vnd.ms-outlook-pst` | All messages and attachments — see note below | | Outlook email | `.msg` | `application/vnd.ms-outlook` | Email attachments | | Internet email | `.eml` | `message/rfc822` | Email attachments | | Unix/Mac mailbox | `.mbox` | `application/mbox` | Each message, extracted as individual `.eml` files | | MHTML web archive | `.mht`, `.mhtml` | `message/rfc822` | Embedded resources (images, stylesheets, frames) | > **OST caveat:** OST files created by Outlook 2013 and later use a newer internal format that is only partially supported. If your OST produces fewer extracted items than expected, export to `.pst` or individual `.msg` files before uploading. ### Archive containers | Format | Extension(s) | MIME type | Embedded content detected | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- | -------------------------- | | ZIP archive | `.zip` | `application/zip` | All files in the archive | | 7-Zip archive | `.7z` | `application/x-7z-compressed` | All files in the archive | | RAR archive | `.rar` | `application/x-rar-compressed` | All files in the archive | | TAR archive | `.tar`, `.tar.gz`, `.tgz`, `.tar.bz2`, `.tar.xz` | `application/x-tar` and variants | All files in the archive | | Gzip stream | `.gz` | `application/gzip` | The single compressed file | | BZip2 stream | `.bz2` | `application/x-bzip2` | The single compressed file | | XZ stream | `.xz` | `application/x-xz` | The single compressed file | | LZMA stream | `.lzma` | `application/x-lzma` | The single compressed file | | Unix compress | `.Z` | `application/x-compress` | The single compressed file | | ARJ archive | `.arj` | `application/x-arj` | All files in the archive | | Unix AR archive | `.ar` | `application/x-archive` | All files in the archive | | CPIO archive | `.cpio` | `application/x-cpio` | All files in the archive | | Java archive | `.jar`, `.war`, `.ear` | `application/java-archive` | All files in the archive | ### Documents with embedded content These formats only show a non-zero embedded-file count when the document itself contains embedded file attachments or OLE objects. A standard PDF with no attached files, or a Word document with no embedded objects, will not appear in the Extractable view. | Format | Extension(s) | MIME type | Embedded content detected | | ------------------------- | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | PDF | `.pdf` | `application/pdf` | Embedded file attachments and PDF portfolio members | | Word (OOXML) | `.docx` | `application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document` | Embedded OLE objects and attached files | | Excel (OOXML) | `.xlsx` | `application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet` | Embedded OLE objects and attached files | | PowerPoint (OOXML) | `.pptx` | `application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation` | Embedded OLE objects and attached files | | Word (legacy) | `.doc` | `application/msword` | Embedded OLE objects | | Excel (legacy) | `.xls` | `application/vnd.ms-excel` | Embedded OLE objects | | PowerPoint (legacy) | `.ppt` | `application/vnd.ms-powerpoint` | Embedded OLE objects | | OpenDocument text | `.odt` | `application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text` | Embedded objects | | OpenDocument spreadsheet | `.ods` | `application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet` | Embedded objects | | OpenDocument presentation | `.odp` | `application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.presentation` | Embedded objects | | EPUB e-book | `.epub` | `application/epub+zip` | Component documents and media | ### Partial support These formats are recognised and processed, but have known limitations. | Format | Extension(s) | Limitation | | ------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Outlook OST (2013+) | `.ost` | Newer OST format is only partially parsed; some messages may not be detected. Export to PST or MSG before uploading for full coverage. | | SQLite database | `.sqlite`, `.db` | Not available in BriefTech's current configuration. | | Android package | `.apk` | ZIP layer is extracted (component files visible), but Android-specific structures within are not further parsed. | | iOS app package | `.ipa` | Same as `.apk` — ZIP layer only. | | Debian package | `.deb` | Outer container is extracted; inner archives are not further unpacked in a single pass. | ## Detection After upload, BriefTech's file processing pipeline inspects every uploaded file to read its metadata. For supported container formats, BriefTech reports the count and names of embedded files at depth 1. This information is stored with the document and reflected in the Extractable view of the Files tab tab. Detection runs automatically — no action is required. A file that contains embedded content shows a non-zero value in the 📎 column (hover the column header for its "Number of embedded files" tooltip). OS-generated junk files — macOS `__MACOSX/._*` AppleDouble sidecars, `.DS_Store`, `Thumbs.db`, `Desktop.ini` and the like — are not counted. They are excluded from the 📎 count (and from the Extractable view) and are never unpacked, so the badge reflects the files you'd actually work with rather than every raw entry a Mac or Windows machine left in the archive. {% hint style="warning" %} **Size limit on detection:** BriefTech reads a file's embedded listing only while the file is within the processing size limit for its type — see [File size and storage limits](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits#maximum-file-size) for each type's limit. A container larger than its limit is rejected before its contents are read, so it never shows an embedded-file count or appears in the Extractable view. Split or extract a very large archive or mailbox locally before uploading. {% endhint %} Archive and mailbox containers (ZIP, TAR, 7z, PST, MBOX, and similar) are handled differently from ordinary documents: * They cannot be rendered to a PDF or OCR'd. * Detection still records their embedded file listing — the count and names of members at depth 1 — which is what makes them appear in the Extractable view. * The container file itself does not finish processing: with no PDF rendition to produce, it halts at the conversion stage, is flagged as an unsupported type, and appears in the Exceptions view. * The content of individual members becomes searchable only after you run extraction on the container. ## The Extractable view The Extractable view in the Files tab tab shows files that: * have at least one detected embedded file, * have not yet been extracted, **and** * are not archived or in the bin. Once extraction has run on a file, it no longer appears in this view. The view itself is hidden from the left panel when there are no extractable files, and when shown its entry carries a badge with the number of files currently waiting to be extracted. ## Extraction Extraction is a one-time, on-demand action. To trigger it, select one or more eligible files and click Extract ZIP & Attachments in the toolbar. See [Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment](/how-to-guides/process/extract-zip-attachments) for step-by-step instructions. ### Two ways to extract: everything, or attachments only Two extract actions are offered, in the toolbar and the right-click menu: * Extract ZIP & Attachments unpacks every **named** embedded file at depth 1 — every file in an archive (folder entries themselves are not turned into documents, and OS-generated junk such as macOS `__MACOSX/._*` sidecars, `.DS_Store`, `Thumbs.db` and `Desktop.ini` is suppressed rather than unpacked), or every named part of an email including images embedded in its body. A part that carries no filename is skipped; the one exception is a message inside a mailbox, which is named `message_0001.eml`, `message_0002.eml`, and so on. * Extract Attachments Only unpacks **only genuine attachments** and skips images embedded in an email's body. * Two kinds of body image are skipped: parts the email marks as inline, and images referenced from the message body that a mailer mislabelled as attachments. * For a container with no message body — a ZIP or other archive — the two actions behave identically. * Where neither test matches, nothing is treated as a body image and this action extracts everything the other one would. If the source cannot be parsed as an email at all, no body reference can be matched, so only parts the email itself marks as inline are still skipped. Both actions: * consume the file's single extraction, so only the first one run takes effect; * are visible only while a selected file still has embedded content waiting, and are **hidden — not greyed out** — when nothing is eligible; * render as icon-only buttons whose name shows as a tooltip, on the Files tab and the Review tab alike. The number shown beside each action counts the **selected files that are eligible**, not the attachments inside them. For documents processed before this release, that number is an upper bound: an older email whose only embedded content is inline body images is still counted as eligible, yet *Extract Attachments Only* produces nothing from it. ### Permissions Only users with the **Owner** or **Editor** role on the matter can run extraction. ### Inline vs background | Total size of selected files | Execution mode | | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Up to about 10.5 MB | Runs immediately; a success or warning notification appears when done | | More than about 10.5 MB | Runs as a background job; a progress dialog opens and the job continues if closed | Add up the sizes BriefTech shows in the **Size** column — that is the figure this threshold applies to. ### What happens during extraction For each embedded file: 1. BriefTech writes the file's raw bytes into storage as a new document record. 2. The new document is assigned a unique ID and linked to the source file as its parent. 3. The new document is placed in the source file's folder. If the container held its own folder structure, that structure is recreated as subfolders inside it. 4. The source file is marked as extracted so it cannot be extracted again. 5. The new document enters the standard processing pipeline (detect → convert → OCR → parse → process → linearise → finalise) independently. ### Already-extracted files A file that has been **successfully** extracted cannot be extracted again. If such a file is included in a selection, it is silently skipped — the extract action counts and processes only the files that still have embedded content waiting, so an already-extracted file is simply left out. If an extraction **fails or is interrupted** partway, the file is not marked as extracted: it stays in the **Extractable** view and you can run the extraction again. ### Empty archives A container with no embedded files has nothing to extract, so it never appears as extractable. Files with zero detected embedded content don't show up in the Extractable view, and the extract action does not appear at all unless at least one selected file still has embedded content waiting to be unpacked. ## After extraction Extracted documents appear in the matter alongside all other documents. They are full documents: they can be reviewed, indexed, moved to folders, labelled, and included in bundles. Like any other document, an extracted document is charged the first time you commit it, and it is not charged again after that. Extracting, detecting, converting and the automatic OCR that runs during processing consume no credits. See [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). The source file remains in the matter after extraction. It retains its own document record and is available for download. ## How extracted families appear in the document list After extraction, a source file and the documents unpacked from it form a **family**: the source is the *parent* and each extracted document is a *child*. In the document list on the Files and Review tabs, a fixed column on the far left shows this relationship: * Parent marks a parent — a source file that other documents were extracted from. Hover over it to see how many were extracted (for example, "3 attached files", or "1 attached file" for a single one). * Child marks a child — a document that was extracted from a parent. Hovering over any row in a family highlights all the other documents in the same family, so you can see at a glance which came from the same source. This column appears only when the current view contains at least one family; if nothing in view has extracted children, it is hidden. ## Detaching a document from its family A family is created automatically — you never group documents by hand — so BriefTech also lets you break the link when a document shouldn't stay tied to its parent. In the Document Index, open the More actions menu on a **child** document (one that was extracted from a parent) and choose Detach from parent. BriefTech asks you to confirm, because this can't be undone: > Detach this document from its parent? It will become a standalone document and cannot be grouped back again. Once you confirm, the document becomes standalone: it leaves the family, its child marker disappears, and the parent's attached-file count drops by one. **Detaching is permanent** — a standalone document cannot be regrouped into its original family. You can detach a child from the Document Index in two ways (both ask you to confirm first): * Open the More actions menu on the child and choose Detach from parent. * In **Edit** mode, drag the child's row out of its parent's group. Dragging also detaches several children at once — select the rows, then drag them out together. {% hint style="success" %} **Select a whole family at once.** On any document that belongs to a family, the More actions menu also offers Select family — and Deselect family once selected — to select every document in that family at once, useful before a bulk action. {% endhint %} ## Related
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
Extract files from a ZIP or email attachmentUnpack the contents of a ZIP archive or email's attachments into separate documents in your matter.Extract files from a ZIP or email attachment
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
Background JobsStatus indicators, columns, and row actions in the Background Jobs dialog.Background Jobs
Your First MatterA guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle.Your First Matter
# AI agents The AI agents available in BriefTech and what each one produces. AI agents read your documents and produce structured output. Each agent is purpose-built for a task. ## Analysis agents | Agent | Produces | Where you find it | | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Organise** | Reads every document — including image-only ones such as scans and photographs, which it can still describe from the image when there is no readable text to extract — and determines its document type, summary, key dates, and other details. | Its summary and key dates are what fill the **Summary** and **Key Dates** headings of the **Summary** view in the preview pane — see [The preview pane](/reference/preview-pane). | | **Duplicate Document Finder** | A list of duplicate and near-duplicate documents. Currently in beta and free to use. | The **Tools** menu on the Files and Review tabs, listed as **Duplicate Document Finder**. | ## Workflow agents | Agent | Produces | Where you find it | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Create court bundles** | A paginated court bundle to Singapore court standard. See [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings). | **Create Bundle** on the Index tab tab opens the bundle panel; a second **Create Bundle** button inside that panel starts the run. | | **Download all files** | A ZIP archive of your index files. See [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options). | **Download Files** on the Index tab tab opens the download panel; in it, tick **All Files** and click **Export** to start the ZIP. | {% hint style="info" %} **Cost:** Running the analysis agents (Organise, Duplicate Document Finder) is free. The workflow agents produce an **export** — the first time a document is included in a court bundle or download it is committed to your Document Index and consumes credits. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). {% endhint %} ## Agent activation * When you create a matter, BriefTech activates the agent that reads and describes each document, and the agents behind the **Create Bundle** and **Download Files** buttons on the Index tab tab. * **Duplicate Document Finder** is listed in the **Tools** menu of every matter, and runs only when you choose it. The first time it is used in a matter, the matter's owner confirms a one-time activation — see [Find and remove duplicate documents](/how-to-guides/organise/find-remove-duplicates). ## Related
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
Bulk-edit metadata across many documentsChange labels, collections, dates, descriptions and index categories on many documents at once.Bulk-edit metadata across many documents
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Review an AI-Analysed MatterA guided run through the Review stage — take a matter the AI has analysed and confirm, correct and refine its details until it's ready to index.Review an AI-Analysed Matter
# Folders, labels, and collections How folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter. BriefTech offers three independent ways to organise documents within a matter. ## Folders Folders mirror the folder structure of the files you upload. When you upload a folder tree, BriefTech preserves the source directory for each document, and you can browse and filter by folder. When you **drag and drop** files or folders in, an item whose path is longer than **260 characters** is rejected before the upload starts; the Upload button does not apply this check. See [File size and storage limits](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits#path-length). Folders start out mirroring your uploads, but you can also manage them yourself. From the folder list you can create a new folder, rename a folder, or remove a folder, and you can drag documents or folders between folders to reorganise them. A folder name cannot contain a forward slash (`/`). In the Document Index, open the Apply preset menu and choose **Generate index headings →** Group by folder. BriefTech then replaces the index's current headings — including any you made by hand — with a section heading for each folder your documents are in, and groups the documents in each folder under the heading that matches it. See [Manage headings in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/manage-index-headings) before you use it on an index whose headings you have edited. ## Labels Labels are colour-coded markers you create and apply to documents — for example to mark relevance or privilege. > You can apply a label by dragging documents onto it in the Review sidebar; see [Apply labels to documents](/how-to-guides/organise/apply-labels-to-documents) for the other ways to apply one. | Attribute | Detail | | ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Name | Up to **50 characters**. | | Colour | A 6-digit hex value, for example `#004bc5`. | | Per document | A document can carry more than one label. | | Scope | Per matter — a new matter starts with no labels. Create them as you need them from the **Labels** section of the left sidebar on the Review tab, or by typing a new name into any label picker or the **Manage labels** dialog and choosing **Create "…"**. | | Managed from | The **Manage labels** dialog, reached from the **Manage labels** link at the bottom of any label picker (for example the **Labels** cell on a document in the Review tab, or the bulk label menu) — rename, recolour, or delete a label there. | | Deletion | A label can only be deleted once it is no longer applied to any document. | To filter the matter to documents carrying a label, tick that label in the Review panel sidebar (see *Filtering by folder or label* below). ## Collections A collection is a named subset of the documents in a matter. Collections let you segment a large document set and act on one segment at a time — for example, to run AI analysis, build a Document Index, or generate a court bundle for just that subset. | Attribute | Detail | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Name | Up to **50 characters**. | | Per document | A document can belong to more than one collection. | | Created from | The left sidebar, or the create button in the dialog that **Edit Collections** opens. | | Actions | Rename, clone (start a new one from a copy), or delete. | > You add documents to a collection from the bulk-action toolbar; see [Group documents into a collection](/how-to-guides/organise/group-documents-into-collection). Once a collection exists, you can also add documents to it these ways: * **Right-click** one or more selected documents and choose **Edit Collections** to open the same collection dialog as the toolbar button. * **From a document's properties** — select a document, open its properties, and set its collections under the **Organisation** heading. * **By dragging** — select one or more documents and drag them onto a collection in the left **Collections** sidebar, then confirm. ## Filtering by folder or label In the Review panel, the folder and label lists in the left sidebar are tick-box filters: * Tick a folder to show its documents. * Tick a parent folder to include everything nested inside it. A parent with only some subfolders ticked shows as partly ticked. * Tick more than one folder to combine them. Labels filter the same way — tick one or more labels to narrow the view to documents carrying any of them. Under each folder, a **\[FILES]** entry lets you tick just the documents held directly in that folder, excluding its subfolders. The same sidebar also filters by collection and by document class. Your ticked filters combine in two ways: * **Within one list, ticks widen the view** — any ticked folder, any ticked label, or any ticked class matches. (Only one collection can be active at a time.) * **Across lists, they narrow it** — a document must match your folder selection **and** your label selection **and** your class selection, within the collection you have active. Collections are described above; the document classes are listed in [Document classes](/reference/document-classes). Each folder shows a count of the documents it contains, and with nothing ticked every document is shown; untick your selections to clear the filter. In the Files panel the sidebar is a single-select tree instead. It groups its entries under **Views** (document-status groups such as All, Exceptions and Processing), your **Folders**, and your **Collections**; clicking one entry shows just that view. The Document Index sidebar is a separate single-select tree and is not a tick-box filter either. ## Related
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Column optionsThe columns you can add to a Document Index and their alignment.Column options
# Document metadata fields The document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values. BriefTech's AI pre-fills these fields for every document. You can override the editable fields (Date and Description) in the Review tab tab; corrections take effect immediately and flow through to your Document Index and court bundle. | Field | Type | Description | | -------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Date | Date | The document's date. Used for sorting and for the date column in the Document Index. Documents with no date are treated as undated. | | Description | Free text | A short description or summary of the document. Supports Markdown formatting, which is on by default. In the Review and Index tabs, a line that starts with a number and a full stop followed by a space (for example `117. Letter`) is shown as typed rather than turned into a numbered list. | | Index Category | Free text | A category you set yourself to group documents in your index. It is not a column in the Review tab — set it with **Bulk Edit Dates & Descriptions** in the **Tools** menu; see [Bulk-edit metadata across many documents](/how-to-guides/review/bulk-edit-metadata). Choose **Group by LOD category** while building an index to generate its headings from these values, and use a forward slash to nest them (for example `Pleadings/Statements of Case`). | | Document Class | AI-extracted (read-only) | The document's type or class, extracted automatically during processing. Not a Review column and not editable — see below. The classes are listed in [Document classes](/reference/document-classes). | | # (Identifier) | Read-only | A per-document identifier shown in the on-screen file list (Files and Review tabs), for example BT-000001. BriefTech assigns it automatically; it cannot be edited and is not one of the columns in the exported Document Index. Show or hide it from the column picker like any other column — it appears in that list as the "#" column. | ## Editing fields Three fields are editable inline in the Review tab tab. Double-click a Document Date or Document Description cell to open its editor; click a Labels cell to open the label picker. No other column in the tab can be edited. * **Date** — double-click the cell to edit the date inline. This opens a text date editor, not a calendar; if the document has more than one detected date, a list of candidate dates appears for you to pick from. Type a full date, a date and time, a month and year written as numbers (for example `2001-01`), a date range, or `Undated`. Text BriefTech can't read as a date is not saved: the cell shows **Invalid date format** with examples of the formats it accepts until you correct it or press Esc. * **Description** — double-click the cell to open an inline text editor; click outside to save. Hover the cell to reveal its action buttons: * Translate description **Translate** — translates the description into another language. Available whether or not the field is locked. * Regenerate AI description **Regenerate** — regenerates the AI description (see below). Shown only when the field is unlocked. * Use file name as description **Use file name** — replaces the description with the document's file name (without its file extension). Shown only when the field is unlocked. * lock **Lock / unlock** — locks the field (when unlocked) or unlocks it (when locked). It is greyed out while the description is empty — there is nothing to lock. When the field is locked, only this padlock and the translate button are shown. * **Labels** — click the cell to open the label picker and apply a label to the document. Labels are applied by you, not the AI; see [Folders, labels, and collections](/reference/folders-labels-and-collections) for how they work. * **Document Class** — this value is assigned by the AI. It is **not** a column in the Review tab and **cannot be edited**. To work with it, use the **Classes** group in the left-hand panel to filter documents by their class. The full list of classes, and what each covers, is in [Document classes](/reference/document-classes). Cells show state as well as values: * **Being analysed** — while BriefTech is still analysing a document, its Document Date and Document Description cells show a grey placeholder bar and cannot be edited; they become editable when analysis finishes. * **No AI description** — a description the AI has not produced shows **Not found**. * **No labels** — a document with no labels shows **None**. * **Manual override** — a value held as a manual override is shown in a different colour from an AI value. A Date or Description edit is saved when you press Enter or click outside the cell — there is no Save button. A Labels change is saved only when you click **Apply** in the label picker. A date or description you set by hand is marked as a manual override, and re-running the AI's analysis does not change it. Translating the description replaces your text and removes the override. Pressing Enter in a cell locks it even if you changed nothing — the AI's own value is committed as your manual override. Clicking outside the cell without changing anything leaves it unlocked. Clearing a field and saving never empties it or brings the original AI value back. What happens next depends on the field: * An **unlocked** field keeps its current value. * A **locked** field keeps your current text but is unlocked — the same as clicking its lock padlock. * An unlocked value is the AI's again: the next regenerate or re-analysis can replace it. * **Document Date** has no padlock, so clearing the cell is how you unlock a date. An unlocked Description cell shows the Regenerate AI description **Regenerate** button, which refills the field with a fresh AI description; a locked cell must first be unlocked with its lock padlock. ## Related
Folders, labels, and collectionsHow folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter.Folders, labels, and collections
Column optionsThe columns you can add to a Document Index and their alignment.Column options
# Document classes The classes BriefTech's AI chooses from when it classifies a document, what each one covers, and how to filter a matter by class. BriefTech's AI assigns a document's class. The 34 classes it is instructed to choose from are listed below. The class is read-only — you cannot set it by hand, and it is not a column in the Review tab tab. It is assigned afresh whenever the document is re-analysed (see [Bulk-edit metadata across many documents](/how-to-guides/review/bulk-edit-metadata) for how to re-run the AI on selected documents). To work with it, open the **Classes** group in the left-hand panel of the Review tab tab: it lists the classes present in the matter, each with its document count for the whole matter, and ticking a class narrows the list to those documents. A document with no class does not appear in the group, and is hidden whenever any class is ticked. How class ticks combine with folder and label ticks is described in [Folders, labels, and collections](/reference/folders-labels-and-collections). If classifying a document fails, or the AI returns a value that is not on the list, the **Classes** group can also show an extra entry that is not one of the classes below. The documents under such an entry have not been given one of the listed classes. ## How a class is chosen The AI is instructed to follow these rules: * A document is classed by what it **is** — its form and legal function — not by what it discusses. * An email is classed **Email** even when it attaches or refers to an agreement, an affidavit or another document. * A letter demanding payment is classed **Correspondence**, not **Invoice**. * A board resolution approving an agreement is classed **Minutes Report**, not **Agreement**. * A document that fits none of the classes is classed **Other**. ## Which dates show a time The class decides whether a document's date carries a time of day: * An **Email** is dated when it was sent — a single date, never a range — and the date carries the time and time zone when the email shows them. * Every other class is dated without a time. ## The classes The 34 classes, in the order the **Classes** group lists them. | Class | What it covers | | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Agreement | Contracts, deeds and other bilateral contractual instruments with named parties and signature or execution blocks. | | Authority | Reported case law, statutes and other legal authorities. | | Bill | Quotations, estimates, pro-forma invoices and price proposals issued before any payment is due. | | Bill Of Lading | Bills of lading and other shipping or consignment documents in that form. | | Book | Pages from published books. | | Certificate | Official certificates issued by an authority or institution. | | Charter Doc | Maritime charterparties and charter terms. | | Corporate Docs | Incorporation documents, company registers, statutory filings and constitutional documents. | | Correspondence | Formal letters and faxes not covered by another class. | | Court Bundle | Compiled bundles — core, common, appeal and authorities bundles. | | Court Document | Court pleadings and filings not covered by another court class: submissions, judgments, statements of case, petitions and memoranda. | | Court Transcript | Transcripts, notes of evidence and records of proceedings. | | Credit Note | Credit notes and credit memos. | | Delivery Order | Delivery orders and delivery instructions. | | Drawing | Technical drawings, plans and schematics. | | Email | Emails and email printouts. | | Graph Chart | Pages that consist mainly of graphs or charts. | | Id Doc | Passports, NRICs and other national identity documents. | | Invoice | Invoices requesting payment for goods or services already provided. | | Messaging | Chat and message logs, and screenshots of messaging apps. | | Minutes Report | Meeting minutes, resolutions, agendas and formal reports. | | News Press | News articles and press releases. | | Note | Internal notes and memos without a formal letterhead. | | Other | Documents that fit none of the other classes. | | Payment Evidence | Receipts, payment confirmations, transfer slips and cheque copies. | | Personal Record | Medical and other personal records. | | Photo Video | Photographs, video stills and screenshots of audio records. | | Policy | Policies, standard operating procedures, manuals, guidelines, and insurance or compliance terms. | | Presentation | Slide decks. | | Proof Of Delivery | Delivery confirmations and signed acknowledgements of receipt. | | Purchase Order | Purchase orders. | | Searches | Registry-generated extracts and search results. | | Statement | Account statements and periodic transaction listings. | | Witness Evidence | Affidavits, witness statements and AEICs. | ## Related
Document metadata fieldsThe document fields you can edit in the Review tab and their accepted values.Document metadata fields
Folders, labels, and collectionsHow folders, labels, and collections organise documents in a matter.Folders, labels, and collections
How AI analysis worksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
# Column options The columns you can add to a Document Index and their alignment. {% hint style="info" %} **Scope:** These options are for the **Document Index** — the table used to build and export your list of documents. To show, hide, or reorder the columns in the on-screen document list on the Files and Review tabs, see [Customise the file-list columns](/how-to-guides/review/customize-file-list-columns). {% endhint %} The Document Index is a table. You choose which columns appear from the columns button in the toolbar above the index, which opens a panel headed **Customize Columns**. The **Description of Document** column is always shown and cannot be removed; every other column can be switched on or off. Columns always appear in a fixed order — switching a column on adds it in its standard position, and that order cannot be changed. By default a new Document Index shows **S/No.**, **Date**, **Description of Document**, **Vol**, and **Page**. **These settings are saved per collection.** Which columns are shown, and each column's heading, width and alignment, are saved automatically with the collection you are working in, and everyone who opens that collection's Document Index sees the same columns. Each collection keeps its own: switch to another collection and you see that collection's columns. ## Available columns | Column | Default heading | Contents | | ------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Serial number | S/No. | The running serial number of the document. | | File name | File Name | The document's file name. | | Date | Date | The document date. | | Description | Description of Document | The document description. | | LOD reference | LOD Ref | A reference code carried over from a source LOD. | | AB reference | AB Ref | A secondary (agreed bundle) reference code. | | Volume | Vol | The bundle volume the document falls in. | | Page | Page | The document's page reference within the bundle. | ## Per-column settings The **Customize Columns** panel controls which columns appear, and lets you rename one — click the pencil button beside a column in the list. The width and alignment settings are not in that panel. To reach those, hover over a column heading in the Document Index itself: a rename icon appears at the right of the heading. Click it to open the **Column Settings** popup for that column. | Setting | Where to set it | Description | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Header label | The **Column Settings** popup, or the pencil button in **Customize Columns** | Override the default column heading. A heading typed in the **Column Settings** popup is limited to 40 characters; the rename box in **Customize Columns** does not enforce that limit. | | Column Width (%) | The **Column Settings** popup, or by dragging | Set the column width as a percentage of the table, from 5% to 60%. This setting is not available for the **Description of Document** column, which always fills the remaining width automatically. | | Alignment | The **Column Settings** popup | Align the column content left, center, or right. | To set a width by dragging, drag the edge of the column heading that faces the **Description of Document** column — the right edge for columns to its left, the left edge for columns to its right. Dragging keeps to the same 5%–60% range. The **Description of Document** column cannot be dragged. The **Column Settings** popup on the **S/No.** column also carries **Custom Initial** and **Initial Serial Number**, and the popup on the **Date** column carries the **Date Format Preset**. These apply to the whole index, not to that column alone. Applying an index preset replaces the per-column settings above for every column — see [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets). These settings shape the Document Index on screen and in the Word and PDF index you export. The Excel **Document Index** export always uses its own fixed set of columns and headings — see [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options). ## Related
Serial numbers and date formatsSerial numbering options, date format presets, and sort order for the Document Index.Serial numbers and date formats
Export formats and optionsOutput formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index.Export formats and options
# Serial numbers and date formats Serial numbering options, date format presets, and sort order for the Document Index. ## Serial numbering Both settings live in the **S/No.** column's **Column Settings** popup — hover the **S/No.** column heading and click the rename that appears at its right. **Custom Initial** and **Initial Serial Number** take effect the moment you change them (as does the **Date Format Preset** below). The popup's three buttons affect only the column's heading text, width and alignment: * **Save** applies those edits. * **Close** discards them. * **Reset label** clears the heading name field back to the default (which also only takes effect when you press **Save**). Press **Save** before closing if you have renamed the column or changed its width or alignment. | Setting | Default | Description | | --------------------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Initial Serial Number | 1 | The number the first document is given; numbering increments by one from there. The field warns *Must be at least 1* if you enter a lower number, but the warning is advisory — the value still applies, so entering `0` numbers the first document `0`. | | Custom Initial | None | An optional text prefix placed before each serial number (for example `LOD` or `A`). | When a document is split across volumes, every part keeps the document's single serial number and adds a suffix — `(A)`, `(B)`, and so on — so the next document's number is one higher, not one per part. The suffixes appear in the **Preview** view and in a generated court bundle. **Initial Serial Number** applies to the Document Index and its Word and ZIP exports. A generated court bundle keeps this number in its table of contents, just as the index does, but always numbers its tabs and bookmarks from 1 whatever you set here. **Custom Initial** and the date-format preset do carry into the bundle. Serial numbers in the Document Index are plain sequential numbers — 1, 2, 3, and so on. They are not zero-padded. **These settings are saved per collection.** **Custom Initial**, **Initial Serial Number** and the **Date Format Preset** are stored against the collection you are working in, not the matter as a whole — each collection keeps its own. Switch to another collection and you will see that collection's settings, or the defaults if it has never had any set. Set them again in each collection where you want them. Sub-index entries are numbered relative to their parent: an entry's serial is the parent's serial, a dash, and the entry's position — for example `3-1`, `3-2`. An undated sub-index entry shows a blank date cell rather than the word "Undated". Attachments are different: an attachment gets its own ordinary number in the sequence. ## Date format presets The document date is displayed using a **Date Format Preset**, chosen in the **Date** column's **Column Settings** popup — hover the **Date** column heading and click the rename that appears at its right. Each option is labelled by an example date, shown exactly as the app writes it (including the `2025` example year on the last two): | Option (as shown) | Renders a date like | | -------------------- | ------------------- | | 2026-01-01 (DEFAULT) | 2026-01-01 | | 2026/01/01 | 2026/01/01 | | 2026/01/01 \[time] | 2026/01/01 14:30 | | 01/01/2026 | 01/01/2026 | | 01.01.2025 | 01.01.2026 | | 01.01.2025 HH:mm | 01.01.2026 14:30 | The `(DEFAULT)` in the first option's name is part of the label the app prints, not a description of what you get before you choose. With **no** preset selected, the Document Index renders `01.01.2026` — and `01.2026` for a month-only date — which is the same output as the `01.01.2025` option. Select `2026-01-01 (DEFAULT)` explicitly if you want ISO dates. The two time options — `2026/01/01 [time]` and `01.01.2025 HH:mm` — add the time only to documents whose date carries one. A document with a date but no time renders without a time under every preset. A document's date is taken from its file name where the app finds a date there. It looks at the first group of digits in the name shaped four-two-two (year, month, day) or two-two-four (day, month, year), separated by `-`, `.` or `_` — `2024-03-01` or `01.03.2024`, for example — and uses it if it reads as a date (a group that mixes `.` with `-` or `_` does not); only if the name has no such group is a run of eight digits tried instead, read year-first or day-first, whichever reading dates more of the eight-digit file names in the index being built (the collection you are viewing or exporting), this one included (year-first on a tie). A file name that yields no date this way leaves the document to be dated from its contents. A date read from a file name is a date only and never carries a time, so a document dated from its file name shows no time under either time preset. Each preset sets the date, date-and-time, and month-only formats together, so you pick one option rather than configuring each case. You can clear the preset to return to `01.01.2026`, the format an index uses before any preset is chosen. The preset governs the dates shown in the on-screen index, in all three of its exports — Word, Excel and the ZIP — and on the index pages of a generated court bundle. It does not reach exported **file names**, which use: * `yyyy.MM.dd` for a full date * `2026.01` for a month-only date * `2018.01.01-2018.12.31` for a date range * `Undated` for a document with no date **How other date values render:** * **Month-only** date (no day): shows just the year-and-month part of your chosen format — for example `2026-01`, `2026/01`, or `01/2026`. * **No date**: shows as **Undated**. * **Date range**: shows as `start – end` (for example `2018-01-01 – 2018-12-31`) and is sorted by its start date. ## Sort order The Document Index can be sorted by: | Option | Sorts by | Ties broken by | | ------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | | Date, File Name (default) | Document date, then file name. | Bundle part (for documents split across volumes). | | File Name | File name. | Bundle part (for documents split across volumes). | | Description | Document description. | File name. | Where undated documents sort: * **Date, File Name**: last, after all dated documents. * **File Name** or **Description**: placed by file name or description like any other document. **Attachments stay with their parent.** Sorting never separates an attachment from the document it is attached to: whichever order you choose, each attachment stays immediately beneath its parent, and a parent's attachments are sorted among themselves by the same rule. So an attachment can appear out of date order relative to the documents around it — it is following its parent's position, not its own. These labels appear when you sort a single section. The same three orders are offered under **Sort all sections** in the **Apply preset** toolbar menu, where they are labelled **Date**, **Description**, and **Filename**. For how to run a sort — where each control is and what it covers — see [Sort documents in the Document Index](/how-to-guides/index/sort-documents-in-index). ## Related
Index DocumentsBuild the Document Index: the structured, ordered index that becomes the spine of your court bundle.Index Documents
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
Template syntaxEvery syntax token for the cover page, tab page, page stamp, file name, bookmark title and volume header fields, with examples and jurisdiction notes.Template syntax
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Sort documents in the Document IndexSort documents within Document Index sections by date, file name, or description.Sort documents in the Document Index
# Document Index presets The built-in Document Index presets and what each configures. A preset applies a ready-made set of columns and bundle settings suited to a common document type. Applying a preset overwrites your current column configuration and any bundle settings the preset defines, such as the page-numbering template and, for some presets, the volume page limit. In the **Apply bundle/index preset** menu, a tick marks the preset currently applied (remembered across sessions), and hovering a preset shows a summary of what it would change compared with your current settings. Separately from applying a preset, the same menu offers a **Generate index headings** action with three options: **No headings** (a flat list with no heading rows), **Group by folder** (a section heading for each folder your documents are in, grouping its documents), and **Group by LOD category** (headings from the categories assigned to documents). Choosing any option replaces the index's current headings and cannot be undone. The first time you generate headings on an index, BriefTech asks you to confirm ("This will delete all your current manually created/edited headings and cannot be undone. Continue?"). After headings have been generated once, later choices replace the current headings without a prompt — including any headings you have created or edited by hand since. | Preset | Columns | Notes | | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | Affidavit - Multi Volume | S/N, Description, Vol, Page | Targets 300 pages per volume. | | Affidavits - Single Volume | S/N, Description, Page | Single volume. | | Bundle of Authorities | Tab, Description | No hyperlinks in the index. | | Bundle of Documents | Tab, Date, Description, Vol, Page | General-purpose multi-volume bundle. | | Disclosure | S/N, Document Date, Description | Disclosure / discovery lists. | | Record of Appeals (SG) | S/N, Date, Description, Vol, Pages | Targets 300 pages per volume; Singapore format. | | Records of Appeal (MY) | Serial No, Date, Description, Vol, Pages | Targets 200 pages per volume; Malaysia format. | Beyond columns, most presets also set: | Preset | Hyperlinks in index | Volume options it sets | | -------------------------- | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Affidavit - Multi Volume | — (none set) | 300-page volumes; pull-out tabs; master + per-volume index mode | | Affidavits - Single Volume | — (none set) | single volume (page limit set to 9999) | | Bundle of Authorities | off | — | | Bundle of Documents | off | — | | Disclosure | **on** | — | | Record of Appeals (SG) | off | 300-page volumes; Senior Volumes on; volume header + label template; page numbers on cover, index and tab pages | | Records of Appeal (MY) | off | 200-page volumes; Senior Volumes on; volume header + label template | | Preset | Volume-label template | Volume header row | Renders as | | ---------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | Record of Appeals (SG) | `{sR}{#j}({a}){/j}` | `Index to Volume {vol}` | Volume **I**, **II**, **III**; header *Index to Volume I* | | Records of Appeal (MY) | `{sA}{#j} {sn}({n}){/j}` | `Index to Volume {vol}` | Volume **A**, **B**, **C**; header *Index to Volume A* | For what `{sR}`, `{sA}` and `{#j}…{/j}` mean, see [Template syntax](/reference/template-syntax). Most presets also set a default sort order (File Name, or Date then File Name). Where a preset does not set hyperlinking (the two Affidavit presets), your current setting is left unchanged — only the presets marked **off** or **on** above change it. On a new Document Index, hyperlinking is on. This table's **Hyperlinks in index** column is about the Word and PDF index you export from the Document Index. The table of contents printed inside a generated bundle is never hyperlinked, whatever preset you have applied. ## Page-number template each preset sets Applying a preset also sets the bundle's page-number stamp template (see [Template syntax](/reference/template-syntax); `{v}` = volume number, `{p}` = page number): | Preset | Page-number template | Example | | -------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------- | | Affidavit - Multi Volume | `V{v}-{p}` | V1-1, V1-2 | | Affidavits - Single Volume | `{p}` | 1, 2, 3 | | Bundle of Authorities | `BOA {v}-{p}` | BOA 1-1 | | Bundle of Documents | `V{v}-{p}` | V1-1 | | Disclosure | — (none set) | — | | Record of Appeals (SG) | `{vol} RA {p}` | I RA 1 | | Records of Appeal (MY) | `{p}` | 1, 2, 3 | Where a preset sets no page-number template (Disclosure), your current template is left unchanged. ## Sort all sections When you are working in the interactive Document Index, the Apply preset menu also offers **Sort all sections**, which re-sorts every heading section of the index at once. Choose how each section is sorted: | Option | Sorts each section by | | ----------- | --------------------- | | Date | Document date. | | Description | Document description. | | Filename | File name. | This option appears whenever you are working in the interactive index — including a flat index with no headings. (The **Date** option sorts by document date, then file name.) If you choose **Sort all sections** when everything is already in order, BriefTech tells you the sections are already sorted. The **Generate index headings** actions need a collection selected — with none selected, choosing one shows a **No collection selected** message. ## Related
Column optionsThe columns you can add to a Document Index and their alignment.Column options
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
# Court bundle settings The full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults. Court bundle settings are grouped into the sections below, matching the **Create Bundle** panel. A bundle is generated as one PDF per volume, packaged together in a ZIP archive for download. ## Cover page ### Cover Page Template Each volume can begin with a cover page. The cover is a DOCX template you upload for the collection, using the Cover Page Template control. The template can include syntax tokens — for example `{v}` for the volume number and `{vT}` for the total number of volumes — which are substituted when the bundle is generated; see the [Template syntax](/reference/template-syntax) reference for the full list. (On a cover page, `{volumeNumber}` renders the volume *label* and is blank on a single-volume bundle, so `{v}` is the reliable token for a number.) If no cover template is uploaded for the collection, no cover page is added and the volume begins at the first index, tab or document page instead. ### Blank pages before index | Setting | Default | Description | | ------------------------ | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Blank pages before index | 0 | Number of blank pages inserted in every volume, after the cover page and before the intro document and index. Set to 0 to disable. | ## Template and document uploads The Cover Page Template, the Tab / Page Separators Template and the intro document each use the same controls, stored against the current collection: | Control | Behaviour | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Status line | Shows `Not set` when nothing is stored, or the stored file's name once there is one. | | Upload / Replace | Opens the file picker. Reads **Upload** when nothing is stored, **Replace** once a file exists. The two templates accept `.docx`; the intro document accepts `.pdf` or `.docx`. | | Download | Retrieves the stored file. | | Delete | Appears only once a file is stored. For the two **templates**, it removes the stored file. For the **intro document**, it clears the document from this collection's bundle settings — the file itself stays in storage. | While a file is uploading, the status line shows an **Uploading & validating…** badge and a progress bar, and the controls are unavailable until it finishes. ## Document upload | Setting | Description | | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Submission / Affidavit / Intro Document | An optional document placed in volume 1 before the index. Upload a PDF or DOCX, or leave it unset (default). | ## Index / table of contents | Setting | Default | Options | | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Index generation | Master index in volume 1 and per-volume indexes | **No index**, **Master index in volume 1 only**, **Master index in volume 1 and per-volume indexes**. | | Index layout style | Classic table (Volume headings) | **Classic table (Volume headings)**, **Grouped by sections (Senior/Junior volumes)**. | | Document Font | Arial | The font used for the index (table of contents). Options: **Arial**, **Times New Roman**, **Courier New**, **Georgia**, **Helvetica**, **Calibri**, **Cambria**, **Tahoma**, **Verdana**. | ## Volumes settings | Setting | Default | Description | | ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Max Pages Per Volume | 300 | The target page count per volume. This form accepts 31 or more, or blank to use the default; a lower value set via the API is used as stored. | | Volume Split Strategy | Auto (smart split) | How documents are split across volumes. Options: **Auto (smart split)**, **Allow split when needed**, **Never split**. | | Auto Split Threshold (pages) | 5 | Shown only when **Volume Split Strategy** is **Auto (smart split)**. A document is then moved whole to the next volume if it would start within this many pages of the volume end. | | Volume column template | Automatic default | Controls how each volume's label is composed (for example plain numbering, or a senior/junior form). Choose a preset — Automatic default, Simple, SG ROA, or MY ROA — or write your own template. | | Volume Names Overrides | (none) | Optional custom names for your volumes, one per line. When set, these replace the normal numbered volume labels. | | Filename on Export | Volume {volumeNumber} | The file name given to each volume's PDF. Once every document in the collection you are exporting from has been charged — the whole matter, if you chose All — it also sets the base name of that volume's Word (`.docx`) copies in the ZIP, for example `Cover - Volume 1.docx` and `TOC - Volume 1.docx`. That test covers the whole collection, so an uncharged document sitting outside the volumes you selected still withholds the Word copies. A watermarked bundle contains volume PDFs only, with no Word copies. Tab pages are named from the document's serial number instead. Choose one of four presets, or write your own — see **Filename tokens** below. The final name is cleaned before use: invalid filename characters (backslash, slash, colon, asterisk, question mark, double-quote, angle brackets, pipe) are replaced with spaces and the name is capped at 120 characters; if nothing is left, it falls back to `Vol {volume number}`. | | Scaling mode | Keep original page size | Page sizing. Options: **Keep original page size**, **Normalize to A4 by orientation**. | **How each Volume Split Strategy behaves** * **Auto (smart split)** (default) — a document that would overflow the current volume is split across the volume break to fill the remaining pages, *unless* it would begin within the **Auto Split Threshold** (default 5) pages of the volume end, in which case it is moved whole to the next volume to avoid a stub. * **Allow split when needed** — a document that does not fit the current volume is split at the volume boundary: the pages that fit stay, and the rest continue in the next volume. * **Never split** — a document that does not fit is moved whole to the next volume and never cut. The one exception is a document longer than **Max Pages Per Volume**: it cannot fit in any single volume, so it is split regardless of this setting. ## Filename tokens Four presets are offered: * `Vol {vol}` * `{collectionName} - Vol {vol}` * `Vol {vol} ({v} of {vT})` * `Vol {v}` `{vol}` renders the volume label built from your **Volume column template**, so it follows whatever you set there. To write your own, the field's token picker offers sixteen tokens: * **Context** — `{workspaceName}`, `{collectionName}`, `{today}`, `{vT}` * **Volume number** — `{v}` * **Junior volume** — `{A}`, `{a}`, `{n}`, `{R}`, `{r}` * **Senior volume** — `{sA}`, `{sa}`, `{sn}`, `{sR}`, `{sr}` * **Sections** — `{j}` See the [Template syntax](/reference/template-syntax) reference for what each one renders. The older `{volumeNumber}` and `{totalVolumes}` aliases still work, but are not in the picker's list. ## Tab / Page Separators | Setting | Default | Options | | --------- | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Tab pages | Double Sided Tabs / Page Separators | **No Tabs / Page Separators**, **Single Page Tabs / Page Separators**, **Double Sided Tabs / Page Separators**. | An optional DOCX template used for each document's tab (separator) page, stored against the collection. If no template is uploaded, a built-in tab page is generated instead: an A4 page carrying the text `TAB` followed by the document's serial number, centred in 120-point Helvetica Bold. How many pages that tab occupies depends on the **Tab pages** setting above: * **Double Sided Tabs / Page Separators** (the default) — the tab is followed by a blank backing page, and preceded by one where needed so it always falls on an odd-numbered page. A built-in (single-page) tab therefore takes two pages, or three when a leading blank is required. If you upload a tab template that is more than one page long, the count grows with it: the tab keeps its own page count, gains a leading blank when it would otherwise start on an even page, and gains a trailing backing page whenever its own page count is odd. * **Single Page Tabs / Page Separators** — the tab is a single page. * **No Tabs / Page Separators** — no tab page is generated. ## Per-document overrides Most settings above apply to the whole collection. Two of them — **Tab Page Override** and **Volume Split Strategy** — can be overridden per document from the More actions menu on that document's row in the Document Index → ![Configure Bundle Overrides](https://2262431129-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FlnHu06wl3NH457iwjBmr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-90da621e711c159473a3aaa69c98360b51a5fafc%2Fbtn-configure-bundle-overrides.svg?alt=media), which opens the **File Overrides** dialog: | Override | Default | Options | | --------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Tab Page Override | Default (collection setting) | **No tab page**, **Single-page tab**, **Pull-out tab** — overrides the collection **Tab pages** setting for this one document. | | Volume Split Strategy | Default (collection setting) | **Auto (smart split)**, **Allow split when needed**, **Force into new volume**, **Never split** — forces or prevents volume splitting for this one document. | An override left on **Default (collection setting)** uses the collection setting. Save applies the overrides; Cancel discards them. **Reset to defaults** clears a document's saved overrides and is greyed out until the document has one. A document's volume placement can also be overridden per document without this dialog, from the same **⋮** menu: Push to Next Volume, Split to Next Volume… and Reset Volume Placement. See [Reorder documents and add structure](/how-to-guides/index/reorder-documents-add-structure) and [Split a bundle into volumes](/how-to-guides/index/split-into-volumes). ## Bookmarks | Setting | Default | Description | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Bookmark Title Template | `{tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}` | The template used to name PDF bookmarks for each document. Presets: `TAB {tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}`, `{tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}`, `{tab}. {summary}{partSuffix}`. Tokens: `{tab}`, `{summary}`, and `{partSuffix}` — the last renders as, for example, `(Part 1 of 3)` on a document split across volumes, and is empty otherwise. | ## Pagination | Setting | Default | Description | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Stamp page numbers on | Index, Tab / Separators, Submission / Intro Doc | Which page types get stamped numbers. Available: **Cover**, **Submission / Intro Doc**, **Index**, **Tab / Separators**. Removing a type hides its stamps only — those pages are still counted in the bundle's total pagination. Any blank pages added by **Blank pages before index** are always counted and always carry a stamped page number — there is no toggle to remove their stamps. | | Page Number Template | Page number only | The format of the stamped page number. Choose a preset — `{p}`, `{vol}-{p}`, `BOA {vol}-{p}`, or `V{vol}-{p}` — or write your own using the volume and page tags. | | Font Size | 14 | Page number font size. | | Font Family | Helvetica | **Helvetica**, **Times**, or **Courier**. | | Font Color | #000000 (fully opaque) | Page number colour, with an opacity slider to make the text more or less transparent. | | Background Opacity (%) | 0 | Opacity of the background behind the page number. | | Position | Top, right | Where the page number is stamped — horizontal (left, center, right) and vertical (top, bottom). | | Horizontal Margin (pts) | 22 | Distance from the horizontal edge. | | Vertical Margin (pts) | 22 | Distance from the vertical edge. | ## Related
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
Regenerate a court bundle after making changesReplace a stale court bundle after reordering or editing the Document Index.Regenerate a court bundle after making changes
Template syntaxEvery syntax token for the cover page, tab page, page stamp, file name, bookmark title and volume header fields, with examples and jurisdiction notes.Template syntax
Serial numbers and date formatsSerial numbering options, date format presets, and sort order for the Document Index.Serial numbers and date formats
# Template syntax Every syntax token for the cover page, tab page, page stamp, file name, bookmark title and volume header fields, with examples and jurisdiction notes. BriefTech uses a token-based template syntax to generate volume labels, page stamps, tab labels, file names, PDF bookmarks, and Document Index volume headings automatically. Tokens are written in curly braces and are resolved at generation time. You can combine multiple tokens in a single field. ## Token reference ### Senior grouping identifier Used in multi-tier bundles (e.g. Records of Appeal) where documents are first grouped into master volumes, then subdivided. | Token | Output format | Example | | ------ | ---------------------- | ------------------ | | `{sR}` | Roman numerals (upper) | I, II, III, IV, V… | | `{sA}` | Letters (upper) | A, B, C, D, E… | | `{sn}` | Arabic numerals | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… | | `{sr}` | Roman numerals (lower) | i, ii, iii, iv, v… | | `{sa}` | Letters (lower) | a, b, c, d, e… | ### Junior grouping identifier Used for the sub-volume within each senior group. | Token | Output format | Example | | ----- | ---------------------- | ------------------ | | `{R}` | Roman numerals (upper) | I, II, III, IV, V… | | `{A}` | Letters (upper) | A, B, C, D, E… | | `{n}` | Arabic numerals | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… | | `{r}` | Roman numerals (lower) | i, ii, iii, iv, v… | | `{a}` | Letters (lower) | a, b, c, d, e… | ### Bundle volume counter | Token | Output | Description | | ---------------- | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{v}` | 1, 2, 3… | Current volume number within the bundle. | | `{vT}` | Total count | Total number of volumes in the bundle. Available in the cover page and file name only. It renders blank everywhere it isn't available — the page stamp, volume header row and a tab page DOCX template alike. | | `{volumeNumber}` | Volume label, or 1, 2, 3… | What this renders depends on the field. In the **file name** and **cover page** it renders the volume's *label* (and is blank on a single-volume cover); in the **page stamp** it renders the volume number. It is not available in tab page, volume header row, or bookmark title templates. Use `{v}` when you want the volume number — but `{v}` is not available in bookmark title templates either. | The bundle's total volume count can also be rendered as Roman numerals or letters — **cover page only**: | Token | Output | Example (4 volumes) | | ------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------- | | `{TvR}` | Total volumes, Roman (upper) | IV | | `{Tvr}` | Total volumes, Roman (lower) | iv | | `{TvA}` | Total volumes, letters (upper) | D | | `{Tva}` | Total volumes, letters (lower) | d | ### Composed volume label | Token | Output | Description | | ------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `{vol}` | I, II(a), 1(2)… | The volume's full label, exactly as produced by the volume-label template. Useful in the file name and page stamp fields so the label always matches the volume-label setting. | *(Older templates may use `{V}`, an alias of `{vol}`, in the cover page, page stamp and file name. `{V}` is **not** available in the volume header row — use `{vol}` there — or in a tab page template.)* On the cover page of a single-volume bundle, every token that carries the volume *label* renders as an empty string — `{vol}`, `{V}`, `{volumeString}` and `{volumeNumber}`. This is deliberate: there's no volume label to show. `{v}` still renders the volume number, so use it when you need a number on a single-volume cover. If you enter a name under **Volume Names Overrides** in Bundle settings, that name replaces the volume-label template's output for that volume: * **Cover page, page stamp and file names** — `{vol}` renders your override. This includes the Cover and TOC DOCX exports. * **The Document Index's `Vol` column** — prints your override directly. This column has no template, so there is no `{vol}` to put in it. * **Document Index volume heading rows** — *not* affected. These always use the volume-label template, so a heading can read `Volume 1` while the `Vol` column beside it shows your override. Overrides are matched to volumes line by line in order, so you cannot skip a volume. On a single-volume bundle's cover page `{vol}` is still empty, as above. ### Page number | Token | Output | Description | | -------------- | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{p}` | 1, 2, 3… | Page number stamped on each applicable page. | | `{pageNumber}` | 1, 2, 3… | The page number — this is the token in the default page-stamp template; `{p}` is equivalent. | ### Tab identifier | Token | Output format | Example | | ------ | ---------------------- | ----------- | | `{tn}` | Arabic numerals | 1, 2, 3… | | `{tA}` | Letters (upper) | A, B, C… | | `{ta}` | Letters (lower) | a, b, c… | | `{tR}` | Roman numerals (upper) | I, II, III… | | `{tr}` | Roman numerals (lower) | i, ii, iii… | `{tn}` is derived from the document's serial number (its first run of digits), not from the tab's position in the sequence — so tab numbering follows the serial, not a simple 1, 2, 3 count. ### Document metadata | Token | Output | Description | | ---------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{date}` | Date string | The document's date. A full date renders as `yyyy.MM.dd` (e.g. `2026.01.15`); a month-only date as `yyyy.MM`; a date range as `start-end`; and a document with no date as `Undated`. This token does not follow the Document Index date-format setting. | | `{description}` | Description text | The document description from the index. | | `{fileName}` | File name | The source document's file name. | | `{fileSerialNo}` | Serial number | The source document's file serial number. | | `{exref}` | Serial number | External reference — the source document's file serial number (the same value as `{fileSerialNo}`). | *These document tokens (including `{date}` and `{description}`) are available in **tab page** templates only.* Note: inside a **tab page** template, `{n}` resolves to the document's serial number, not the junior-volume number. ### Conditional display block | Syntax | Behaviour | | ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{#j} … {/j}` | Renders the content between the tags only when the matter uses Senior Volume categories **and** more than one junior volume exists within the senior group. If Senior Volumes categories are off (the default), or there is only one junior volume, the block — including the tags themselves — is suppressed. So the jurisdiction examples below that use `{#j}` apply to matters with Senior Volumes enabled. | Use this to avoid redundant sub-labels when a senior group contains a single volume. For example, `{sR}{#j}({A}){/j}` produces `I` for a single-volume group and `I(A)`, `I(B)` when there are multiple. ### Contextual (file name only) | Token | Output | Description | | ------------------ | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | `{workspaceName}` | Matter name | The name of the matter the bundle is generated in. | | `{collectionName}` | Collection name | The name of the collection the bundle is generated from. | | `{today}` | 2026-01-15 | The generation date, in `YYYY-MM-DD` form. | These three tokens are available in the **file name** field only. *** ## Common combinations The page stamp and file name are text fields you type these into directly. The cover page and tab page are DOCX templates you upload — put the syntax inside the DOCX file you upload for each. You'll find the page stamp under **Pagination → Page Number Settings** in Bundle settings, where the field is labelled **Page Number Template**; the file name under **Filename on Export** in **Volumes Settings**; and the volume-label template in the same **Volumes Settings** section, labelled **Volume column template**. In a cover page or tab page DOCX template, a token that isn't available in that context renders as blank — the same as in the page stamp, file name, bookmark title and volume header row. An unavailable token simply produces nothing, so check which tokens each field accepts before putting one in a DOCX template. ### Cover page | Output example | Syntax | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3… | `Volume {v}` | | Volume A, Volume B, Volume C… | `Volume {A}` | | Volume I(A), Volume I(B), Volume II(A)… *(SG ROA)* | `Volume {sR}{#j}({A}){/j}` | | PART A(1), PART A(2), PART B… *(SG ROA)* | `PART {sA}{#j}({n}){/j}` | | BAHAGIAN A JILID 1(1), BAHAGIAN B JILID 2(1)… *(MY Civil)* | `BAHAGIAN {sA} {#j}JILID {sn}({n}){/j}` | | PART A VOLUME 1(1), PART B VOLUME 2(1)… *(MY Civil)* | `PART {sA} {#j}VOLUME {sn}({n}){/j}` | | JILID 1(1), JILID 1(2), JILID 1(3)… *(MY Civil)* | `JILID {sn}({n})` | | JILID 1(a), JILID 1(b), JILID 2(a)… *(MY Criminal)* | `JILID {sn}{#j}({a}){/j}` | | JILID 1(A), JILID 1(B), JILID 2(A)… *(MY Criminal)* | `JILID {sn}{#j}({A}){/j}` | ### Volume counter (for cover page) | Output example | Syntax | | --------------------------------- | --------------------- | | (1 out of 35), (2 out of 35)… | `({v} out of {vT})` | | (1 daripada 35), (2 daripada 35)… | `({v} daripada {vT})` | ### Tab page | Output example | Syntax | | -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | | TAB 1, TAB 2, TAB 3… | `TAB {tn}` | | TAB A, TAB B, TAB C… | `TAB {tA}` | | TAB a, TAB b, TAB c… | `TAB {ta}` | | TAB I, TAB II, TAB III… | `TAB {tR}` | | CVC-1, CVC-2, CVC-3… *(Certificate Verifying Affidavit)* | `-{tn}` | ### Page stamp | Output example | Syntax | Use case | | --------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------- | | 1, 2, 3… | `{p}` | Simple page number | | I(A)-1, I(A)-2, I(B)-1… | `{sR}{#j}({A}){/j}-{p}` | SG ROA | | I RA 1, I RA 2, II RA 1… | `{sR} RA {p}` | SG ROA | | I(A) RA 1, I(B) RA 1, II(A) RA 1… | `{sR}{#j}({A}){/j} RA {p}` | SG ROA | | 1(1)-1, 1(2)-1, 2(1)-1… | `{sn}{#j}({n}){/j}-{p}` | MY Civil Appeals | | Vol 1-1, Vol 1-2, Vol 2-1… | `Vol {n}-{p}` | Bundle of Documents | ### File name | Output example | Syntax | Use case | | ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | --------------------- | | ROA Vol I(A), ROA Vol I(B), ROA Vol II(A)… | `ROA Vol {sR}{#j}({A}){/j}` | SG ROA | | ROA Bhg A Jilid 1(1), ROA Bhg B Jilid 2(1)… | `ROA Bhg {sA} {#j}Jilid {sn}({n}){/j}` | MY ROA | | BOA Vol 1, BOA Vol 2, BOA Vol 3… | `BOA Vol {n}` | Bundle of Authorities | | BOD Vol 1, BOD Vol 2, BOD Vol 3… | `BOD Vol {n}` | Bundle of Documents | BriefTech cleans up the generated file name: any characters that aren't allowed in a file name (`\ / : * ? " < > |`) are replaced with a space, the name is capped at 120 characters, and if the template produces an empty name it falls back to `Vol` followed by the volume's label (or its number, if the label is empty). *** ## Examples by jurisdiction ### Singapore — Records of Appeal **Cover page** | Field | Value | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Syntax |

RECORDS OF APPEAL
VOLUME {sR}{#j}({A}){/j}
({v} of {vT})

| | Rendered (volume 8 of 35, senior group III, junior group B) |

RECORDS OF APPEAL
VOLUME III(B)
(8 of 35)

| **Page stamp** | Field | Value | | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | Syntax | `{sR}{#j}({A}){/j}-{p}` | | Rendered | I(A)-1, I(A)-2, I(A)-3… then I(B)-1, I(B)-2… then II(A)-1… | **File name** | Field | Value | | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | Syntax | `ROA Vol {sR}{#j}({A}){/j}` | | Rendered | ROA Vol I(A), ROA Vol I(B), ROA Vol II(A), ROA Vol II(B)… | *** ### Singapore — Bundle of Authorities **Cover page** | Field | Value | | ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Syntax |

PLAINTIFF'S BUNDLE OF AUTHORITIES
VOLUME {v} of {vT}

| | Rendered (volume 8 of 50) |

PLAINTIFF'S BUNDLE OF AUTHORITIES
VOLUME 8 of 50

| **Tab page** | Field | Value | | -------- | ---------- | | Syntax | `TAB {tn}` | | Rendered | TAB 8 | **Affidavit exhibit label** Paste this into the Certificate Verifying Affidavit template, which you upload under **Upload Tab / Page Separators Template** in Bundle settings: | Field | Value | | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | | Syntax | ` – {tn}` | | Rendered (initials CVC) | CVC – 8 | *** ### Malaysia — Records of Appeal (Civil) **Cover page** | Field | Value | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Syntax |

REKOD RAYUAN
BAHAGIAN {sA} {#j}JILID {sn}({n}){/j}

| | Rendered (senior group B, junior volume 3 — the `2` and `3` are the senior and junior numbers) |

REKOD RAYUAN
BAHAGIAN B JILID 2(3)

| **Page stamp** | Field | Value | | -------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | Syntax | `{sn}{#j}({n}){/j}-{p}` | | Rendered | 1(1)-1, 1(1)-2… then 1(2)-1, 1(2)-2… then 2(1)-1… | *** ### Malaysia — Records of Appeal (Criminal) **Cover page** | Field | Value | | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Syntax |

REKOD RAYUAN
JILID {sn}{#j}({a}){/j}

| | Rendered (senior volume 2, junior sub-volume b) |

REKOD RAYUAN
JILID 2(b)

| *** ### Malaysia — Bundle of Authorities The cover page and tab page templates are the same as the Singapore Bundle of Authorities section above. **Affidavit exhibit label** | Field | Value | | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | | Syntax | ` - {tn}` | | Rendered (initials CVC) | CVC - 8 | *** ## Bookmark title template Bundles are generated with a PDF bookmark (outline entry) for each document. The Bookmark Title Template field — under Bundle settings, in the Bookmarks section — controls the text of each bookmark. It uses its own small set of document tokens, separate from the volume/page tokens above. Default: `{tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}` | Token | Output example | Description | | -------------- | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{tab}` | A-1 | The document's tab / file serial label. | | `{summary}` | Sample Document Title | The document's summary (first line, as plain text). | | `{partSuffix}` | `(Part 1 of 3)` | Added only when a document is split across volumes; blank otherwise. Note the leading space. | **Common combinations** | Output example | Syntax | | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | A-1 - Sample Document Title | `{tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}` | | TAB A-1 - Sample Document Title | `TAB {tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}` | | A-1. Sample Document Title | `{tab}. {summary}{partSuffix}` | | B-2 - Large Document (Part 1 of 3) *(split document)* | `{tab} - {summary}{partSuffix}` | The bookmark title must not resolve to an empty string. If a template produces a blank title for a document (for example, an empty template, or one that references only tokens with no value), bundle generation stops with an error rather than adding an untitled bookmark. *** ## Volume header row template In the Document Index (the Index tab), when a collection is grouped into volumes, a heading row is shown above each volume and sub-volume group. Two templates control the text of those heading rows: * Senior Volume Header Template — the heading above each senior (top-level) volume group. Stored as `lodSeniorVolumeHeaderRowTemplate`. * Junior Volume Header Template — the heading above each sub-volume. Stored as `lodVolumeHeaderRowTemplate`. Both are edited from the Document Index: | Template | How to edit | Availability | | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Senior Volume Header Template | Row menu's "Edit Volume" item, or double-click the heading text, on a volume heading row | Only available when senior volume categories are enabled for the collection | | Junior Volume Header Template | "Edit subvolume" control on a sub-volume heading row | Always available | Default (both templates): `Volume {vol}` — which renders as `Volume 1`, `Volume 2` out of the box. `{vol}` follows the volume-label template, so it only shows Roman numerals or letters (e.g. `Volume I`, `Volume II(a)`) once you set that template. If the Senior template is left blank it falls back to the Junior template; if both are blank the default `Volume {vol}` is used. ### Tokens These templates reuse tokens already documented in the [Token reference](#token-reference) above: * the **senior grouping identifiers** (`{sR}`, `{sA}`, `{sn}`, `{sr}`, `{sa}`) and **junior grouping identifiers** (`{R}`, `{A}`, `{n}`, `{r}`, `{a}`), * the `{v}` volume counter, * the `{#j} … {/j}` conditional block, and * the `{vol}` composed volume label — the volume's fully-rendered label (for example `I`, `II(a)`, `1(2)`), exactly as produced by the volume-label template. `Volume {vol}` is the default for both header templates. Additional notes: * Use the common and senior tokens in the **Senior** template; the **Junior** template also uses the junior tokens. (Junior tokens are technically resolvable in a Senior template but have no meaningful value there.) * `{sN}` and `{N}` are digit forms of the senior and junior numbers, equivalent to `{sn}` and `{n}` respectively. * The junior template also accepts explicit junior variants `{jA}`, `{ja}`, `{jN}`, `{jn}`, `{jR}`, `{jr}`, which behave the same as their unprefixed forms. ### Common combinations **Senior Volume Header Template** | Output example | Syntax | | ---------------------------------------------- | --------------- | | VOLUME I, VOLUME II, VOLUME III… *(SG ROA)* | `VOLUME {sR}` | | BAHAGIAN A, BAHAGIAN B, BAHAGIAN C… *(MY ROA)* | `BAHAGIAN {sA}` | | 1, 2, 3… | `{sN}` | | A, B, C… | `{sA}` | | I, II, III… | `{sR}` | **Junior Volume Header Template** | Output example | Syntax | | -------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | 1, 2, 3… | `{N}` | | Volume I(A), Volume I(B), Volume II(A)… *(SG ROA)* | `Volume {sR}{#j}({A}){/j}` | | Volume I(a), Volume I(b), Volume II(a)… *(SG ROA, small caps)* | `Volume {sR}{#j}({a}){/j}` | | Bahagian A Jilid 1(1), Bahagian A Jilid 1(2)… *(MY ROA)* | `Bahagian {sA} {#j}Jilid {sn}({n}){/j}` | | A, B, C… | `{A}` | | I, II, III… | `{R}` | ## Related
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
Serial numbers and date formatsSerial numbering options, date format presets, and sort order for the Document Index.Serial numbers and date formats
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
# Export formats and options Output formats and the settings for exporting the Document Index. ## Output formats The Document Index can be exported as: * **Word** (`.docx`) * **Excel** (`.xlsx`) * A **ZIP archive** (the **All Files** option) containing the individual document files together with the index in both Word and Excel. Unlike Word and Excel, which download straight away, the ZIP is prepared in the background and you are emailed a link when it is ready — see [Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file](/how-to-guides/export/export-index-word-pdf-excel). That emailed link expires after a day. You choose by ticking these under **Export Type**, and the ticks are not fully independent: * **Word** and **Excel** can be ticked together, and you then get both files. * **All Files** cannot be combined with either: ticking **All Files** clears Word and Excel, and ticking Word or Excel clears **All Files**. * You have to tick at least one before exporting. **Preview Index PDF** opens the index as a PDF on screen. It is not one of the Export Type options, but the preview's toolbar has a Download original button that saves it as a PDF file. In a narrow preview the button moves into the toolbar's **⋮** menu as **Download original**. ## After the export Once an export has produced something, a card for it appears at the bottom of the **Download Files** panel: * **All Files (ZIP)** — the complete archive, showing the time it was created. * **Word Index** and **Excel Index** — one for whichever of those you ticked. When there is nothing available to download, the panel shows **No exports yet. Use the controls above to create one.** ## Index options (Word and PDF) These settings control the appearance of the index table in the Word index and its PDF preview; the Excel export does not follow them (see [Excel columns](#excel-columns)). They are not gathered in one panel — each is changed in the place named below. | Setting | Where you change it | Default | Description | | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Columns in the index | The columns button in the toolbar above the Document Index — it opens a panel headed **Customize Columns** | S/No., Date, Description of Document, Vol, Page | Which columns appear in the exported index. Their order is fixed and cannot be rearranged — see [column options](/reference/column-options). In an exported Word index and its PDF preview, the **Vol** and **Page** columns are blank; they are filled in the table of contents of a generated bundle. The Files and Review tabs have a separate column picker of their own, which does allow reordering and does not affect the index — see [Customise the file-list columns](/how-to-guides/review/customize-file-list-columns). | | Header text above the index table | Click the centred space directly above the table and type | Empty | Optional text shown centred above the table. It is limited to 100 characters. | | Document Font | The **Create Bundle** panel | Arial | The table font. | Two of the settings previously listed here affect the exported index but have no control you can reach: * Descriptions are rendered with Markdown formatting, and there is no switch to turn that off. * The table font size defaults to 10 pt and cannot be changed from the app. Index hyperlinking is set by most Document Index presets, and there is no separate toggle for it: * **Disclosure** turns hyperlinking **on**. * **Bundle of Authorities**, **Bundle of Documents**, **Record of Appeals (SG)** and **Records of Appeal (MY)** turn it **off**. * The two Affidavit presets do not change it, so applying one leaves hyperlinking exactly as the last preset left it. * On an index where no preset has been applied, hyperlinking is on. When hyperlinking is on, each document's serial number in the Word index links to that document's file inside the **All Files** ZIP. A Word index exported on its own carries the same links but not the files they point to, and an index with the serial-number column switched off has no links. The table of contents printed inside a generated bundle is never hyperlinked, whatever preset you have applied — **Create Bundle** produces it with hyperlinks off. Your columns, header text and **Document Font** settings do still apply to it, and descriptions are Markdown-rendered there too. Available fonts: Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Georgia, Helvetica, Calibri, Cambria, Tahoma, Verdana. ## Attachment indentation In the Word and PDF index, a document that is an **attachment** (a child of another document included in the same export) is indented in the Description column, with a `-` marker before its description — and indented one level deeper for an attachment of an attachment. Parent and standalone documents are not indented, so attachments are easy to tell apart at a glance. Where it applies: * It applies only when the parent document is included in the same export. * The **Excel** export does not indent attachments. * The table of contents printed inside a generated bundle is not indented. ## File export options (ZIP) These settings control a ZIP export of the individual files. | Setting | Options | Description | | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | File Type | **Original** — the uploaded file in its original format; **Searchable PDF** (default) — the OCR'd PDF, falling back to the converted PDF or original. | The format of each exported file. | | File Naming Convention | One of six presets: Original; LOD Version + Serial Number + Date + Description; LOD Version + Serial Number; Date + Description; Serial Number + Date + Description (default); Serial Number. | How each exported file is named. An overly long name is cut back at a word boundary — the trailing word is dropped, so the name is never cut mid-word, unless it has no space, hyphen or underscore to break on, in which case it is cut to fit. Nothing is added to show that it was shortened. If two files would end up with the same name in the same folder of the ZIP, the second gets `(2)` added before the extension, the third `(3)`, and so on. | | Word Separator in File Names | **Spaces** (default) or **Underscores** | Sets the separator shown between words in the file-name preview. Note that the files in the exported ZIP currently always use spaces between words regardless of this choice. | | Folder Export | **No folders** — put every file in one flat folder (default); **Follow Original Upload Folders** — mirror each document's current folder in the matter. | Whether the ZIP mirrors the folders your documents currently sit in. Despite the option's name, this is the tree as it stands now, not the layout at upload time: moving a document, or renaming a folder, changes where it lands in the ZIP. This setting only appears once you tick **All Files** — before that it is not shown at all, rather than shown and greyed out. Unlike the other settings here it is not saved with the matter, so it returns to **No folders** whenever you leave the Index tab or reload the page. | ## Volumes to assemble **Create Bundle** can narrow a bundle by volume, with or without a collection filter. The **Volumes to assemble** field sits at the bottom of its panel, just above the button. * Use single volume numbers and ascending ranges of positive whole numbers, separated by commas — for example `1,2,5-7`. Anything else — a reversed range such as `7-5`, a non-number, or a zero — is rejected, and the bundle is not produced. * On a watermarked bundle, a volume filter only assembles volumes 1 to 3 — paying for the bundle assembles the rest. Naming only volumes above 3 therefore assembles nothing, and Create Bundle reports "No volumes were created" rather than producing a file. Leaving the field blank still assembles every volume, watermarked or not. ## Credits Exporting the Document Index as Word, as Excel, or as the All Files ZIP charges index credits for any document that is not already part of a paid index: * A **Confirm Export** dialog states the cost before any credits are charged. * Documents already paid for are not charged again. * The **Preview Index PDF** does not charge credits. For the rate, see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). If your balance will not cover an export, see [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work) for what BriefTech does next. ## Excel columns The Excel export always uses its own fixed set of columns and headings, whatever columns and headings you have set for the Document Index. It contains these columns: * Serial No * Document Date * Document Description * LOD Category * File Name * Source Directory * Output File Name ## Related
Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel fileExport your Document Index as a Word or Excel file.Export the Document Index as a Word or Excel file
Export only a filtered subset of documentsExport only the documents in a chosen collection.Export only a filtered subset of documents
Download the original or individual filesDownload original or searchable PDFs as separate files in a ZIP.Download the original or individual files
# Matter roles and permissions The matter roles you can assign and what each can do. When you share a matter, each member is given a role. A matter has one owner and any number of editors. ## Roles | Role | Assigned to | | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | | Owner | The person who created the matter. | | Editor (shown as **Can edit**) | A colleague you invite to collaborate. | ## Permissions | Action | Owner | Editor | | --------------------------------------------------- | :---: | :----: | | View documents and the Document Index | ✓ | ✓ | | Upload, edit, and delete documents | ✓ | ✓ | | Run an AI agent the owner has set up | ✓ | ✓ | | Set up or remove an AI agent in the matter | ✓ | — | | Build the Document Index and generate court bundles | ✓ | ✓ | | Invite members and change their access | ✓ | — | | Change the matter's name | ✓ | — | | Change Document Index and court bundle settings | ✓ | ✓ | | Create, rename, clone, and delete collections | ✓ | ✓ | | Archive the matter | ✓ | — | | Restore an archived matter | ✓ | — | Credits for these matter actions are charged to the **matter owner's** balance, whoever performs the action — so when an editor exports the Document Index or generates a court bundle, it draws on the owner's credits, not the editor's. Building the Document Index itself is free. For which actions consume credits and what they cost, see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). Setting an agent up is a one-off step the matter owner takes; once it is set up, editors can run it like any other agent. > To understand why sharing gives access to the whole matter, and why a role behaves the same everywhere, see [Roles and permissions in a shared matter](/concepts/roles-in-a-shared-matter). ## Related
Roles and permissions in a shared matterHow access is shared and what each role can do.Roles and permissions in a shared matter
Share a matter with a colleagueInvite a colleague to a matter and assign them a role.Share a matter with a colleague
Change or remove a colleague's accessChange a member's role or remove their access to a matter.Change or remove a colleague's access
Transfer a matter to another userTransfer matter ownership to another user.Transfer a matter to another user
# Matters list: states and indicators The icons, badges, and metadata shown on each matter in the Matters list. The **Matters** list shows every matter you own or that a colleague has shared with you. Each row is one matter, and the icons, badges, and captions on it show that matter's state at a glance. This page explains what each indicator means and when it appears. For what you can *do* from this screen — creating, searching, filtering, pinning, sharing, and archiving matters — see [Find, organise, and archive your matters](/how-to-guides/manage/organise-your-matters). ## Matter icon The icon at the left of each row shows whether the matter is yours or shared with you. | Icon | Meaning | | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | A plain folder (blue) | A matter you own. | | A folder with a person (lighter blue) | A matter another user has shared with you. | ## Name and identifier The matter's name is shown in bold at the top of the row. If a matter has no name, its identifier is shown in place of the name. The identifier also appears as the first line of grey caption text beneath the name. ## Status badge A badge appears beside the matter name to flag its status. | Badge | Meaning | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Archived** (grey) | The matter has been archived. Archived matters are hidden by default — the status filter (the second dropdown above the list, which shows **Active** until you change it) must be set to **Archived** or **All statuses** for them to appear. | On a matter you own, the row's archive action also reflects this state: an **active** matter shows an amber archive action Archive matter, and an **archived** matter shows a green restore action Restore matter in its place. For how to archive and restore matters, see [Find, organise, and archive your matters](/how-to-guides/manage/organise-your-matters#archive-a-matter-you-have-finished-with). ## Shared-matter indicators These appear only on a matter another user has shared with you. | Indicator | Meaning | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Shared by: *****name*** | The owner who shared the matter with you, shown by their display name — or their email if they have no display name set, or **Unknown** if neither is available. | | Role badge | A colour-coded badge showing the role you were given when the matter was shared with you. Sharing gives editing access. For what that lets you do, see [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions). | A shared matter's row carries only the pin control. The edit, share, archive, and restore actions are not shown at all on a matter someone has shared with you, because those are reserved for the matter's owner — see [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions). Matters you own update on this screen as they change. The list of matters shared with you is loaded when you sign in, or when you open BriefTech while already signed in, and is not refreshed after that — leaving the Matters screen and coming back does not refresh it. Until you reload the page or sign in again: * a matter a colleague shares with you after it was loaded does not appear; * a matter a colleague stops sharing stays listed; * each shared row keeps the name, status, document count and role it had when the list was loaded. ## Activity metadata The last line of caption text on each row summarises recent activity. | Indicator | Meaning | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Last accessed | When you last opened the matter, in the largest unit that fits: **Last accessed just now**, then minutes (**5m ago**), hours (**6h ago**), **yesterday**, days (**3d ago**), months (**3mo ago**), and years (**2y ago**). Shows **Never accessed** if you have never opened it. | | ***N***** docs** | The number of documents in the matter, including any you have moved to the Bin — the count falls only when a document is deleted permanently. An empty matter shows **0 docs**. This total is a stored figure refreshed as documents are processed or permanently removed, rather than a live tally, so it can briefly differ from the Files list while a document is still uploading or being processed. | ## Pinned matters | Pin | Meaning | | ------------------- | ------------------------- | | A filled amber pin | The matter is pinned. | | A grey outlined pin | The matter is not pinned. | A pinned matter is sorted to the top of the list, above unpinned matters. The search and filters still apply to it: a pinned matter they exclude is hidden like any other. Below the pinned matters, the list is ordered by the matter you opened most recently, then by the most recently changed, then by the most recently created — so the order shifts as you work. To pin or unpin a matter, see [Find, organise, and archive your matters](/how-to-guides/manage/organise-your-matters#pin-a-matter-to-the-top). ## Empty list Whenever the list has nothing to show, it is replaced by the message **No matters match your filters.** It is the only empty state, so you see it even when nothing is being excluded: * on a new account, before you have created or been shared any matter; and * briefly while the list is still loading, because this screen shows no loading indicator. ## Related
How a matter moves through BriefTechThe staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it.How a matter moves through BriefTech
Find, organise, and archive your mattersFind, pin, filter, and archive your matters from the Matters list.Find, organise, and archive your matters
Profile settingsThe fields in your user profile.Profile settings
Download an invoiceGet a receipt or invoice for a credit pack purchase.Download an invoice
# Profile settings The fields in your user profile. Your profile is the account record BriefTech keeps for you. You reach it from the account button (the person icon) in the top bar, or from **Login/Logout** in the sidebar. Both open your account page, where the profile form is headed **User Profile** followed by the email address you are signed in with. **Every field is mandatory** — you complete it once, and you can return to change any field later. ## Account page controls | Control | Where it is | What it does | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **BACK** (with a back arrow) | Top of the page | Returns you to the page you came from, without saving. | | Resend verification email | In a banner at the top of the profile, only while an email-and-password sign-in's address is unverified | Sends a new verification email — see [Email verification](#email-verification). | | Update Profile | Below the profile form | Saves your changes and takes you to your matters, or prompts you to create your first matter if you don't own a matter yet. | | Logout | Under **Manage Your Account**, below the profile form | Signs you out. The page then shows the sign-in options instead of your profile — see [Signing in and creating an account](/reference/signing-in). | ## Profile fields | Field | Required | What it's for | | --------------------------------- | :--------------------------: | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Your Name | Yes | Your name, as you want it recorded on your account. If you signed in with Google or Microsoft, this is pre-filled with the name from that account until you first save your profile or open or pin a matter — change it if you wish. | | Select your professional category | Yes | **Legal Professional** or **Non-Legal Professional**. Choosing *Legal Professional* reveals the **Select your role** field. | | Select your role | Yes, for legal professionals | Your role at your firm or organisation. Only appears when your professional category is *Legal Professional*. | | What company do you work for? | Yes | The firm or organisation you work for. | ## Roles When your professional category is **Legal Professional**, choose one role: * Executive In-House Counsel * In-House Legal Counsel * Junior Associate * Senior Associate * Junior Partner * Senior Partner * Litigation Support Specialist * Paralegal * Legal Operations Manager * Arbitrator * Mediation Specialist * General Counsel * Case Manager * Legal Consultant * Head of Dispute Resolution {% hint style="info" %} **Changing your professional category discards your role.** If you change your professional category away from **Legal Professional** — or clear it — your selected role is discarded. Switch back to **Legal Professional** and you will need to choose your role again before you can save. The category can be left blank, but you cannot save your profile until it is set. {% endhint %} ## Email verification If you sign in with an email address and a password and that address is not yet verified, a banner at the top of the profile asks you to verify it. Select Resend verification email in the banner to have a new verification email sent to that address. If you only sign in with Google or Microsoft, the banner does not appear. {% hint style="warning" %} **Verify your email before you create your first matter.** The one-time welcome credits are decided when you create your first matter. If you sign in with an email address and a password and your email is not verified at that moment, the credits are not granted, and verifying later does not claim them — see [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). {% endhint %} ## What you can't change here The account page has no controls for changing your email address or password, or for deleting your account. To set a new password for an email-and-password sign-in, log out and use **Forgot password?** on the sign-in screen — see [Signing in and creating an account](/reference/signing-in#reset-your-password). ## Related
Signing in and creating an accountHow to sign in to BriefTech, create an account, reset your password, and choose between Google, Microsoft, and email sign-in.Signing in and creating an account
Matter roles and permissionsThe matter roles you can assign and what each can do.Matter roles and permissions
Share a matter with a colleagueInvite a colleague to a matter and assign them a role.Share a matter with a colleague
# Credit costs and pricing What charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy. ## What this page covers This page is the reference for **what things cost**: which actions charge credits, which are free, how a charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy. It deliberately does not cover: * **How your ledger behaves** — what a transaction row represents, its columns, and the transaction types and statuses. See [Credit ledger and transactions](/reference/credit-ledger-and-transactions). * **What credits mean, and what to do when you run short** — see [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). * **The steps for buying credits** — see [Top up the credit balance](/how-to-guides/manage/top-up-credit-balance). * **Export settings and formats** — see [Export formats and options](/reference/export-formats-and-options). * **Storage allowances**, which are separate from credits and are counted in gigabytes rather than credits — see [File size and storage limits](/reference/file-size-and-storage-limits). ## What charges credits A charge happens the first time you **commit** a document — the first time you include it in an export, or the first time you run Force OCR on it. The main actions that commit documents are: | Action | Where it is | What it charges for | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Export in the Download Files panel | Index tab | Every live document in the collection you have selected — the same set the export produces. Searching the Index table narrows what you see, not what is charged. Applies to the All Files ZIP and to the Word and Excel index exports. | | Force OCR | Files tab — toolbar and right-click menu | The documents you selected. | | Create Bundle | Index tab | Every live document in the selected collection — not only the ones you can see, and not only the ones you selected. | | Bulk Edit Dates & Descriptions, then the spreadsheet download inside the dialog | Review tab, Tools menu | **Every visible row**, regardless of what you selected. Neither the control's label nor its tooltip mentions a charge, so this is easy to trigger without expecting one. | Only a matter's **owner** and **editors** can trigger a charge; no other role can. ## What is free | Free | Notes | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Uploading documents, converting them, automatic OCR, AI analysis, summaries, labels and collections | None of these draw down your balance. | | Building and rearranging the Document Index itself | Only committing documents costs credits. | | Previewing the index | The **Preview Index PDF** button sits beside the Export button in the Download Files panel and does not charge. It renders the full formatted index, so you can read it before paying. | | Re-exporting, regenerating a bundle, or re-running Force OCR on a document you have already committed | No charge, and no cost confirmation — BriefTech checks before contacting the server. (Regenerating a bundle still warns that it will overwrite the previous one.) | | Exporting the table to Excel from the Files and Review tabs | Free. | | The sample files | The sample files you can load into a matter that has no files in it yet arrive already paid for, so committing them never charges. Files in the Bin still count, so the option disappears once anything has been added. | ## Charged once per document, within one matter Each document is charged only once **within the matter it sits in**: re-exporting, regenerating the court bundle, or exporting a document you have already run Force OCR on does not charge it again. Adding the same file to a second matter creates a separate document there, which is charged on its own first commit. A document that has been charged stays charged — nothing resets it. The **Indexed** field in a document's Properties panel tells you whether it has been paid for: it is blank for a document that has not been charged, shows `$` for one credit, and shows the number of credits for anything larger. {% hint style="warning" %} **Splitting a PDF, or extracting attachments from a ZIP or an email, creates new documents.** Each one is charged on its own first commit, even though you already paid for the file it came from — and each carries the one-credit minimum. See [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). {% endhint %} ## How the charge is calculated | Operation | Rate | | ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | Committing a document — first export or Force OCR | 1 credit per 50 pages, rounded up (minimum 1 credit) | So a 1-page document costs 1 credit, a 50-page document costs 1 credit, and a 120-page document costs 3 credits. The page count used is the page count of **BriefTech's converted PDF**, not of the file you uploaded. For most documents the two match, but they can differ — so if you are checking the arithmetic against your original, compare it against the converted PDF instead. A document BriefTech could not convert has no page count, and costs the one-credit minimum. ## Whose balance you are looking at The Usage/Billing page shows **your own** balance and ledger, not the balance of a matter someone else owns. Credits for work in a shared matter come out of the matter owner's balance — see [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions) — so when you are working in a colleague's matter, the figure on your Usage/Billing page is not the one being spent. When it appears, the Insufficient Credits message shows the matter owner's balance, not yours. ## If the balance is short BriefTech checks before it charges, so nothing is spent and nothing is produced when the balance will not cover the action. An **Insufficient Credits** message gives the credits required, the number of new documents, and the balance available. The balance quoted in that message is a separately saved copy, refreshed after a transaction, rather than the figure worked out on the Usage/Billing page — so the two can briefly differ, and the message never shows a balance below zero. See [Credit ledger and transactions](/reference/credit-ledger-and-transactions). Some accounts are exempt from this check: their exports go ahead even when the balance will not cover them, and the credits are still recorded. Creating a court bundle is the one action that offers an alternative — you can produce a watermarked copy instead, without being charged. For what each option does, see [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). If you retry an export using a screen that has gone stale — because the documents were charged in the meantime — BriefTech asks you to retry rather than charging twice. ## Pricing Credits are sold as three fixed packs or as a custom amount. The larger packs have a lower price per credit; the custom option lets you buy any whole number of credits at the standard rate. | Tier | Price | Credits | Price per credit | | ------------ | ----------------- | ----------- | ---------------- | | Basic pack | SGD 350 | 500 | SGD 0.70 | | Starter pack | SGD 900 | 1,500 | SGD 0.60 | | Team pack | SGD 2,500 | 5,000 | SGD 0.50 | | Custom | Amount you choose | 1 to 10,000 | SGD 0.80 | A custom amount is the most expensive way to buy credits per credit — every pack is cheaper. **At checkout:** * Four payment methods are accepted: card, PayNow, WeChat Pay and GrabPay. * Promotion codes are accepted. * You can add an optional **Customer Note** of up to 100 characters, which appears on the invoice. * An invoice is generated for every purchase. {% hint style="info" %} **The credited amount comes from the payment provider, not the figures above.** The credits added to your balance come from the payment provider's product record for the pack you bought, not from the figures printed above. If a pack's contents are ever changed, the payment provider's record is what governs. {% endhint %} Purchased credits are valid for **12 months** from the date of purchase. The Purchase History tab shows an **Expiry (months)** value against each purchase — see [Credit ledger and transactions](/reference/credit-ledger-and-transactions) — recording the validity for that purchase; a purchase with no value recorded shows `-`. ## Welcome credits Creating your first matter triggers a one-time grant of 50 welcome credits, so you can index and export it before buying. Whether it is issued depends on your account at that moment: * If your account has an email-and-password sign-in, your email must be verified by the time you create that first matter — this applies even if you now sign in with Google or Microsoft. An account created purely through single sign-on has no verification step. * The grant is made once per account, and only while your credit ledger is still empty — buying credits before creating your first matter means the grant is never issued. * Some accounts are excluded from this grant. The grant is decided once, when that first matter is created. If it isn't issued then, it cannot be claimed later. > To see what you have spent and on what, see [Credit ledger and transactions](/reference/credit-ledger-and-transactions) and [See what consumed credits](/how-to-guides/manage/see-what-consumed-credits). ## Related
Credit ledger and transactionsWhat each row of your credit ledger means, the transaction types and statuses, and where to reconcile a charge.Credit ledger and transactions
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
File size and storage limitsMaximum file sizes, storage allowance, and path length limits.File size and storage limits
See what consumed creditsReview your usage history to see which operations consumed credits.See what consumed credits
# Credit ledger and transactions What each row of your credit ledger means, the transaction types and statuses, and where to reconcile a charge. ## What this page covers This page is the reference for **how your credit record behaves**: what a ledger row represents, what its columns and values mean, and which view to use to reconcile a charge. It deliberately does not cover: * **What things cost** — which actions charge, the rate, and pack prices. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). * **The steps** for reading your usage — see [See what consumed credits](/how-to-guides/manage/see-what-consumed-credits). * **Buying credits** — see [Top up the credit balance](/how-to-guides/manage/top-up-credit-balance). * **What credits mean** and what happens when you run short — see [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work). * **Storage usage**, which is tracked separately from credits — see [Check your storage usage](/how-to-guides/manage/check-storage-usage). ## Where to find it Open **Usage/Billing** from the sidebar. The page shows your credit balance, a **Credits Ledger**, and two further tabs — **Usage History** and **Purchase History**. Each answers a different question, and the difference matters when you are trying to account for a charge. | View | One row is | Use it to | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Credits Ledger | One transaction — a purchase, a grant, an adjustment, or one whole charging action | See how your balance reached its current figure | | Usage History | One matter — expand a row to see its documents | Find out which specific documents were charged, and when | | Purchase History | One payment attempt, including ones that failed | Check what you paid, how many credits a successful purchase was for, and its recorded expiry | All three tables are paged, and the Credits Ledger holds the fewest rows: it shows **five** at a time, while Usage History and Purchase History show ten. If you are looking for an older transaction, page through rather than assuming it is missing. The Credits Ledger and Purchase History are ordered newest first and can be re-sorted by Date or Amount. Usage History opens sorted by total usage, largest first — so its top row is the heaviest matter, not the latest activity — and can be re-sorted by either of its columns. ## The Credits Ledger Rows are listed newest first. Before your first transaction the table reads **No ledger entries yet**. The ledger has four columns: | Column | What it shows | | ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Date | When the transaction happened, in your browser's local format | | Type | **Credit** or **Debit** — see below | | Amount | The number of credits, prefixed `+` for a credit and `-` for a debit. Debits are shown in red | | Status | What produced the row — see below | ### Transaction types | Type | Effect on balance | | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Credit | Increases — a credit purchase, a welcome grant, or an adjustment made by BriefTech | | Debit | Decreases — credits consumed by committing documents, or an adjustment made by BriefTech | Every row is one of these two. An adjustment is not a separate type: it appears as an ordinary Credit or Debit row, and the **Status** column is what identifies it. ### Statuses The Status column tells you what produced the row: | Status | Meaning | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Paid | A completed credit purchase. | | Usage | Credits consumed the first time a document is committed for output — for example an export, a court bundle, Force OCR, or a spreadsheet download. Choosing to produce a watermarked bundle instead does not consume credits, and creates no row. | | Admin Adjustment | A correction made by BriefTech, or your welcome-credits grant. | Only successful purchases reach this ledger. A payment that failed or was cancelled is listed in **Purchase History** with no matching Credits Ledger row. ## One debit row is one charging action, not one document This is the most common source of confusion when reconciling a charge. When you commit several documents at once — a single export, bundle, or Force OCR run — the ledger records **one Debit row for the whole action**, carrying the total credits. It does not record a row per document, and the row itself does not identify which documents it covered. To see which documents were charged, use the **Usage History** tab instead. It lists one row per matter with that matter's total usage; expand a row to see each document individually, with its date, file name, page count and credit usage. The Matter column shows the matter's internal ID rather than its name. {% hint style="info" %} **Can't find a charge?** Usage History always shows a date range, and it opens on the **current calendar month**. If you are looking for an older charge and the table is empty, widen the dates or use the **Previous Month** shortcut before concluding the charge is missing. {% endhint %} ## How the balance is calculated The balance shown on Usage/Billing — the figure at the top of the page and the one beside the Credits Ledger — is worked out from your ledger each time the page loads: everything added, minus everything used. The check that decides whether an export can go ahead does not use that figure. It reads a separately saved copy of the matter owner's balance, which BriefTech refreshes after a transaction, and the **Insufficient Credits** message quotes that saved copy — never showing it below zero. The two are normally the same, but because the saved copy is refreshed separately it can briefly lag — so shortly after a top-up an export can still be refused, quoting a lower balance than the one on your Usage/Billing page. Wait a few moments and try again; if the two figures still disagree, contact support. ## Corrections and adjustments BriefTech support can add or remove credits from an account — a goodwill credit, or a correction to a mistaken charge. These appear as ordinary Credit or Debit rows with the **Admin Adjustment** status. An adjustment that has already been made is never edited or removed. If a correction has to be corrected, it appears as a **second, opposite row** — so your ledger keeps both, and the balance is the two taken together. There is no refund transaction. Money refunded through your payment provider does not appear in the credit ledger, and does not remove credits already added. ## Purchase History The **Purchase History** tab lists your payment attempts with six columns: **Date**, **Amount**, **Credits**, **Expiry (months)**, **Method** and **Status**. One row is one payment attempt rather than one completed purchase: an attempt that failed or was cancelled is listed too, carrying the status your payment provider gave it. Only a successful attempt adds credits, so read the **Credits** figure as what that attempt was for rather than as credits received. Before your first payment the table reads **No payments yet**. Where a purchase's credit or expiry figure was not recorded, that cell shows `-`. **Expiry (months)** is the validity period recorded against that purchase — see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). It is not shown in the Credits Ledger. ## Related
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
See what consumed creditsReview your usage history to see which operations consumed credits.See what consumed credits
How credits workWhat credits measure and how your balance is calculated.How credits work
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance
Check whether credits are about to expireCheck the validity period recorded against each of your credit purchases.Check whether credits are about to expire
# Keyboard shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts for moving through document lists and flipping preview pages in BriefTech. BriefTech has a few keyboard shortcuts for moving through your documents quickly. Most of them stop working while you are typing in a text box, so they stay out of the way of editing. A few keys are the exception: they are built into a particular box and respond even while your cursor is in it. The page-number box in the preview toolbar takes both Enter and Escape (see [The page-number box](#the-page-number-box)), and a cell you are editing in the Document Index responds to Escape (see [Escape while editing a Document Index cell](#escape-while-editing-a-document-index-cell)). ## Move through a document list | Key | What it does | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Up / Down arrow | Move to the previous or next document in the list. | * On the Files and Review tabs, Up and Down need an active document — click a file row to set one. Ticking a row's checkbox does not set it, and neither does shift-clicking a row, which extends the selection instead. * You do not need the preview pane open. Your browser remembers the active document for each matter, so after a page refresh the keys still work even though the preview pane starts empty. The Document Index shares the same memory, so a document you made active there counts too. * Until there is an active document — or while the active one is not in the list in front of you, for example after you move into a different folder or a filter hides it — Up and Down do not move the selection. Inside a folder view on the Files tab they also stop when the next row is a folder. * In the Document Index, when it lists any documents, Up and Down move between whole documents. They skip every other kind of row — category headings, volume headings and sub-index entries among them. * If no document is active yet, the first press goes to the first document. * If a document is already active, the press moves one document from it, and stops at the first and last document rather than wrapping around. * If the active document is not one of the index's own rows — one you opened on the Files or Review tab that the index does not list, or one the index's own search box or collection filter is currently hiding — Up and Down do not move the index selection. Left-click a document row in the index to get them going: Cmd/Ctrl-clicking, or clicking a heading or a sub-index row, all leave the keys stuck. Arrow keys affect only one list at a time, so two lists never move at once. ## Undo and redo changes in the Document Index In the Index tab tab, these keys step backwards and forwards through the structural changes you make to the index — reordering documents, moving them between sections, and adding, renaming, indenting or moving a heading. They do not undo generating headings from your folders. See [Reorder documents and add structure](/how-to-guides/index/reorder-documents-add-structure) for what undo covers and how long the history lasts. | Key | What it does | | ------------ | ---------------------------------- | | Ctrl/Cmd + Z | Undo the last change to the index. | | Ctrl/Cmd + Y | Redo the change you just undid. | ## Turn the pages of a preview These keys work alongside the buttons in the preview toolbar — see [Previewing documents](/reference/previewing-documents). The **PDF view** and **Text view** are two of the three views of a document open in the preview — see [The preview pane](/reference/preview-pane). | Key | What it does | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Left / Right arrow | Go to the previous or next page of the document open in the preview. | Left and Right turn pages in the **PDF view**, whether you opened the document in the side-panel preview or the full-screen pop-up viewer. In the **Text view**, use the page buttons in the toolbar instead. In the PDF Splitter, the enlarged view of a page that you open from its thumbnail also turns pages with Left and Right. The keys below work in the **PDF view** only, and only once the PDF has keyboard focus — click into it first. Clicking into it does not give it focus while Hand mode is on, so turn Hand mode off first if the keys do not respond. | Key | What it does | | ---------------------- | ------------------------ | | Page Up | Go to the previous page. | | Page Down, or Spacebar | Go to the next page. | | Home | Jump to the first page. | | End | Jump to the last page. | ## Zoom a preview These keys need the same click into the PDF: | Key | What it does | | ----------------------------- | ------------ | | Plus (+), or Equals (=) | Zoom in. | | Minus (−), or Underscore (\_) | Zoom out. | Equals and Underscore share their physical key with Plus and Minus, so you can zoom in without holding Shift and zoom out with it held. ## Leave a preview mode Escape works in the **PDF view**, and needs the same click into the PDF as the keys above. | Key | What it does | | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | Escape | Leave Hand mode or Selection mode and go back to selecting text. | If neither mode is on, Escape normally has nothing to switch off. On a desktop browser it then carries on to the window holding the preview — most importantly, a pop-up preview closes. A preview opens with neither mode on, so this is what a first press of Escape does. ## The page-number box The preview toolbar has a page-number box in both the **PDF view** and the **Text view**. It is itself a text box, and two keys work while your cursor is in it. Unlike the keys in the sections above, they need no click into the document first. | Key | What it does | | ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Enter | Jump to the page number you typed. | | Escape | Put the box back to the page you are on, without jumping to the number you typed. | Escape here is not the Escape in the section above: it acts on the box, not on the document, so it does not leave Hand mode or Selection mode. On a desktop browser the box does not swallow Escape, so what else happens depends on where you opened the document: * In the side-panel preview, and anywhere else the preview sits directly on the page, nothing else happens. * In the full-screen pop-up viewer, or another pop-up window showing the document, the window also closes. * The **Edit Subindex** window is the one case Escape cannot close: it stays open and gives a brief pulse. ## Escape while editing a Document Index cell In the **Index** tab you can edit an entry's date or description in place, in a small box inside the cell. That box is a text box too, and Escape works inside it — but it does the opposite of Escape in the page-number box. It cancels your edit and puts the cell back to what it was, and it stops there: it does not travel on to any window behind it, so a pop-up viewer stays open. * Enter saves your edit, and so do Tab and clicking away from the box — unless you have typed a date BriefTech cannot read, in which case the box stays open and shows an error. * In a description, Shift + Enter starts a new line instead. ## Related
Previewing documentsThe document preview toolbar in BriefTech — moving through pages, zooming, rotating, panning, selecting an area, and downloading the original file.Previewing documents
Download the original or individual filesDownload original or searchable PDFs as separate files in a ZIP.Download the original or individual files
The preview paneThe preview pane — the document tabs beside Files, Review and Index; the PDF, Text and Summary views of a document; and the full-screen pop-up viewer.The preview pane
# Previewing documents The document preview toolbar in BriefTech — moving through pages, zooming, rotating, panning, selecting an area, and downloading the original file. Whenever you open a document in BriefTech — from the Files or Review tabs, or from the Document Index — it opens in the built-in preview with a toolbar across the top. This page lists what each control does. On a narrow preview pane, everything after the page controls collapses into a More controls menu (More controls) to save space — the controls are the same, just tucked away. ## Opening a large document To stay responsive, BriefTech does not load a large document into the preview automatically. When you open a file of **about 10.5 MB or larger** — the size BriefTech shows in the **Size** column — the pane shows a still image of its first page instead of the document itself. Move the pointer over the preview and it dims, showing an eye icon and **Click to preview**; click anywhere on it to load the document. Smaller documents load on their own. While the document loads, a thin progress bar runs across the top of the preview. If the pointer is still over the preview you also see a spinner and **Loading…**; move away and the progress bar is the only sign, which is normal. Until the document loads, a cut-down toolbar sits above the preview: * It shows only the page, zoom, rotate and mode controls, all greyed out apart from the next-page button — click that to load the document and open it at the next page. * On a single-page document the next-page button is greyed out too, so nothing on that toolbar is usable. * The **Download original** button and the **More controls** menu are not on this cut-down toolbar at all. Two things skip the wait whatever the file's size: * A document BriefTech has no stored first-page image for. There is nothing to show in place of the pages, so it loads directly. * The two sub-index actions that already name a page to look at — the source document shown beside the entry table in the **Edit Subindex** dialog, and the magnifier icon on a sub-index row, whose tooltip reads **Preview at page** followed by the page number (for example **Preview at page 12**). See [Add or edit sub-index entries](/how-to-guides/index/add-edit-sub-index-entries). ## Move through the pages | Control | What it does | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Previous page Previous page | Go to the previous page. Greyed out on the first page. | | Page box — "of N" | Shows the current page and the total number of pages. Type a page number and press Enter to jump straight to it. A number outside the document's page range is ignored and the box goes back to the current page. | | Next page Next page | Go to the next page. Greyed out on the last page. | You can also turn pages with the Left and Right arrow keys — see [Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/keyboard-shortcuts). ## Zoom and rotate | Control | What it does | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Zoom out Zoom out | Make the page smaller, down to 50%. The current zoom level is shown next to it. Greyed out once the page is as small as it goes. | | Zoom in Zoom in | Make the page larger, up to 300%. Greyed out once the page is as large as it goes. | | Rotate clockwise Rotate clockwise | Turn the document 90° clockwise — useful for one that was scanned sideways. The rotation applies to every page and stays as you move through the document. | ## Pan and select an area | Control | What it does | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Hand mode Hand mode | Turn on to drag the page around when it is zoomed in. Click it again to turn it off. | | Selection mode Selection mode | Turn on to drag a box around part of the page. Finish the drag and BriefTech opens a snippet dialog; add a note (required) and save, and the snippet is saved to the matter as a fact. Drag a box smaller than about 20 pixels in either direction and BriefTech tells you the selection is too small instead. Click the button again to turn Selection mode off. | By default — with neither Hand mode nor Selection mode turned on — you can select and copy text straight from the page. Turning on Hand mode or Selection mode switches out of text selection; clicking the button again returns to it. While a mode is on you can tell which: in the toolbar its button turns solid blue and its tooltip reads **Exit Hand Mode** or **Exit Selection Mode**; in the **More controls** menu, its entry turns blue and reads the same. ## Download the original | Control | What it does | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Download original Download original | Download the document's original uploaded file, in the format it was uploaded in. | This is the same quick download covered in [Download the original or individual files](/how-to-guides/export/download-individual-files) — use that page's export flow when you want several files at once. ## Related
The preview paneThe preview pane — the document tabs beside Files, Review and Index; the PDF, Text and Summary views of a document; and the full-screen pop-up viewer.The preview pane
Keyboard shortcutsKeyboard shortcuts for moving through document lists and flipping preview pages in BriefTech.Keyboard shortcuts
Download the original or individual filesDownload original or searchable PDFs as separate files in a ZIP.Download the original or individual files
# The preview pane The preview pane — the document tabs beside Files, Review and Index; the PDF, Text and Summary views of a document; and the full-screen pop-up viewer. On the Files, Review and Index tabs, the right-hand side of the screen is the preview pane. It holds a tab for each document you have open, and shows the document you have selected in one of three views. This page describes the pane, its views and the full-screen pop-up viewer; for the buttons above the document itself, see [Previewing documents](/reference/previewing-documents). On the Index tab the pane shares its space with the bundle and download panels, so it is hidden while either of those is open. On the Files and Review tabs, the button on the divider between the list and the pane collapses the pane and brings it back. A collapsed pane stays collapsed when you reload — BriefTech remembers it for each matter and each tab, in this browser. ## Document tabs A strip of tabs runs across the top of the pane, one per open document. Each tab shows the document's file name, shortened with an ellipsis if it is long; hover over the tab to see the name in full. | What you see | What it means | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | A tab with no close button | The document you last selected in the list. There is only ever one of these, and opening another document from the list — by clicking a row, or by moving through rows with the arrow keys — replaces it. It cannot be closed; to put it away, open a different document. | | A tab with a close button (×) | A document opened alongside the one you have selected. Hovering the button shows **Close tab**. | | "Click on a file row to view it" | Nothing is open yet. Click a row in the list to fill the pane. | | "File not found in this workspace." | The document behind this tab is not in the matter you are looking at. | To open a document alongside the one you already have open, middle-click its row on the Review tab — it appears as an extra tab with its own close button. Middle-clicking a row on the Files tab opens the [full-screen pop-up viewer](#the-full-screen-pop-up-viewer) instead of adding a tab. The documents you have open stay as you move between the Files, Review and Index tabs. When you reload BriefTech, any documents you opened alongside (the tabs with a close button) are restored, but the document you had selected is not — click its row in the list to bring it back. Switching to another matter clears them all. ## Views of a document Each open document has three views, chosen from the tab strip directly above it. | View | What it shows | | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | PDF | The document itself, with the preview toolbar above it — see [Previewing documents](/reference/previewing-documents). | | Text | The text BriefTech extracted from the document, one page at a time, with its own page controls above it. | | Summary | What the **Organise** agent found in this document — a **Summary** heading, a **Key Dates** heading, or both, depending on what it produced. | The page you are on carries across the PDF and Text views, so switching between them keeps your place. The Text view has the same number of pages as the PDF view, so switching lands you on the same page; a page BriefTech extracted no text from is simply blank. The Text view has three controls of its own, above the text: | Control | What it does | | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Previous page | Go to the previous page. Greyed out on the first page. | | Page box, and the count beside it | The box shows the current page; the count beside it shows the total, or a question mark when BriefTech does not (yet) know the total. Type a page number and press Enter, or click away from the box, to jump to it. Press Escape to leave the box as it was. | | Next page | Go to the next page. Greyed out on the last page. When the count shows a question mark BriefTech has no page total for the document, so there is no known last page and the button stays clickable; each page you advance to shows that page's text, or is blank if BriefTech extracted none. | While a page's text is being fetched, the Text view shows the word `loading`; a page BriefTech has no extracted text for is then left blank. The Text view looks the same whether the text is still being extracted or none could be extracted, so if a page stays blank, try the PDF or Summary view. The Summary view is empty for a document the Organise agent has not analysed — see [AI agents](/reference/ai-agents). ## When a document does not appear Two of the things the PDF view can show instead of the document mean it is not going to appear on its own: * **Preview unavailable for this file type** — BriefTech has no version of this file it can show in the preview. The Text and Summary views may still have something for it. * **Click to preview** — the document is about 10.5 MB or larger (the size BriefTech shows in the **Size** column), so it is waiting for you to ask for it rather than loading on its own. This is not an error; see [Previewing documents](/reference/previewing-documents). Separately, if BriefTech cannot open a document at all, a message reading **Failed to load document** appears briefly. The tab stays open, so you can switch to the Text or Summary view. ## The full-screen pop-up viewer Middle-clicking a row on the Files tab opens the document in a window that fills the screen, instead of putting it in the pane. Inside it the document has the same PDF, Text and Summary views as the pane. The window takes the document's file name as its title. Down the left it lists the documents from the same view — click a name to switch to it, or use the button beside the title to hide the list. Down the right is the document's properties, grouped under **Identity**, **Document Details**, **Organisation**, **Processing Status** and **System Metadata**; **Expand all** opens every group at once. Close the window with the × in the top right. Up to three buttons sit in the top right, to the left of the ×. They belong to the window itself; the buttons directly above the document inside it are the preview toolbar's — see [Previewing documents](/reference/previewing-documents). Each is an icon on its own, so hover to see what it does. | Button | What it does | | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Download Original File | Downloads the document in the format it was uploaded in. | | Download PDF | Downloads the PDF BriefTech made of the document. It is not always there. | | Move to bin | Moves the document to the bin, after asking you to confirm. It is hidden for a document that is already there. Its hover text reads **Move (1) to bin** — the number is always 1, because the window acts only on the document you are looking at. | ## Related
Previewing documentsThe document preview toolbar in BriefTech — moving through pages, zooming, rotating, panning, selecting an area, and downloading the original file.Previewing documents
Keyboard shortcutsKeyboard shortcuts for moving through document lists and flipping preview pages in BriefTech.Keyboard shortcuts
AI agentsThe AI agents available in BriefTech and what each one produces.AI agents
# How a matter moves through BriefTech The staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it. BriefTech organises everything around a single, repeatable pipeline for a matter. Almost every feature belongs to one stage of that pipeline or supports it, so once you have the shape of the pipeline in mind, the rest of the platform is much easier to place. *** ## Why the work is staged: Upload → Review → Index → Export A matter moves through four stages, each with a clear job: * **Upload** — you bring your documents in and BriefTech prepares them for use. * **Review** — you check and correct the details it has extracted — dates and descriptions. * **Index** — you build the Document Index: the ordered, structured spine of the matter. * **Export** — you turn that index into a deliverable — a paginated court bundle, or the Document Index as a Word or Excel file. Separating the work this way means each stage has a single focus. You are never asked to order documents before they are ready, or to export before the index reflects what you want. Organising your documents — into folders, with labels, or as collections — is not a stage of its own. You can do it from the Files or the Review tab at any point. Folders and collections also shape what your index and exports contain: you can group the index by folder and mirror that structure in a ZIP export, and a collection scopes both the index and the bundle built from it. If you have come from the BriefTech website, it presents this same journey as **six stages** — Files, Orientation, Review, Structuring, Index, and Production. That is the full arc from evidence to bundle, including the parts BriefTech handles for you automatically. They map onto the four steps shown across the top of a matter: * **Upload**, on the Files tab (Orientation — the automatic reading and mapping of your documents — happens here) * **Review**, on the Review tab * **Index**, on the Index tab (Structuring, ordering the evidence into the bundle, is part of building the index) * **Export** (Production — pagination, bookmarks and volumes), which you run from the **Create Bundle** and **Download Files** buttons on the Index tab's toolbar. Same pipeline, described at two levels: six stages of what happens to your evidence, four steps you drive. *** ## The two workstreams that run alongside: AI analysis and collaboration Not everything fits neatly into a stage. Two capabilities run alongside the whole pipeline, available at any point. AI analysis reads your documents and extracts structured information — document types, dates, and summaries. Collaboration lets you share the matter with colleagues and control who has access to it. These are workstreams rather than steps. AI analysis starts on its own: each document is read as soon as it is ready. The matter's owner can invite a colleague at any time. *** ## Why each stage builds on the one before The order of the pipeline reflects real dependencies. A document must finish processing before there's anything to review: only once it's **ready** does the AI extract its dates and descriptions, and reviewing is where you check and correct those. Review feeds the index, because the dates and descriptions you confirm become the content of your Document Index — except that a date the app reads from a document's file name takes precedence over the reviewed one. It looks at the first group of digits in the name shaped four-two-two (year, month, day) or two-two-four (day, month, year), separated by `-`, `.` or `_` — `2024-03-01` or `01.03.2024`, for example — and uses it if it reads as a date; only if the name has no such group is a run of eight digits tried instead, read year-first or day-first, whichever reading dates more of the eight-digit file names in the index being built (the collection you are viewing or exporting), this one included (year-first on a tie) (see [Serial numbers and date formats](/reference/serial-numbers-and-date-formats)). And the index drives export, because the bundle and the exported index are produced directly from the order and structure you set. Working with the pipeline rather than against it keeps each stage's output trustworthy for the next. > For what happens to each document between upload and the moment it can be used, see [The document lifecycle: from upload to ready](/concepts/the-document-lifecycle). *** ## What a matter holds A matter is the container for everything that belongs to a single case: the documents and their metadata, the folders, labels and collections you organise them into, the Document Index you build, the bundles you export, and the colleagues you have shared it with. Sharing a matter shares everything in it. Your credits and storage limits are set at the account level and apply across all your matters, not just this one. Uploading, AI analysis and building the index don't use credits. A document is charged at most once, usually the first time you include it in an export or a court bundle — see [How credits work](/concepts/how-credits-work) for everything that uses credits. *** ## Related
Get StartedWhat BriefTech is, how it works, and where to start.Brief Tech Overview
Your First MatterA guided, end-to-end first run — take a practice matter from sample files all the way to a downloaded court bundle.Your First Matter
The document lifecycle: from upload to readyWhat happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used.The document lifecycle: from upload to ready
How AI analysis works: agents and playbooksWhat agents and playbooks are, and what they extract.How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks
From Document Index to court bundleHow the index and the bundle share one source of truth.From Document Index to court bundle
Roles and permissions in a shared matterHow access is shared and what each role can do.Roles and permissions in a shared matter
Manage AccountCross-cutting account work: sharing matters, managing access, and handling credits.Manage Account
Find, organise, and archive your mattersFind, pin, filter, and archive your matters from the Matters list.Find, organise, and archive your matters
Download an invoiceGet a receipt or invoice for a credit pack purchase.Download an invoice
Profile settingsThe fields in your user profile.Profile settings
Matters list: states and indicatorsThe icons, badges, and metadata shown on each matter in the Matters list.Matters list: states and indicators
Signing in and creating an accountHow to sign in to BriefTech, create an account, reset your password, and choose between Google, Microsoft, and email sign-in.Signing in and creating an account
# The document lifecycle: from upload to ready What happens to a file between upload and the moment it can be used. When you upload a file to BriefTech, it isn't used as-is. Every document travels through the same automatic journey first — and only at the end of that journey does AI analysis read it. It appears in the Review tab and the Document Index straight away, but its date, description and readable content arrive only once it's ready. Understanding that journey explains why a freshly uploaded document is sometimes still working, and why two files can behave quite differently. *** ## Why processing happens in stages A matter rarely arrives in one tidy format. You might upload scanned PDFs, Word documents, emails, and spreadsheets in a single batch. Rather than handle each type differently everywhere it appears, BriefTech does the work once, up front: it normalises every file into a common, text-searchable PDF form. Doing this in distinct stages has two benefits. You can always see how far a document has reached, so a slow or stuck file is visible rather than mysterious. And when something goes wrong, the failure points to a specific stage, which makes it far easier to understand and fix. *** ## From a raw file to a "ready" document Conceptually, each document moves forward through an ordered lifecycle: 1. Its file type is detected and validated. 2. Non-PDF files are converted to PDF. 3. Scanned pages are read with OCR. 4. The result is parsed into pages and sections. 5. Its text is added to the search index. 6. The PDF is optimised so it opens quickly in the viewer. 7. Finally, the document is finalised — which is the moment it becomes ready and any agents you've switched on are handed it. When every stage is complete, the document is ready — and, at that point, any AI agents you've switched on begin extracting details such as dates and a summary. While that extraction is running, the document's row on the Review tab shows a small spinner (hover it to see **"Extracting…"**), and its date and description appear as placeholder bars until the AI finishes and fills them in. Each stage builds on the output of the one before it, which is why the order is fixed. You don't drive this process — it runs automatically once you upload — but knowing the shape of it helps you interpret what you see while a document is in flight. *** ## What OCR does — and when it is skipped OCR (optical character recognition) turns pictures of text — a scanned page, a photographed contract — into text the platform can actually read. It only runs where it's needed. Many file types — such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, emails and plain-text files — are never OCR'd, because their text is already available, so the stage is skipped outright. For PDFs the decision is made on how much text the file already yields: a PDF that already carries enough text keeps what it has and is not fully re-read, while one with little or no text is treated as a scan and read in full. How much OCR a document gets depends on how much text it already yields, not on how long it is. In short: pages that already carry text are left as they are, and any pages that need OCR are read wherever they fall in the document, however long it is — a very large scanned file simply finishes in the background and may take a little longer. What this means page by page is described in [Document processing and errors](/reference/document-processing-and-errors). A document whose OCR is skipped — because it already carried its text, or its file type doesn't need it — still finishes processing and can be added to the Document Index and exported; only the AI features that rely on extracted text are affected. *** ## Why "ready" is the gateway to everything else Ready is more than a label — it is the precondition for the platform's AI work. AI analysis requires a document to have completed its lifecycle, because it assumes a normalised PDF with parsed text behind it; a document that has not got there is left out of that work. The Review table, the Document Index and the court bundle are more forgiving: a document that stopped still appears in all three, but as an entry with no readable content behind it — so a bundle built over one carries it as a placeholder page. This is also the moment automatic analysis begins: as each document becomes ready, any agents you've switched on for the matter can start reading it. That's why uploads you leave alone still come back classified and summarised. *** ## Why a document ends up in an error state Not every file finishes the journey, and BriefTech distinguishes between two kinds of stop. Some are deliberate halts for a known, describable reason: the file is password protected, its type isn't supported, it's empty, or it's too large. Others are unexpected failures within a stage. The distinction matters because the first kind is usually something you can resolve — supply a password, convert the file, or replace it — whereas the second points to a problem worth reporting. Either way, the document is held rather than silently dropped, so nothing disappears from your matter without explanation. > To resolve a document that has stopped, see [Reprocess a failed document](/how-to-guides/process/reprocess-failed-document). *** ## Related
Document processing and errorsProcessing stages, what OCR reads, and the document error reasons.Document processing and errors
Reprocess a failed documentRe-run a document through the processing pipeline after it failed.Reprocess a failed document
# From Document Index to court bundle How the index and the bundle share one source of truth. The Document Index and the court bundle look like two separate deliverables, but they are two views of the same underlying configuration. Seeing that relationship explains why getting the index right is the whole job: the court bundle is generated from that same configuration. A bundle you have already generated is a fixed output: it does not update when the index changes, so after you change the index you regenerate it (Create Bundle). Regenerating replaces the previous bundle rather than adding to it — the old volumes are cleared before the new ones are built, so download anything you still need first. *** ## What the Document Index is The Document Index is the ordered, structured spine of a collection: headings and documents arranged in the sequence you want them to appear. BriefTech saves one index configuration per collection, so a matter divided into several collections has a separate index — and a separate bundle — for each. (If you have not scoped to a collection, you are working across the whole matter.) It is what you build in the Index stage, and on its own it produces an index document — a table of your documents that can be exported as Word or Excel. Everything downstream flows from this arrangement, so the Document Index is less a report you generate at the end than the structure you shape throughout. *** ## How document order produces serial numbers The order in which you arrange documents is the source of their serial numbers. BriefTech numbers documents by walking the list from top to bottom, so moving a document changes its number. Numbering options — such as where the count starts and an optional text prefix — build on top of that order rather than replacing it. This is why arranging the list is the meaningful act: the numbers are a consequence of the sequence, not something you set document by document. *** ## One configuration, two outputs A single saved configuration drives both outputs. The same ordered structure that produces the index document also produces the paginated court bundle: your documents appear in the bundle in the order the index puts them. There is no separate "bundle order" to keep in sync — the preview you see and the file you export come from the same place. The bundle is more than your index, though. Depending on your bundle settings it also renders pages the index has no row for — a cover page, a table of contents in each volume, a tab page before each document, and an intro document at the front of volume 1. The bundle is built from the live documents in the collection you are bundling — those you have not moved to the Bin. If no collection is selected, that is the whole matter; binned documents are excluded either way. And it need not cover every volume: **Volumes to assemble** on the Create Bundle panel builds just the volumes you name. See [Generate a paginated court bundle](/how-to-guides/bundle/generate-paginated-bundle). The preview calculates pagination at a lighter setting for speed — it assumes a one-page table of contents per volume, while the export generates and measures the real one — so its page counts and volume breaks are an estimate; the exported bundle finalises them and can shift by roughly the length of each volume's table of contents (a 15-page index can shift a volume by around 14 pages). (One numbering nuance: the bundle's table of contents keeps your Document Index serial numbers, but its tab and bookmark numbering always starts at 1.) That parity is deliberate: it removes a whole class of mistakes where an index and its bundle quietly drift apart. *** ## How volumes and pagination are derived The bundle's finishing touches build on the same configuration. The table of contents follows from your Document Index, and a large collection is split into volumes according to the volume settings — a page-count limit with a split strategy. Senior Volumes, if you turn it on, adds to that rather than replacing it: each top-level heading starts a new volume, and the page-count limit still splits within it, so a heading holding more pages than the limit still runs to several volumes. By default each volume's page numbers restart at 1. Adjust the index and these follow automatically when you regenerate the bundle. The choice of preset follows from the kind of filing. For Malaysian matters, a Common Bundle (Part A), a Plaintiff's Bundle or a Defendant's Bundle under Order 34 is prepared with the **Bundle of Documents** preset, while a Record of Appeal to the Court of Appeal or Federal Court uses **Records of Appeal (MY)** — its lower page-per-volume limit reflects the Malaysian appellate courts' volume-size conventions. See [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets) for each preset's settings. > For the exact options behind each output, see [Document Index presets](/reference/index-presets) and [Court bundle settings](/reference/court-bundle-settings). *** ## Related
Document Index presetsThe built-in Document Index presets and what each configures.Document Index presets
Court bundle settingsThe full set of court bundle generation settings and their defaults.Court bundle settings
Generate a paginated court bundleProduce a paginated court bundle with cover page, TOC, and bookmarks.Generate a paginated court bundle
# How AI analysis works: agents and playbooks What agents and playbooks are, and what they extract. BriefTech's AI doesn't run as one undifferentiated black box. It is organised into agents, each switched on for a particular matter, and the agents that read and describe your documents are each driven by a playbook that defines what to look for. Understanding that split explains what the AI can and can't do, where its results turn up, and why you stay in control of it. *** ## Agents and playbooks: the two-layer model There are two ideas at work. An agent is the thing that is active for a matter; it acts on that matter's documents — on each one as it finishes processing, or when you run it. A playbook is the instruction set behind an agent that reads your documents — the list of things to extract and how to extract them. Separating the two means the same underlying engine can do very different jobs depending on the playbook it follows. It also means analysis is predictable: an agent extracts what its playbook describes, rather than guessing at the task each time. *** ## The Organise agent and automatic analysis of new uploads The agent you'll meet first is Organise. It reads each document once it is ready and works out what kind of document it is, its key dates, and a short summary. It runs automatically as documents arrive, so a batch you upload and leave alone still comes back classified and described. This is why Review usually has something to correct rather than a blank slate: Organise has already proposed the metadata, and your job is to confirm or adjust it. The **Date** and **Description** fields you see in the Review tab tab are the direct output of this agent — you do not need to trigger extraction manually. Open the Review tab tab after upload to see them filling in as each document finishes processing. The agent also assigns each document a **Document Class**; this is read-only and isn't a Review column, but you can filter by it using the **Classes** group in the left-hand panel. The classes it chooses from, and what each covers, are listed in [Document classes](/reference/document-classes). You can re-run Organise on particular documents (for example after correcting a few); re-running replaces only the AI's own suggestions, so any values you've corrected by hand are kept. For the steps, see [Bulk-edit metadata across many documents](/how-to-guides/review/bulk-edit-metadata). Your corrections can also steer the AI. If many descriptions are close but not in the style you want, you don't have to fix each one: edit a few by hand, then have BriefTech rewrite the others to match. Your hand-edited descriptions act as the examples and are left as you wrote them. See [Refine descriptions using your own edits as examples](/how-to-guides/review/refine-descriptions-from-examples). *** ## What gets extracted — and why the output is structured AI analysis produces structured information — a document class, dates, summaries — rather than loose prose. Structure is the point: because the results land in defined fields, the dates and descriptions flow straight into the Review tab table for checking, and into your Document Index as descriptions and dates. Free text would be harder to trust and impossible to slot into a column. Structured output is what lets the AI's work become part of your finished index rather than a note off to the side. *** ## The AI looks at the document, not only its text When Organise describes and classifies a document, it does not work only from the text pulled out of the file. It also looks at the page itself — the layout, and any figures, stamps, or images on it. That is why a document that is mostly a picture — a photograph, a scanned exhibit, a diagram, or a signature page — still comes back with a sensible description and document class, even when little or no text could be read from it. For example, a photograph — which carries no text to extract — still comes back described by what it shows, in a line such as "Photograph of a damaged car", rather than a blank. You don't switch this on; it is simply how Organise reads a document. It means image-heavy and scanned material gets the same automatic description and classification as a born-digital file. *** ## Why agents are activated per matter Agents are switched on matter by matter, and an agent works only on the documents of a matter it is active in. When you create a matter, BriefTech switches on the agent that reads and describes each document, and the agents behind the **Create Bundle** and **Download Files** buttons on the Index tab, so every new matter starts with automatic analysis already running. Any other agent is activated the first time it is used in a matter — for example, the first time **Duplicate Document Finder** is chosen from the **Tools** menu, BriefTech asks for it to be activated for that matter, and only the matter's owner can do so. Keeping activation per matter means an agent does work only where it has been switched on. The analysis every matter needs runs from the start, while an extra capability such as duplicate detection is available in a matter only once it has been activated there, rather than every capability running everywhere by default. *** ## How analysis feeds Review and the Document Index The results of analysis are not a separate report — they are woven into the pipeline. Extracted dates and descriptions appear in the Review stage, where you correct them, and the values you settle on become the content of your Document Index. Analysis, review, and indexing are three views of the same underlying document details. > For the agents available and what each one produces, see [AI agents](/reference/ai-agents). *** ## Related
AI agentsThe AI agents available in BriefTech and what each one produces.AI agents
Bulk-edit metadata across many documentsChange labels, collections, dates, descriptions and index categories on many documents at once.Bulk-edit metadata across many documents
# Roles and permissions in a shared matter How access is shared and what each role can do. A matter is rarely worked alone. BriefTech lets you share a matter with colleagues and decide what each of them can do, through a small set of roles. Understanding the model helps you share confidently — giving people the access they need without handing over control of the whole matter. *** ## Sharing gives access to the whole matter When you share a matter, you are not sharing a single document or folder — you are giving a colleague access to the matter and everything in it: its documents, their metadata, the Document Index, and the exports. That is usually what you want when colleagues collaborate on a case, but it's worth being clear-eyed about: access is to the matter as a whole. *** ## Sharing access by email You share a matter by inviting a colleague by their email address and assigning them a role. The role you choose determines what they can do once they have access. Inviting someone, and later changing or removing their access, is something the matter owner controls. *** ## What each role can do A matter has one owner — the person who created it — and any number of editors. The editor role is shown in the sharing controls as Can edit. An editor can do the day-to-day work of a matter: * view documents and the Document Index; * upload, edit, and delete documents; * run AI agents; * build the index and generate court bundles. What an editor cannot do is manage the matter itself — inviting or removing members, changing the matter's name, and archiving or restoring the matter are reserved for the owner. An editor can still change the settings that shape the work itself, such as the Document Index presets and the court bundle configuration. The effect is a clean division: editors get full working access to the contents of a matter, while control over who can reach the matter, and whether it stays active, stays with the owner. *** ## Why your access is enforced consistently A role means the same thing wherever you are working. The same permissions apply whether you are clicking through the app or an action runs on your behalf in the background, because access is checked at every point rather than only in the interface. You can rely on a role to behave the same way everywhere, so sharing a matter never quietly grants more than you intended. > For the full action-by-role breakdown, see [Matter roles and permissions](/reference/matter-roles-and-permissions). *** ## Related
Matter roles and permissionsThe matter roles you can assign and what each can do.Matter roles and permissions
Share a matter with a colleagueInvite a colleague to a matter and assign them a role.Share a matter with a colleague
Change or remove a colleague's accessChange a member's role or remove their access to a matter.Change or remove a colleague's access
Transfer a matter to another userTransfer matter ownership to another user.Transfer a matter to another user
# How credits work What credits measure and how your balance is calculated. Credits are easy to misunderstand, because the obvious guess is usually wrong. It's natural to assume that every upload, every automatic OCR pass, or every run of an AI agent costs credits. In BriefTech, they don't. This page explains what credits actually measure, so the costs you see make sense and you can plan a matter without surprises. *** ## What credits measure Credits are consumed at one specific moment: the first time you commit a document — when you first include it in an export or a court bundle, or when you run Force OCR on it. Uploading files, letting them process automatically, reviewing their metadata, and running agents over them do not, on their own, draw down your balance. The charge happens once per document, when you commit it to the indexed set that becomes your Document Index and court bundle. Thinking of credits this way changes how you work. You can upload freely, experiment with AI analysis, and correct metadata as much as you like; the meter only moves when you decide a document belongs in your finished work product. One metadata action is the exception — downloading the spreadsheet from **Bulk Edit Dates & Descriptions** commits every row you can see, and neither its label nor its tooltip says so. See [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). Committing also changes what you can do, not just what you are charged. Once a document is committed, BriefTech's converted PDF of it becomes available to download from the [full-screen pop-up viewer](/reference/preview-pane#the-full-screen-pop-up-viewer). A court bundle counts as paid only when **every** document in it has been committed, so committing the whole set is what removes the watermark from the bundle. A single uncommitted document is enough to keep a bundle watermarked. A few details follow from that when you generate a court bundle: * Documents you have moved to the Bin are not charged. * Documents with processing issues are charged on the same terms as any other document, even though they enter the bundle only as placeholder pages. * If you generate a bundle without selecting a collection, the charge and the bundle cover every live document in the matter — binned documents are still excluded. *** ## How indexing cost is calculated The cost of indexing a document is based on its length: a longer document takes more processing to prepare for the index and bundle than a short one, so the price stays proportional to the work involved. For the exact rate and worked examples, see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). *** ## Why you are charged once per document Once a document has been counted toward your index, it isn't charged again. Re-exporting, regenerating a court bundle, or rearranging your Document Index does not re-bill documents you've already included. Splitting a PDF or extracting embedded attachments does create new documents, though, and each of those is charged the first time you commit it — even though the document it came from was already paid for. This is deliberate. Building a good index is iterative — you'll reorder, re-split into volumes, and regenerate the bundle many times before it's right. Charging only on first inclusion means that refining your work is free; you pay for the documents you commit, not for the number of times you produce the output. Regenerating a court bundle is therefore free, unless new, uncharged documents have been added to that collection since. *** ## How your balance is calculated Your balance isn't a single number that BriefTech edits up and down. It's derived from a ledger: a running history of every credit added and every credit used. Purchases, grants and credit adjustments add to the total; committing documents and debit adjustments subtract from it. Your balance is simply everything added minus everything used. Keeping a ledger rather than a bare number means your credits are auditable — you can see where they came from and where they went, rather than having to trust a figure with no history behind it. *** ## Credit packs, the welcome grant, and expiry You top up by buying credits, either as a pack or as a custom amount. Creating your first matter also triggers a one-time allocation of 50 welcome credits, so you can index and export it before deciding to buy. Conditions apply to whether the grant is issued. If your account has an email-and-password sign-in, verify your email if you haven't, then create your first matter before buying any credits — the grant is decided at that moment, and cannot be claimed later. Purchased credits don't last indefinitely — they expire after a fixed period. It's worth keeping that window in mind for matters that run over a long period, or when you buy a large balance in advance. > For exact costs, pricing, the welcome-grant conditions, and the transaction types on your ledger, see [Credit costs and pricing](/reference/credit-costs-and-pricing). *** ## What happens if you run low on credits If you try to commit documents you can't yet afford, BriefTech stops and tells you before anything is charged — it never silently spends a balance you don't have. What it offers next depends on what you were doing. When you **export an index, download files, or run Force OCR** and your balance is short, BriefTech shows an **Insufficient Credits** message and offers **Buy Credits**, which takes you to your usage page to top up. The action doesn't go ahead until you have enough credits; nothing is charged and nothing is produced in the meantime. When you **create a court bundle** and your balance is short, you get an extra choice. Alongside the shortfall message, BriefTech asks whether you'd like to **Export with watermark instead**. Choosing this produces the bundle straight away, without charging your account — but a tiled BriefTech watermark is applied across every page, so it's suited to a draft or internal review copy rather than a version for filing. A watermarked bundle also contains the PDF volumes only — the editable Word versions of the cover pages, tab dividers and table of contents are included only in a fully paid bundle. The watermark isn't permanent. It's decided each time a bundle is generated, based on whether every document in it has been paid for. Once you've topped up and the documents are charged, **regenerating the bundle produces a clean, unwatermarked copy** — you don't lose your work by taking the watermarked draft first. To add credits, see [Top up the credit balance](/how-to-guides/manage/top-up-credit-balance). *** ## Related
Credit costs and pricingWhat charges credits, what is free, how the charge is calculated, and what credits cost to buy.Credit costs and pricing
Top up the credit balanceBuy a credit pack to top up your balance via Stripe.Top up the credit balance