Help with BriefCatch
Browse our Frequently Asked Questions
Help Topics
See the various sections below for the most frequently asked questions. The links above will allow you to quickly jump to specific BriefCatch sections.
If your question isn't answered here or if you require additional help, please send us an email.
General
The items in this section are general questions relevant to both BriefCatch 3 and BriefCatch Standalone.
Absolutely not. Just editing suggestions.
Yes! Many of the consistency features (defined terms being used before defined, missing parentheses, spacing, common typos for legal terms, inconsistent wording and acronyms, and so forth) in BriefCatch work well on contracts and other legal and nonlegal documents.
BriefCatch scans the text of your document and applies thousands of rules and algorithms. Any matches that are found are highlighted throughout the text. A side panel will suggest changes, offer general editing advice, and provide examples. Here you can navigate through the suggestions and decide to change, ignore, or skip to review later.
Yes! First, enable Track Changes (under Review - Track Changes), and then load BriefCatch. As you accept suggested changes, the document will include the red-lined changes, which can be reviewed after you finish editing the document.
It ignores most quotations, so you won’t waste time editing them!
The five special scores are designed both to measure and to motivate. They are explained here.
The Scores function requires that the document contains more than about 500 words to load. If Scores will not load for you, you need to add more words.
Yes, as long as you are the sole owner of each device.
BriefCatch 3
The items in this section are questions relevant to BriefCatch 3 only and may not be applicable to BriefCatch Standalone or BriefCatch 2.
Yes! BriefCatch 3 is now compatible on both Mac and PC.
Learn how to install BriefCatch 3 in this guide.
BriefCatch 3 is available on Microsoft® AppSource. Supported versions include Microsoft® Word 2016 or later on Windows®, Microsoft® Word 2016 or later on macOS®, and Microsoft® Word for Web (Microsoft® 365).
BriefCatch 3 is available on Microsoft® AppSource.
See our How to Install BriefCatch 3 page for more detailed installation instructions.
BriefCatch 3 Pro is available for $29/month or $299/year. You can see our BriefCatch 3 plans here.
After you install BriefCatch 3, you can purchase a Pro subscription directly within the app. Just create an account, select Pro, then select either the monthly or annual Pro plan.
Yes! You can try BriefCatch 3 free for 7 days.
After you install BriefCatch 3, create an account within the app, select the Pro plan, then click Start Free Trial to start your 7 day free trial.
After 7 days, you will be charged a monthly or annual Pro subscription. You can cancel your free trial any time during the 7 days to avoid being charged.
Yes. But you can cancel at any time during the 7 day period if you decide not to keep BriefCatch 3 and you will not be charged.
Yes. BriefCatch 3 has monthly and annual plans.
If you wish to modify or cancel your Pro subscription, you can do this directly within the BriefCatch 3 app.
To modify your subscription, click on the settings Icon. Click on the Subscription tab, then click the blue Update Subscription button. This will allow you to change between our Monthly or Annual plans.
To cancel your subscription, click on the settings Icon. Click on the Subscription tab, then at the bottom click on, "To cancel your BriefCatch subscription, click here."
Follow the prompts to cancel your subscription.
If you cancel during your 7 day free trial, you will continue to have Pro access for the remainder of your trial period. After your trial is over, you will revert to a free Basic user and your credit card will not be charged.
If you cancel your active Pro subscription, you will continue to have access for the remainder of your subscription period. After your current subscription period is over, you will revert to a free Basic user and your credit card will not be charged for a renewal.
Please contact us if you have any questions about, or require assistance with your Pro subscription.
Any of our BriefCatch 2 or Standalone users with an active license can use BriefCatch 3 at no additional cost.
To start using BriefCatch 3, you will need to install the new add-in. This is a very simple process, which is explained on our How to Install BriefCatch 3 page.
Once the app is installed, existing BriefCatch 2 users should click the Get Started! Button and go through the account creation process when using BriefCatch 3 for the first time.
Just make sure to use the same email address as your current BriefCatch 2 or Standalone account. After you verify your email address, BriefCatch 3 will find and link your existing BriefCatch account, activating BriefCatch 3 Pro.
There's no longer a need to re-scan your document when you make changes to your document. The real-time editing feature in BriefCatch 3 continues to give on-demand and instant suggestions as you write.
Users can customize their experience by toggling the Realtime suggestions option under their account preferences.
Yes. BriefCatch 3 is a cloud-based product.
No. BriefCatch 3 uses real-time data streams to process documents on secure servers. The server returns only the results of the scan. Neither the text from the scan nor the document text is ever collected, logged, or retained. No one can view any of the document text either during processing or after processing.
Yes. You must be connected to the Internet to receive suggestions from BriefCatch 3.
To uninstall BriefCatch 3, open Word. In the Word ribbon, click on Insert, then My Add-ins. Find BriefCatch under "MY ADD-INS", right click on it, then select Remove.
Note: If you don't see BriefCatch listed here, click the Refresh icon.
Enterprise plans aren't currently available for BriefCatch 3. Please contact our sales team for more information on BriefCatch Standalone enterprise plans and to be notified when BriefCatch 3 enterprise plans become available.
BriefCatch Standalone
The items in this section are questions relevant to BriefCatch Standalone only and may not be applicable to BriefCatch 3 or BriefCatch 2.
BriefCatch Standalone Download & Installation
No. We suggest Mac users try BriefCatch 3 which is Mac compatible!
Yes. However, only with the locally installed version (Word 2016.) BriefCatch Standalone does not work with the online or app versions of Office365.
Windows 7 or newer operating system with Word version 2013 or newer.
Note: BriefCatch Standalone is not compatible with the online version of Word.
You must register a new account by signing up for the free 7 day trial or by purchasing an annual license. After registering, you will have access to the download page, where you can save BriefCatch Standalone to your computer.
Note: You must be logged in to download BriefCatch Standalone.
Some browser settings may prevent .exe files from being downloaded, or warn you that the file may be unsafe. If prompted, make sure you mark BriefCatchInstaller.exe as safe so you're able to access the file.
The only requirements are a Windows PC with Word.
Installing BriefCatch Standalone is a piece of cake: you simply download an .exe file and then open it to start the installation process. It takes about 30 seconds. The next time you open Word, BriefCatch S will be the last tab on the right.
(Note: Make sure Word is closed before you install BriefCatch Standalone.)
The first time you open Word after installing BriefCatch Standalone, you may be prompted to confirm the installation. If so, click the Install button.
This can occur if the software was installed using administrative privileges, then a user account without the same administrative privileges attempts to run it. It can also occur if it was installed by a different user account then the one you are using. By default, BriefCatch Standalone installs to the user account that is logged in and is only accessible by that user account. (If you're installing BriefCatch Standalone on a work computer, your IT department should be able to verify this.)
This can also occur if Word was open while BriefCatch Standalone was installed. To help resolve this, completely uninstall BriefCatch Standalone, restart your computer, then try installing BriefCatch Standalone again. Make sure Word is closed before running the installation again.
If reinstalling BriefCatch Standalone does not solve this issue, please follow the steps in our documentation or contact our support team.
If BriefCatch Standalone will install but does not function, please contact us for help.
Under the BriefCatch S tab in Word, click About. The installed version will be shown like the screenshot below:
Check the current version shown on the download page to see if you’re running the latest version.
Simply download the new version and install. This will overwrite your existing installation with the updated version of BriefCatch Standalone.
See our update guide for more information.
(Note: Make sure Word is closed prior to updating.)
Major releases once or twice per year. Minor releases every 1-2 months with bug fixes or smaller improvements.
To disable the add-in within Word, click on File - Options, then click on Add-ins. Next to Manage COM Add-ins, click Go. Uncheck BriefCatch Standalone for Microsoft Office.
You can completely remove BriefCatch Standalone from your computer in two ways:
1) Open the installation file and select Uninstall.
2) Click the Windows Start Menu and type "Add or remove programs", then click on it. Find BriefCatch Standalone within the list, click on it, and choose Uninstall.
View our uninstall documentation if you need more thorough instructions.
BriefCatch Standalone Features
Once installed, BriefCatch Standalone will appear as a tab within the ribbon in Word. Click the tab to access the BriefCatch Standalone functions. For more information, see the following article:
Style: This feature taps into thousands of editing possibilities designed to make the document crisper, tighter, and more precise. The edits are all automatic—you just “Accept” or “Ignore” each one—with no rewriting needed.
Consistency: This feature focuses less on style and more on pure accuracy. With one click, you can spot and fix inconsistent language, formatting, and punctuation along with commonly confused words and citation errors.
All: This feature explores nearly every aspect of a draft. On top of all the automatic style and consistency checks, you’ll be prompted to recast passive constructions, streamline quotations, cut dates, shorten sentences, and vary your transitions.
Clear Catch: Clears the BriefCatch Standalone markup.
Scores: Scans the document and displays global statistics based on five proprietary algorithms that each yield a maximum score of 100.
Report: Generates a detailed report of the document’s style strengths, weaknesses, and wording patterns.
Send Feedback: Allows you to share feedback, report issues, or make suggestions.
About: Displays information about the BriefCatch software and license.
Resources: Online link to relevant articles and longer explanations.
Update Available: Shown if there is a new version of BriefCatch Standalone available to download. (Can be hidden for 30 days.)
Purchase: Online link to purchase a BriefCatch Standalone license. (This icon will display only if you don't have an active license installed.)
Yes! By default, the Catch function will run on the entire document. However, you can also select the text you'd like to analyze before clicking on Catch. BriefCatch Standalone will only analyze the selected text.
You can use our Subscription Sign-In feature to automatically manage your license.
This will allow you to connect your BriefCatch account to the BriefCatch Standalone software. See our Subscription Sign-In guide for more information.
Enabling Accessibility Mode adds these features to BriefCatch Standalone:
- Easier keyboard navigation.
- Support for some screen readers.
- Easier-to-read text through the contrast ratio.
- Ability to use the keyboard to select all actions and links.
See our How to Enable and Use Accessibility Options with BriefCatch Standalone guide for more information.
BriefCatch Standalone Licenses
You can see our current pricing on our purchase page.
Yes, however they must be purchased in separate transactions. To purchase a second license, follow the same steps as you did the first time. Make sure you’re logged into your account, visit the annual license page, confirm your personal details, and then click Sign Up. Each license will be processed as a separate payment.
Please contact us to process multiple licenses under one payment.
Note: If your company would like to purchase 10 or more licenses at once, please visit our sales page.
BriefCatch Standalone is currently available on an annual basis.
No. We offer only annual licenses for BriefCatch Standalone.
Yes. BriefCatch Standalone licenses are valid for one year. After one year, your license will automatically renew and you will be billed again. You will be notified by email one week prior to this date. You can cancel the auto renew option at anytime by visiting the Subscription tab on the my account page. Simply click Cancel to disable auto-renew.
Your BriefCatch Standalone license will still be active until it expires, but you will not be billed again unless you decide to renew your license.
Subscriptions are non-refundable, but if you have a problem with the product, we will do whatever we reasonably can to resolve it. If you’re not sure if BriefCatch Standalone is right for you, we recommend starting with our 7 day free trial.
You can use our Subscription Sign-In feature to automatically manage your license.
Alternatively, you can find your license file on the download page. Click the download link to save the license.key file to your computer. Don't try to run or open the file, just save it to your computer in a location you will remember, such as your Downloads folder.
To install your BriefCatch license, do not open the license file directly. Open Word, then click on About under the BriefCatch tab. From there, click on Install License. Navigate to the license file you downloaded above and press Open. You will then receive the message "Your license was successfully imported."
The download page on our website shows the details of your license, including expiration.
You can also view your license details, including when it expires, by clicking the About button under the BriefCatch S ribbon within Word. You will see details like the screenshot below:
If you’re having trouble installing your license, please contact us and include the error message you’re receiving.
You can cancel the auto renew option at anytime by visiting the Subscription tab on the my account page. Simply click Cancel to disable auto-renew.
Your BriefCatch Standalone license will still be active until it expires, but you will not be billed again unless you decide to renew your license.
We are offering trials and special pricing case-by-case for groups. Groups are generally ten or more people. See our sales page for more information.
Absolutely! You can purchase a coupon code to gift BriefCatch Standalone.
BriefCatch Standalone Free Trial
7 days. During that time, you will have full access to the BriefCatch Standalone software.
You can sign up for the free trial here.
No. The only requirement is registering an account by providing your name and email address.
No. Simply download and install the software and BriefCatch Standalone will work for 7 days.
If you're receive an error message related to your free trial immediately after installing BriefCatch Standalone, or anytime prior to the 7 days, please contact us for further assistance.
No. The free trial is limited to one time per user.
If for some reason you would like to put your trial on hold or change the start to later in the future, please contact us for assitance.
After the 7 day trial, BriefCatch Standalone will no longer function. To keep using it, you simply need to purchase an annual license.
We offer extended free trials on a case by case basis. Please fill out our sales form for more details.
BriefCatch Standalone Security & Payments
Payments are processed by a third party (https://stripe.com). No credit card information is ever stored directly on our site. Our site uses SSL 256-bit encryption to ensure that all transactions are secure. The private certificate has been issued via Trustwave Holding, Inc.
Charges will show up on your statement as BRIEFCATCH or BRIEFC.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and AMEX.
If your card was blocked, you can try using a different credit card. You can also contact support for assitance.
To change your credit card, visit the Subscription tab on the my account page. Click on Update for the subscription you would like to modify then enter your new credit card details.
While scanning documents, BriefCatch only runs locally. It never connects to the cloud or to any servers, nor does it track or report any usage data to us or to any third parties.
BriefCatch Standalone Account Information
Visit your account page under the Subscriptions and Payments links.
We do not have access to any member’s passwords. If you’ve forgotten yours, you can manually reset your password here.
Please contact us and we can help you.
Please fill out our contact form. We would love to hear from you!
BriefCatch 2
BriefCatch 2 will no longer be supported after December 31, 2022. All users will get a free upgrade to BriefCatch 3, our acclaimed cloud-based product with a brand-new UI and all the latest features and edits, or to BriefCatch Standalone, a locally installed add-in featuring the new UI. If you have any questions, please contact our support team.
No. But we will no longer be providing updates to the BriefCatch 2 software, including bug or security fixes.
You can install BriefCatch 3 from the Microsoft AppSource store. See our BriefCatch 3 installation guide for more information.
Any user with an existing BriefCatch 2 license can update to BriefCatch 3 at no additional cost.
Once the app is installed, existing BriefCatch 2 users should click the Get Started! Button and go through the account creation process when using BriefCatch 3 for the first time.
Just make sure to use the same email address as your current BriefCatch 2 or Standalone account. After you verify your email address, BriefCatch 3 will find and link your existing BriefCatch account, activating BriefCatch 3 Pro.
You can find the latest release of BriefCatch Standalone on our download page. (You must be logged in.)
BriefCatch Standalone can be installed directly on top of BriefCatch 2 as an update. There's no need to uninstall BriefCatch 2 first.
See our BriefCatch Standalone update guide for more information.
BriefCatch 3
We will have upgrade paths for BriefCatch 3 available in the coming weeks. Once our enterprise plans are ready for BriefCatch 3, we will notify you via email with further instructions. All enterprise clients will be able to transfer to BriefCatch 3 at no additional cost.
Learn more about BriefCatch 3.
BriefCatch Standalone
BriefCatch Standalone is currently available for all enterprise clients. BriefCatch Standalone can be installed as an update on top of your existing BriefCatch 2 installation. There is no need to uninstall the previous version.
Learn more about BriefCatch Standalone.
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If you have any questions, or if you require further assistance, please submit a support ticket and our team will be happy to help!