Quick Start

Get from zero to a first research session in about 15 minutes. No technical background required.

1. Install and launch

Download the installer for your platform, run it, and launch Recall.

• Windows: SmartScreen may warn — click More info → Run anyway. The installer is per-user.
• macOS: The installer is signed and notarized, so Gatekeeper won't block it.

First launch opens the Setup Wizard. Don't panic — it's short.

2. Go through setup

The steps differ by install type. Full installs show: Security Certificate → Word Integration → Model Downloads → Create Your First Matter → Getting Started. UI-Only installs show: Server Connection → Word Integration → Create Your First Matter → Getting Started.

What each step does:

• Security Certificate (Full installs) — informational. Recall uses a self-signed certificate for local HTTPS; on Windows the cert is auto-installed in most cases.
• Server Connection (UI-Only) — enter your organization's server URL and click Test Connection.
• Word Integration — on Windows there's nothing to configure (COM is automatic); on macOS, click Request Word Permission and allow the prompt.
• Model Downloads (Full installs) — optional extras; the bundled ModernBERT and Llama 3.1 are enough to start.
• Create Your First Matter — give it a name and pick a citation style.
• Getting Started — a final confirmation screen.

If anything gets confusing, click Skip setup and come back later via the gear menu → Setup Wizard.

3. Tour the UI

Once setup closes, you see the main workspace. There are two panes plus a top bar:

• Top bar — matter picker, status pill, Write/Research toggle, collapse buttons (Write mode), gear menu.
• Research mode — left pane has the search input and Search/Documents tabs; right pane shows the PDF viewer.
• Write mode — left pane shows the Pins/Suggested list; right pane toggles between PDF, Clerk, and Notes.

Switch between Write and Research with the segmented control in the top bar.

4. Upload your first document

1. Switch to Research mode.
2. Drag a PDF onto the document list on the left, or use the upload button.
3. Watch the status columns: Extracting → Indexing → Ready.

Keyword search works as soon as extraction finishes. Semantic search works after indexing finishes.

5. Search

In the right pane:

1. Type a query.
2. Pick a mode (Keyword is the default; switch to Semantic for concept queries).
3. Press Enter.

Click any result to jump into the PDF at the match.

6. Pin something useful

Select text in the PDF or click the pin action on a search result. The excerpt saves to the matter's pin list. Add a category or note from the pin's context menu if you like.

7. Switch to Write mode

Click Write in the top bar. The left pane becomes your pin list. The right pane toggles between:

• PDF — keep a source open while drafting
• Clerk — Recall's AI assistant
• Notes — a matter-scoped WYSIWYG editor for research memos and outlines

8. Insert into Word

Open Word. Check the status pill — the Word indicator should go green.

Right-click a pin and pick an insertion style:

• Insert Inline Quote — the excerpt as a quoted phrase with a trailing citation
• Insert Cite Only — just the formatted citation
• Insert Block Quote — the excerpt as a set-off block (no automatic citation)
• Insert Parenthetical Cite — citation with a Clerk-generated parenthetical

The text shows up in Word at your cursor position, formatted in your matter's citation style. For inserts that include a citation (everything except Block Quote), Recall picks full vs. short vs. Id. form automatically based on what you cited recently in Word.

9. Ask Clerk for help

In Write mode's right pane, toggle to Clerk.

• Edit — select text in the PDF, pick a style (Lengthen, Shorten, Formalize, Simplify, Fix Grammar, Summarize), click Generate, pick an alternative, click Replace to send it back to Word.
• Assist — a chat interface. "Summarize the holding in Smith v. Jones" or "What cases in this matter discuss summary judgment?"

Clerk uses the current matter's documents as context. If no matter is selected, responses fall back to general knowledge.

10. Generate a Table of Authorities

Once your Word document has enough citations, place your cursor where the Table of Authorities should go and trigger the ToA action. Recall scans the Word document, groups citations by category (Federal Cases, State Cases, Federal Statutes, State Statutes, Other Authorities), and inserts the table.

What next

• Read Features Overview for a single-screen tour.
• Skim Matters, Documents, Research, Pins, Writing, Clerk AI, Word Integration, Citations for each feature's full page.
• Stuck on something? Check Troubleshooting or the FAQ.

Common beginner questions

Do I need an internet connection? Only for optional model downloads and auto-update checks. Everything else works offline in local mode.

Do I need an account? Not in local mode. Server mode requires an account and an invite from an administrator.

Where's my data stored? In %LocalAppData%\Recall\ on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/Recall/ on macOS. Each organization gets its own subfolder.

Can I use Recall without Word? Yes — pins and Clerk and notes all work fine without Word. You just can't insert formatted citations into a Word document.

Is my data backed up? Not automatically. Recall writes to local SQLite files; back up the data root with your usual backup tool if that matters to you.