1. What Conteur Is

Conteur is a writing program for planning, drafting, editing, and preparing books. It runs on your Windows computer and opens its screen in a web browser. You can write by yourself, ask the built-in AI for help, or sign in to use paid cloud models.

This handbook explains the controls in Conteur 0.2.7. Start with sections 3 through 10 if you are new. Use section 11 for the builders, section 14 for checking your writing, and section 16 for formatting and publishing files. Appendix A helps you find buttons. Appendix B explains what is saved and how to protect it.

Who It Is For

• Writers starting a new story or bringing in a book they have already written.
• Writers who want help with characters, settings, outlines, chapters, and a series of books.
• Writers who want to compare suggested changes before replacing their own words.
• Writers preparing a manuscript, a printable document, or an EPUB ebook.

The Core Idea

Choose the right story before doing anything else. The story name and Active Memory row tell you which book you are working on. Saved chapters and builder profiles belong to that story. A workspace keeps one writer's collection of stories and settings together.

The board is your working area. Chapter Manager holds saved chapters. Captured Details holds saved builder profiles. These are different places. A reply appearing on the board is not the same as a chapter being saved.

2. How Conteur Works

The browser shows Conteur's controls, but your computer runs the program and keeps your story files. Closing the browser tab does not necessarily stop Conteur. Use Updates And Restore, then Shut Down, when you want to stop the program.

Figure 1. How your work moves through Conteur.

Main Parts Under the Hood

Local Work and Online Work

You can write, edit, organize chapters, and create EPUBs without buying Star Credits. Download the Free model before asking it to generate text offline. Cloud generation, online media, cloud sign-in, and purchases need a connection. Live web research in chat is disabled in this build.

Some tools are plan-restricted even when you choose a local model. A grey button marked with a star and “Upgrade to Access” is an access restriction, not a missing model. Selecting Free does not unlock a paid feature.

Local Server and Security

Conteur normally accepts connections only from your own computer. Launching it through the shortcut sets up the connection it needs. You do not need to understand servers or enter commands to use it. Do not share sign-in codes, account tokens, or private story files when asking for help.

3. First-Time Setup and Workspaces

A workspace is your local writing area. A Conteur Cloud account is your online account for paid models and billing. Creating a workspace does not buy a plan, and signing into cloud does not upload your entire library as a backup.

Create a Workspace

1. Open Conteur from its shortcut. In the welcome window, choose New Workspace.
2. Enter a workspace name and click Check name. Wait for the name to be accepted.
3. Add pen names, an active pen name, and a profile image if wanted. These are optional.
4. Click Create Workspace when it becomes available.
5. If asked where to keep memory, choose Browse For Memory Location or Use Default Location. Conteur creates a Conteur Database folder there.
6. Use New Story, then New, to begin a story. Check the story name above the board.

The current workspace form does not ask you to create the local password described in older handbooks. Do not look for a password switch that is no longer on the form.

Open or Change Workspaces

Choose a workspace from the welcome list. To use another one later, click Switch Workspace beside your profile. Save current work first. Each workspace has its own settings, story list, prose choices, and local-access permissions.

Click Edit beside your profile to change pen names or your picture. You cannot change an existing workspace's name in this form. Enter each pen name on a separate line. Use Active pen name for the name attached to your work. You can choose a new picture or use Delete current profile image.

Delete a Workspace

Use Edit, then Delete Profile. Read both confirmations. The second asks whether to remove the saved Story Memory files too. Choose No, keep my files if you want to keep your writing. Cancel or close the confirmation if you are unsure. Copy your story directory to another location before deleting a workspace.

Sign In to Conteur Cloud

1. Click Sign In to Conteur Cloud in the profile area or Settings.
2. Complete the sign-in in the browser. Use the email address for your Conteur purchases and the code sent to that address.
3. Return to Conteur and wait for the sign-in result.
4. If asked, confirm linking this workspace to that cloud account. Read the account shown before agreeing.
5. Check both Cloud account and Link status. Use Refresh Cloud Status if a recent purchase is not yet shown.

Link Workspace to Cloud connects the current workspace to the signed-in account. Unlink Workspace removes that connection; it does not erase local stories. Sign Out of Conteur Cloud ends cloud access, not your local writing session. Cloud sign-in can be shared by workspaces on the same Windows account, while workspace links remain separate.

Download the Free Model

When Conteur offers the local model, click Download now. The first download is several gigabytes, so allow time and free disk space. Cancel download stops it; Not now lets you postpone it. Wait for the model to finish preparing before testing a local AI request. Model loading can be slow the first time after startup.

4. The Main Screen

Click a menu heading on the left to open or close its controls. The middle of the screen is the writing area. In Create mode, the prompt box and Send button are at the bottom.

Click the story name or Active Memory name to rename the current story. Finish the name change before switching away. Renaming a story does not necessarily rename its underlying file.

Moving and Closing Windows

Drag the title bar of windows that offer a move handle. Settings and Updates And Restore can be minimized. Builder windows with a square or Maximize button can expand and return to their previous size. A Close button normally closes a window; it does not mean Save. Use its save control first when one is provided.

Help and Support

Click Help, type a question such as “How do I save a chapter?”, and click Search. Copy Answer copies the help text. User Guide opens the guide supplied with the app in another tab. The installed help material may lag behind recent changes; use the exact button names in this handbook when an older answer differs.

Customer Support is available from Plans & Credits. Feature suggestions are under Updates And Restore. Both have their own send forms; see section 21. The old Support the Creator button is not part of the current main screen.

5. The Writing Board

The board displays your prompts and Conteur's replies in separate sections. Click editable writing to correct it yourself. You can also paste your own writing. Changes on the board need to be saved before you treat them as part of the manuscript.

Board Sections

• The X on a section removes that visible section. It does not delete a saved chapter.
• Clear asks before clearing the board. Saved chapters and builder profiles remain in the story. Earlier conversation can still supply AI context; Clear does not tell Conteur to forget it.
• A recovery prompt may offer unsaved board work after a restart. Review it before restoring.
• Recovery belongs to this browser and story. It is a convenience, not a dependable backup.

Save the Right Material

For ordinary board writing, Save Board as Chapter saves the latest work section, not every older reply visible above it. Check the latest section and the chapter title before saving. If you want an earlier reply, copy that writing into a fresh working section or load its saved chapter first.

When a saved chapter is open in Edit Mode, the save control updates that chapter. When Load Book has put the whole book on the board, the same lower save control saves the complete-book working document instead. These modes are different. Watch the Active Memory and Current Chapter display.

Edit Mode

Choose a chapter's Edit control to load it. The Edit Mode notice identifies this state. Make changes, then use the lower Save Board as Chapter control to save the edited chapter. Check the success message. Clearing or switching away is not a substitute for saving.

The old Edit Story Memory workflow has been retired. To change story facts, use Captured Details. To change chapter prose, use Chapter Manager.

Create and Finalize Share Working Text

Changing between Create and Finalize carries working text between the two views. They are not independent safety copies. Save before changing stories or closing the app. See section 16 for the differences between chapter text, a complete-book layout, and an EPUB copy.

6. Prompt Box, Files, Images, and Cancel

A prompt is simply your request to the AI. Say what you want, which passage or chapter matters, and what must stay unchanged. For example: “Rewrite this scene in first person. Keep all events, names, and dialogue meanings. Aim for 800 words.”

Send a Request

1. Select the right workspace and story. Choose a prose voice if wanted.
2. Check the model selected for the feature in Settings. Cloud choices can use credits.
3. Type the request. Attach any files you want used for this request.
4. Click Send once, or press Enter. Use Shift+Enter for a new line. Read the status while it works.
5. Read the result. Correct mistakes and save useful prose as a chapter.

Attach Files

Choose Files lets you select one or more files. They appear in a waiting list. Click an attachment's X to remove it before sending. Say what to do with the files; merely choosing them is not a request to import a book into Chapter Manager.

You can queue up to ten files, with a general limit of 40 MB each. Conteur extracts at most 6,000 characters of text per file for chat. DOCX extraction reads paragraphs; it does not reproduce the full document layout. RTF, HTML, and XML may appear as raw text. Attaching a book does not mean the AI reads the whole book. Use New Story > Import to divide a manuscript into saved chapters. Use Evaluate for a manuscript review.

Images and PDFs

You can select image files or paste an image into the prompt box with Ctrl+V or the browser's Paste command. A thumbnail confirms it is queued. Seeing a thumbnail does not prove the chosen model can see the picture.

Free Qwen is text-only. It cannot inspect image pixels. In this build, the file-reading path for images and PDFs supports the in-app choices GPT-5.4 Mini, GPT-5.6 Luna, and GPT-5.6 Sol. The listed Claude choices do not use this path. Send only one image or PDF in a request: up to 10 MB for an image, or 25 MB and 20 pages for a PDF. These lower limits take precedence over the general attachment limit. Even a PDF with selectable text requires a supported choice. If refused, use a supported model or copy the needed text into the prompt.

Do not attach private material you do not intend to send to the chosen cloud service. A selected local file is deliberately supplied to the request even if broad Computer Access is off.

Cancel and Partial Replies

Click Cancel for the operation that is running. Builders and other windows may have their own Cancel Generation button. Wait for the cancellation message before starting another request. Closing a window is not always the same as cancelling its background work.

Cancelling a chat request restores the earlier board, prompt, and queued attachments when recovery succeeds. If a reply stops early, keep any useful portion and ask it to continue from the last complete sentence. Do not assume an interrupted request used no credits; some work may already have been processed. Cancel does not undo saved chapters.

7. Story Memory

Story Memory keeps the information attached to one story: saved chapters, summaries, builder profiles, and related story records. It helps later writing use the right people, places, and events. It is not a promise that the AI rereads every word of a long book on every request.

Review Story Memory

1. Open Story Memory File in the sidebar.
2. Check one story and click Open.
3. Read the separate memory window. It shows saved information and chapter summaries rather than placing a flattened file on your board.
4. Use Copy All if you want the displayed summary on the clipboard. Close when finished.

Open is read-only. Use Switch Story when your aim is to change the active book. Use Captured Details to edit saved builder profiles, or Chapter Manager to edit prose.

What Gets Remembered

Keep Story Facts Consistent

Review a builder profile before using it as established fact. If the AI suggests something you have not decided, remove it or clearly mark it as undecided. Save the correction. Run Check Continuity after a major story change, and read its report rather than assuming no warning means no problem.

Captured Details saves dated revisions of edited profiles, but the current text is what later tools should use. Do not rely on a hidden revision history as your only backup. A correction to the outline mirror in Captured Details is not a replacement for editing the outline tree in Outline Builder.

8. Stories and New Story Menus

Switch or Return to a Story

Open Stories. Use the small arrow to show the story list. Check one story and click Switch Story, or double-click it. Previous Story returns to the story active immediately before the current one. Confirm the name above the board after switching.

Save unsaved work first. Selecting a checkbox for file management is not the same as switching your writing session. The Active Memory row is the better check.

Start a New Story

Open New Story and click New. Give the story a clear name when asked. The new story becomes your working story. You can begin typing, use a builder, or paste your own prose.

Import an Existing Manuscript

1. Choose New Story > Import.
2. Select a supported document such as DOCX, TXT, RTF, Markdown, or PDF.
3. Let the import finish. Conteur looks for chapter headings and divisions such as Prologue, Epilogue, Part, and Interlude.
4. Review Chapter Manager. A document with no recognized divisions may become one chapter.
5. Check chapter names, order, and text before editing or exporting.

Import brings outside writing into a story. Install Memory File, described in section 9, is different: it restores a Conteur JSON story file. The old Analyze And Memorize button is no longer the import method.

Continue a Series

Choose New Story > Continue Series. Enter the new book's name, then choose the story or series to continue. Choosing a series uses its last ordered book as the source. Conteur carries world, character, and outline profiles into the next book. It does not copy the previous book's chapters or Chapter Builder notes as new chapters.

Related books are grouped in a series. Earlier-book summaries and saved profiles can supply continuity context; this is not the same as including every full chapter from all books. Review the inherited profiles and use Series Order to check which book comes first. If a renamed book still has its old name in the series list, check its identity and order before creating a duplicate.

Export a Story

Stories > Export opens a choice of Complete Story or saved chapters. Instructions for the file formats are in section 16.

9. Story Memory File Menu

This is the current name of the area called Previous Stories in the old handbook. It manages stored files. Check the correct story before using a command.

Copy and Move Your Writing Safely

Use Copy Story Directory before a large change or a computer move. First rename or move any older Story Memory File Directory Copy folder in Downloads: Conteur replaces that folder on the next copy. The copy contains story files, not a complete workspace backup with settings and all assets. Keep an extra copy on another drive.

On the other computer, open the destination workspace and use Install Directory. Conteur skips unreadable files and can finish with only some files imported. An existing story ID receives a new ID during import, so check for duplicates. Open several chapters to check the result before erasing the original. To move the live database on the same computer, use Settings > Advanced > Database Location instead of dragging its folder while Conteur runs.

Set Series Order

Open Series Order for a series record. Enter each book's position and click Save Order. Use each whole number from 1 through the number of books once, without gaps or duplicates. Put the earliest book first. Check this before relying on earlier-book context in a sequel. Cancel leaves the proposed changes unapplied.

10. Chapter Manager

Chapter Manager is the place to keep the manuscript as named chapters. It shows saved titles, status, word counts, and summaries. Draft, Revised, and Final are labels you choose; Final does not mean Conteur has certified the writing.

Save a New Chapter

1. Finish the latest section on the board. Read it before saving.
2. Enter a Chapter title and choose a status for the new chapter.
3. Click Save Board as Chapter and accept the save offer.
4. Check the title in the save window, then click Save.
5. If the name already exists, decide whether to overwrite it. Use a different title to keep an alternate version.
6. Wait for the success message and check the chapter list.

Matching chapter titles can identify an existing chapter even when capitalization or spacing differs. Replacing a chapter normally preserves its existing status. Do not expect choosing Final during a replacement to change that status automatically.

Load and Edit a Chapter

Select a chapter or type its title, then choose Load Chapter. You can also use Edit on a chapter card. Make the changes on the board and use the lower save control while Edit Mode is active. This can write directly back to that chapter without another overwrite prompt.

The typed Chapter title takes precedence over the selected card when loading by title. Clear an old typed title if Conteur keeps loading the wrong chapter.

Load the Whole Book

Load Book places saved chapters in manuscript order into a complete-book workspace. Use it to review the flow or work in Finalize. Saving in whole-book mode keeps a complete-book working document; do not assume every change has also replaced each individual Chapter Manager record. If you need a specific chapter changed everywhere, edit and save that chapter directly, then refresh the whole-book view.

Reorder or Delete Chapters

Drag chapter cards up or down and drop at the indicated position. Wait for “Chapter order saved.” This order affects book loading and manuscript work. It does not change the numbering you typed inside chapter prose.

Use Delete on a chapter card and confirm only if you want to remove that chapter from the saved story. Cancel leaves it intact. Copy or export the chapter first if you might need it again.

Automatic Save Offers and Word Targets

A prompt that looks like a chapter request may bring up an offer to save the latest answer. Choose Yes to open Chapter Manager, or No to keep it only on the board for now.

Word targets are approximate. Models can stop early or write too much. Give a manageable target, check the displayed word count, and ask for a focused continuation if needed. A saved chapter's automatic summary helps later context but is not a substitute for checking the full prose.

11. Story Builder

Open or create a story before starting a builder. Choose a prose voice and review the model choices in Settings. Some builders save structured planning information; others produce chapter text that you must deliberately save to Chapter Manager.

World Builder

World Builder has 50 questions in ten sections. It shows five questions at a time. Every question is optional, but at least one answer is needed to compile a profile.

1. Click Story Builder > World Builder.
2. Answer the useful questions in the current section. Short, clear answers are enough.
3. Click Save and Continue. Use Back to revise an earlier section, or Skip This Section to move on.
4. After section ten, review the completion message. Use Back if you want to add anything.
5. Click the compile button. Conteur sends the collected answers to the selected model and writes the profile.
6. Let the response finish, then open Captured Details > World Builder. Read and correct the saved profile.

Progress measures sections visited, not how much of the world is complete. Blank answers are left out of the request; any added idea should be treated as a suggestion until you approve it. Start Over clears the in-progress answers after confirmation.

Character Builder

Use this for one character at a time. The process is the same as World Builder: answer optional questions, use Back or Skip This Section, finish all ten sections, and compile the Character Profile. Review it in Captured Details > Character Builder.

To make another character, use Start Over after preserving the first profile. Questionnaire answers are temporary, just as in World Builder. Saving a profile does not mean the AI will follow it perfectly in every scene.

Outline Builder

1. Open Outline Builder. Tick Include world profile and Include character profile if you want to use saved profiles. Unavailable boxes mean those profiles have not yet been saved.
2. Enter your Brain dump: the premise, events, ending, scenes, or rough ideas you already have. Say which details must not change.
3. Set Approximate words per chapter, Approximate total word count, and Number of acts. Read the estimated chapter count.
4. Click Generate Outline. Wait for the progress display. Cancel Generation stops the job; saved setup material remains available.
5. Review the outline. Click a line to edit its wording. Wait for Saved before leaving.
6. Use Change Settings to revisit the setup. Back to Outline returns to the existing tree without generating another one.

Generating another full outline is different from returning to your current outline. Preserve a copy before replacing substantial work.

The most deeply nested lines do not offer more generated detail. Write enough meaningful text before asking for expansion. A loading overlay appears while detail is being written; avoid repeated clicks. Edits save automatically after a short pause, and the saved outline is mirrored into builder memory for other tools.

Pantser Builder

A pantser discovers the story while writing instead of planning every chapter first. Pantser Builder concentrates on the next chapter, using the existing story as background.

1. Open Pantser Builder. Review the book, previous chapter, point of view, location, and unresolved thread.
2. Use Correct Context when one of those starting details is wrong. Apply the correction.
3. Choose the approach, chapter-length setting, and title option. Review the selected model and cost information.
4. Start a session. Answer the current question, then Continue.
5. Use Back, Skip, or Use Existing Context when appropriate. Core questions may require an answer.
6. Ask for Options if you need choices. Surprise Me asks the model for an idea; accept, reject, or regenerate it. These model requests can use credits.
7. Choose Finish Questions when enough answers have been supplied. If Conteur asks for more core information, provide it.
8. Review the collected answers, model, and target word count. Edit Answers or Ask More Questions if needed, then Generate Chapter.
9. Read and edit the chapter preview and its continuity notes before sending it to Chapter Manager.

Pantser sessions can be resumed, renamed, duplicated for an alternate path, reset, or deleted. Deleting a session does not delete manuscript chapters. Cancel during questions leaves the session available; Cancel Generation stops the current generation while retaining answers.

Pantser Preview and Discoveries

You can edit the preview directly or Copy the chapter. Select a passage and choose Revise Selected Passage or Regenerate Passage to ask for a targeted change. Fix Continuity Issues asks the model to address the report; Keep As Written keeps your creative choice. Regenerate makes another version from the saved answers. Discard Generated Text removes the session's generated draft after confirmation, not a chapter already saved to the manuscript.

Use Send to Chapter Manager when ready. Confirm the save and choose the chapter position. Then review any proposed new story facts. Keep only the discoveries you want established, or skip that update. Saving a chapter and accepting new facts are separate decisions.

Chapter Builder

This is a separate window from Pantser Builder. It is useful when you already know what the chapter should do.

1. Open Chapter Builder and choose any available Include world profile, Include character profile, and Include outline boxes.
2. Describe the chapter in the large box. You may leave it empty only when using an available outline as the source.
3. Set Approximate words. Leave Go with what is written unchecked if you want the AI to write.
4. Click Generate Chapter and wait. Use Cancel to stop generation if needed.
5. Edit the title and draft in the preview. Change settings returns to setup; Back to chapter returns to the existing draft.
6. Choose Save as chapter to put the draft in Chapter Manager. Check the title: saving can replace an existing chapter without another confirmation. Keep a copy first.

If you have already written the chapter, paste it into the setup box and tick Go with what is written. Generate Chapter then takes that text instead of asking an AI to rewrite it, using no Star Credits. Read the preview and save it as a chapter. Untick the box before asking for an AI-generated replacement.

Chapter Builder saves its setup and editable draft after a short pause. Wait for Saved. A saved builder draft is not yet a saved manuscript chapter. Generate chapter from the preview can replace the current generated draft; copy a version you want to keep first.

Front Matter Builder

Front matter means pages before the main story. Open the builder and answer the six book-detail questions: title, author or pen name, copyright year, publisher or imprint, ISBN if you have one, and edition. Use Continue, Back, or Skip.

On Customize your pages, tick only the pages you want. You can edit every page title and its text. Choices include title, copyright, dedication, epigraph, table of contents, foreword, preface, and introduction. Replace sample text and bracketed placeholders before publishing. The contents page starts as text you must check; it is not a guarantee of an automatically current contents list.

Save Draft keeps this work in the builder. Save Pages to Chapter Manager places enabled pages around the manuscript. Edit Answers returns to the questions. Reset returns to the last saved draft. Close without saving can lose recent changes.

Back Matter Builder

Back matter means pages after the story. The five questions ask for the author or pen name, acknowledgments, an author biography, other books, and a note to readers. Answer with the words you want on those pages. An answered page is enabled; you can still untick it on the customization screen.

Edit the page titles and text, then use Save Draft or Save Pages to Chapter Manager. Ctrl+Enter advances from the answer box. Reset returns to the last saved draft, and Edit Answers reopens the questions.

Front and back matter share book details and one saved record. Publishing from either builder includes all enabled front and back pages. Close and reopen the other builder after changing shared details so that you do not save an older copy over newer work. Review Chapter Manager order after publishing. Copyright wording is a starting point you must review, not legal advice.

Captured Details

Open Captured Details, choose World Builder, Character Builder, Outline Builder, or Chapter Builder, then select the saved entry. Edit Saved details and click Save Changes. Read the success message before closing.

This corrects the information other writing tools use. It does not rewrite existing chapter prose. Edit an outline's structure in Outline Builder; its next save will refresh the readable mirror. Pantser sessions and matter drafts have their own windows rather than matching entries in this dropdown.

12. Prose Profiles

A prose profile is a set of writing-style instructions. It can guide sentence rhythm, viewpoint, description, dialogue, and tone. It does not change the facts of your story or train a new model.

Choose a Voice

Open Prose > Choose Voice. Select one profile and click Load, or double-click its name. Check Current voice. Available names depend on the workspace; Billy is the built-in fallback. The current profile is supplied as guidance to supported writing requests, but the result still needs review.

Capture Your Own Voice

1. Put a useful sample of your writing into one supported text, Word, or PDF file. Use material you have permission to supply.
2. Click Capture Voice and select the sample.
3. Wait for the analysis, then name the new prose profile when asked.
4. Select that profile and Load it. Confirm Current voice before generating.
5. Try a short passage and compare it with your own writing. Adjust your prompt if the result misses the tone.

Cancelling the name prompt leaves the analysis unsaved. A profile captures broad habits, not your judgment. It does not make copying another writer's protected work acceptable.

Plain and Natural Writing

Conteur includes instructions intended to reduce repetitive or stiff AI writing. Humanizer and Editorial Check offer more deliberate revision. Tell Conteur what to preserve: facts, voice, viewpoint, tense, dialogue meaning, and events. Review the changes instead of accepting them only because the prose sounds smoother.

13. Templates

A template is a reusable prompt. It puts instructions in the prompt box; it does not run them until you click Send.

Use a Template

Open Templates > Choose Template. Check one template and click Use. Read the prompt that appears, replace any example details with your own, and Send. Do not send a template with an old story name or an unfilled placeholder.

Add or Delete a Template

Type the request you want to reuse in the prompt box. Click Add, enter a name, then Save. Nevermind closes the naming window without adding it. This current Add button saves the prompt you typed; it is not the old file-import button described in earlier editions.

To remove a template, check it, click Delete, and confirm. You can select the unwanted templates first. Deleting a template does not delete text already saved in a chapter.

The supplied choices include brainstorming, drafting a scene, making a chapter from an outline, tightening a chapter, clarifying, livelier writing, staying focused, getting unstuck, summarizing, and a back-cover description. Your workspace may have a different list. Treat templates as starting instructions rather than guaranteed results.

14. Tools

The Tools menu contains Check Continuity, Evaluate, Editorial Check, Humanizer, and Timeline. Save your chapters before using a tool that reads saved chapters. An unsaved correction on the board may not be included.

Some Tools controls require a paid plan. The model assigned to a tool determines whether its AI work uses Star Credits. A large book can require many requests. Check Settings and your balance before starting.

Check Continuity

1. Open the story and click Check Continuity. If the previous report appears, choose New Continuity Check.
2. Describe the concern, such as “Check the travel times and whether Mara knows about the letter.” Use Continue.
3. Choose the chapters to check. Select All chooses them all; Clear removes the selection. Leaving none selected means a whole-story check.
4. Choose the review type: basic continuity review, detailed editorial review, complete line-by-line continuity audit, or whole-manuscript continuity report.
5. Click Finish And Check. Wait for the report or use Cancel to stop the operation.
6. Read the findings beside your manuscript. Make only the corrections you agree with.

The latest report is saved separately and opens again later. A new completed check replaces that report; copy important findings before starting another. It does not fix the manuscript by itself.

Understand Continuity Coverage

The names of the review types describe the requested style of report, not a promise to inspect every line. In this version, a whole-story continuity check relies on saved memory, summaries, and available board material. It does not systematically read the full text of every chapter the way the newer Evaluate tool does.

An explicit selection of fewer than all chapters can use those chapters' text, but long material is still shortened to fit. Choosing whole-manuscript continuity report can broaden the source even when you checked a smaller selection. Do not treat the coverage label as proof of an exhaustive audit. For a large book, check focused chapter groups and verify important facts yourself.

Evaluate the Manuscript

1. Save the chapters you want reviewed, then click Evaluate.
2. If an earlier report opens, choose New Evaluation.
3. Check individual chapters, use Select All, or tick Whole story. Clear removes the choices. Shift-click can select a range.
4. Check the selected chapter count and word total. Click Start Evaluation when enabled.
5. Wait through the progress stages. Cancel stops the job; closing the window may leave it running after a warning.
6. Read the report and its completion date. It reflects the saved text at the time of that run.

Evaluate uses saved chapters in their manuscript order. It does not directly review the prompt attachment queue or unsaved board text. It can divide a long manuscript into pieces and combine findings, so it may make several paid calls.

The chosen Evaluation model must have a verified large reading capacity. The Free local model does not meet this tool's requirement, even for a small chapter selection. If Start Evaluation is unavailable, read the explanation, change the Evaluation model in Settings, and reopen the tool.

The report covers writing strengths and problems and may include characters, story logic, pacing, prose, and revision priorities. Its exact headings vary with the run. Only the latest report is retained here. Select and copy useful report text if you want a separate record; this window has no dedicated report-export button. Board export buttons do not export this report.

Editorial Check

Editorial Check opens a window titled Editor. It works on a saved chapter or on Whole Book, not simply the highlighted words on the board.

1. Click Editorial Check and choose a saved chapter. If no chapter is active, the default may be Whole Book, so check it before starting.
2. Click Edit Chapter. For Whole Book, read the time and credit warning before confirming Edit Whole Book.
3. For one chapter, compare Original / Accepted Version with the proposed corrections. Red highlights show differences.
4. Right-click a red passage to accept its text block, or choose Accept all. A click can accept the whole block, not only one highlighted word.
5. Revert restores the original text within this review. Save writes the accepted version over the saved chapter.
6. Reopen the chapter and check the result.

In Whole Book mode, chapters are processed one after another and reviewed individually. Use Accept Changes or Revert for each chapter. A failed chapter can show an error while others finish. This is not one combined rewrite of the entire novel.

Saving replaces the chapter rather than making an alternate version. It updates the word count and summary and normally marks the chapter Revised unless already Final. Revert is not an undo button for a chapter you have already overwritten.

Humanizer

Humanizer aims to make stiff writing sound more natural. It can still change meaning accidentally, so compare the result with the original.

1. Save the chapter, then click Humanizer.
2. Choose the chapter or Whole Book. Check the choice because Whole Book may be selected by default.
3. Click Humanize Chapter or Humanize Whole Book. Confirm the whole-book warning only if you want every saved chapter processed.
4. For a single chapter, compare Original / Accepted Version with Humanized Version. Right-click a red passage to accept its block, use Accept all for the full suggestion, or Revert to keep the original review text.
5. Click Save as chapter and read the replacement confirmation. Despite its name, this overwrites the existing chapter; it does not create a new one.
6. In whole-book review, decide separately for each chapter using Revert or Save as chapter.

Cancel stops the current run. Closing a finished review discards unsaved review decisions. Neither tool provides a permanent library of unsaved comparisons. Avoid editing the same saved chapter elsewhere while its review is open, because saving the older review can overwrite newer work.

Important Limit for Long Chapters

In this version, Editorial Check and Humanizer shorten very long chapter input at about 60,000 characters. Saving a shortened review can replace the whole chapter and lose its unprocessed ending. This is a saving risk, not just a less detailed review.

For unusually long chapters, make a separate backup and divide the work into shorter chapters before using these tools. Check that the end of the original is still present in the accepted version before saving. If you see a trimming notice or a missing ending, do not save the review over the original. Close the review and keep the backed-up chapter.

Timeline

Timeline is a separate planning and analysis view. Its curve can represent emotion, tension, hope, a relationship, fortune, or dramatic intensity. Moving an event on the graph does not move a paragraph in your manuscript.

1. Open Tools > Timeline.
2. Choose Selected Chapter, Whole Book, or a named chapter in Scope. Selected Chapter follows Chapter Manager; a named chapter stays fixed.
3. Choose Plan Story to arrange future events or Analyze Draft to interpret existing writing.
4. Add events yourself, or use Generate / Predict or Analyze / Regenerate as shown for the mode.
5. Review any AI analysis before accepting it. Then click Save Timeline.

Save before changing scope or closing. Closing can discard unsaved timeline changes without another warning. A changed manuscript can make old analysis out of date; run a new analysis when needed.

Add or Edit an Event

Click Add Event, or click an existing event in the summary or graph. Fill in the fields, then click Save & Activate Event at the bottom. This saves the event and timeline. Cancel closes the editor without applying those edits.

Drag a graph point to adjust position and value. Arrow keys move a focused point; Enter opens its editor. You can also drag event-summary rows to change their order. Use Major events only to show major and critical events. The zoom buttons enlarge or reduce the view; Reset View restores normal zoom and clears comparison overlays.

Timeline Analysis and Cost

Analysis uses saved chapter prose, not unsaved board changes. Even Plan Story's Generate / Predict needs some manuscript text. For a new blank story, add planned events manually first.

Timeline analysis follows the Timeline model choice and can use Star Credits. Predict Impact uses the Free local model. Do not assume the entire window is free because an old label mentions local AI. Cancellation may need to wait for the current analysis pass to finish; already processed work may still be charged.

Accepted analysis preserves author-created, author-edited, and locked events where supported. Read the proposed changes. They remain an interpretation of the story rather than a complete factual record.

Timeline Settings, Snapshots, and Exports

Open More > Settings. Choose the curve preset, axis label, low and high meanings, smooth/straight/stepped line style, and snapping setting, then Apply Settings. Numeric snapping adjusts curve increments. Do not rely on chapter or scene snapping to detect exact text boundaries in this version. Save Timeline to keep the changes.

Snapshots and graph edits do not change chapter prose. They are not full-story backups.

15. Board Widgets

There are seven board widgets: Definitions, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Video, Radio, Music, and Outline. They start hidden. Open Settings > Widgets and click a widget's button to show it; click again to hide it. Advanced settings do not need to be on.

Drag a widget by its heading to move it. Its position is remembered in the browser. A widget's clear button clears its current display, not your story. Stop media playback before hiding Video, Radio, or Music.

Definitions and Thesaurus

For Definitions, type a word and click Define. For Thesaurus, type a word and click Find. Read the scrollable result. Clear empties the lookup and shrinks the widget again.

Both use local lookup data where available and can try an online service for missing information. A cached result may work offline; a new online lookup needs a connection. A word not found is not proof that the word is wrong. The browser's spelling marks and these lookup tools are separate features.

Encyclopedia

Type a subject and click Search. Select an article result, read the summary, and use Read on Wikipedia for the source page. Return to results when offered or Clear to start again. This widget provides text, not a guarantee that an article is correct. Follow the source and check important facts.

Video

Enter a search or paste a YouTube link, then click Go. Choose a result and use the player controls to play, pause, or stop. The YouTube logo opens YouTube. Clear removes the current display.

The player needs an internet connection. Some videos refuse embedded playback, are unavailable in your region, or have been removed. Search can also run out of its shared daily allowance. Try an existing link or open the video on YouTube if appropriate. Playing a video here does not ask the writing AI to watch or summarize it.

Radio

Enter a station search and click Find. Choose a station to play it. Use the favorite control beside a station to add or remove it from Favourites. Switch between Results and Favourites to find it again. Stop ends playback; clear resets the display.

Station streams can fail, change address, or take time to start. Try another station if one fails. Favorites are kept in this browser, so clearing browser data or moving computers may remove them.

Music

Use Folder to choose a folder of your own audio files, or Files to choose individual tracks. Approve the folder permission only for the music you want Conteur to read. This is separate from broad Computer Access.

Use Filter tracks to narrow the list. Choose a track, then use Play/Pause, Previous, and Next. Rescan checks the selected source again. Folder tracks are grouped by folder. Clear stops playback and clears the current display.

The folder choice can be saved for later use. A hand-picked Files list lasts only for the current session; choose those files again after restarting. Playback depends on formats your browser supports. Keep the original audio files in place and only use music you are entitled to play.

Outline

The Outline widget shows the current story's saved outline beside your writing. Expand or fold existing branches with plus and minus. Collapse folds the tree. Refresh reloads the saved outline. Edit opens Outline Builder for changes or generated detail.

The widget is a reading aid, not a second outline editor. Its plus buttons reveal existing material rather than generating new detail. If it is empty, select the correct story and create or save an outline first. Keep it clear of the Video player and other controls.

16. Finalize, Exporting Work, and EPUB Ebooks

Choose an export according to what you want to send: the latest reply, saved chapters, the current Finalize text, or an EPUB working copy. These choices can contain different versions of your book.

Quick Export Bar

These buttons do not gather all earlier replies, a separate tool report, or every saved chapter. Quick exports may add the profile name, pen name, and time. Check the result before sharing it.

Export Saved Chapters

1. Choose Stories > Export.
2. Leave Complete Story checked to export all saved chapters. To choose chapters, uncheck Complete Story and check the ones you want.
3. Choose Word, PDF, HTML, or Copy.
4. For a file export, look in Downloads and inspect the file that opens. Copy places plain text on the clipboard.
5. Check chapter order, the opening and ending of each chapter, and any special characters.

Exports follow the stored Chapter Manager order. Conteur exports chapter text with titles; it does not reproduce Finalize's images, tables, page sizes, or running headers. HTML uses a simple text layout. Word creates ordinary paragraphs. PDF uses a basic Letter-size layout.

Start a Finalize Session

1. Save the chapter you want to format. Keep a separate copy before a large change.
2. Load the chapter, or use Load Book for an assembled copy of saved chapters.
3. Click Finalize at the top left. Click in the document to edit.
4. Highlight text for character formatting. Click inside a paragraph for paragraph controls. Select an image or table cell before using its controls.
5. Apply a change, check its appearance, then click Save.
6. Check any exported file in the program or reader that will use it.

Create and Finalize share working text. Changes can pass between the two views before you save. Switching modes does not make a spare copy.

Know Which Version You Are Saving

The current screen has no visible Open control for the saved complete-book document. Do not depend on Load Book to recover whole-book-only changes. Keep a text export, and make important prose changes in the individual chapters too. Story Export and EPUB normally start from saved chapters, not the separate whole-book document.

An old Finalize copy of a chapter can take priority over its newer plain text during EPUB creation. After changing chapter prose, check the EPUB source and refresh the chapter's formatting copy if needed. Inspect both the first and last paragraphs.

Finalize Toolbar

The bottom status shows saved state, words, and pages. The page total is an editor estimate. Save before leaving even if a layout change did not trigger an unsaved warning.

Format Presets and Drop Caps

Open Format, choose a preset, then close the menu with Format to apply it. Double-click a preset label to apply it at once. You can choose Romance and Romantic Comedy, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Literary Fiction, Epic or Very Long Novel, Young Adult Fiction, or Novella. The menu offers trim sizes from 5 × 8 through 6 × 9 inches, with two size choices for several genres.

Presets set a starting font, margins, indentation, and chapter spacing. Page settings and other screen rules can override parts of a preset. Treat the result as a starting point and inspect it after saving.

For a drop cap, highlight the first letter within one paragraph and click Drop Cap. Highlighting several letters enlarges those letters. Clicking again can remove the last inserted drop cap.

Page and Header/Footer

Open Page, enter settings, then choose Apply page layout. Done or the close button closes the panel; it does not apply unconfirmed fields or save the book.

Mirrored margins, pages per sheet, book-fold booklet, and paper source appear in the panel, but this build does not carry them through to printer layout. Set booklet printing or paper trays in your printing program. Do not treat these choices as proof that a print-ready book has been created.

In Header/Footer, choose Show header or Show footer, then enter text for left and right pages. Use Different left and right pages to alternate them. Choose Outer, Inner, Center, Left, or Right alignment.

You may use {book}, {chapter}, {author}, and {page} in the text. The chapter token uses the current chapter title; it does not detect each chapter throughout a whole book. Check the author token because profile fields can differ from the pen name you expect.

For page numbers, choose Header, Footer, or No page numbers. Select ordinary numbers, “Page 1,” Roman numbers, or letters. Set Begin on document page, First displayed number, and an optional Stop after page. Hide on first page hides the decorations and number there. The current Hide on chapter-opening pages choice also checks only the first physical page.

Click Apply to use the settings or Cancel to leave them unapplied. Header/Footer Apply can replace earlier page-size and margin settings. Recheck Page afterward, save, and inspect the result. The gutter/KDP notice is a rough estimate, not approval of a publishing file.

Breaks and Paragraphs

Tab stops, tab type/leader, and Suppress line numbering keep settings but do not provide a complete tab or line-numbering system. Do not use them as a substitute for checking a finished document in a layout program.

Chapters and Lists Panels

In Chapters, click inside a title. Choose Title/part, Chapter, or Subchapter, then Format selected title. Choose the requested start page, numbering style, and whether to include the heading in navigation. This build stores some of these choices without enforcing them: automatic chapter numbering and the include/exclude switch do not fully control the generated contents list.

Make part page creates a large centered title block. Apply opening paragraph rules can remove the first indent or add a first-letter drop cap. Keep heading with first paragraph adds a layout request; the paginator may ignore it. The Automatic page break and part-page hide controls are incomplete. Enter a Scene-break symbol and choose Insert scene break to separate scenes.

Use chapter in running header changes the global header. Different header after this chapter does not create a separate chapter-specific header. Insert automatic table of contents creates a snapshot of headings as links, without page numbers. Rebuild it after heading changes and avoid adding repeated copies.

In Lists, choose Bulleted, Numbered, or Multilevel list. Multilevel starts as an ordinary numbered list; use Increase level and Decrease level to nest items. Start/restart at sets the current list's first number. Continue numbering works with an immediately preceding numbered list.

Outline level can turn text into a heading. Choosing Body does not always turn a heading back into normal text. Number heading adds a typed prefix using Chapter, Part–chapter, Appendix, Legal, or Custom options. Some labels use simplified numbering, and repeated clicks can add repeated prefixes. Toggle legal numbering affects list counters.

For captions, choose Figure, Table, or Equation, enter caption text, then Insert automatic caption. Renumber all captions updates recognized caption numbers. Captions are separate text; cross-references do not update with them.

Columns and Objects

In Columns, choose one to four columns, spacing, and an optional dividing line, then Apply to current section. Unequal widths is incomplete. Insert column break adds a break request. Text box and Sidebar insert editable boxes. Linked text box does not make text flow from one box into another. Pull quote styling has limitations in this build.

Enter the box's starting text before inserting it. For an object already in the document, select it and choose wrapping. Left/right wrapping has limited support; Behind text, Fixed on page, and Anchor to paragraph do not provide a full page-positioning system.

Tables Panel

1. Place the cursor where you want a table. Enter the number of rows and columns, then Insert table. The first row is a heading row. Limits are 50 rows and 20 columns.
2. Click a cell before using Add row, Delete row, Add column, or Delete column. Deleting removes the affected text too.
3. Use cell margin and vertical alignment, then Apply cell settings.
4. Choose table border, header shading, and text wrapping, then Apply table style.
5. Read the table after saving, printing, or changing page size.

The Fit selector does not control insertion in this build. Header row/repeat and Allow rows to break add settings, but the screen paginator moves the table as one block. Large tables can extend beyond the visible page.

Split table moves the current row and the rows below it into a second table. Sort selected column sorts body rows in ascending order. Sum numbers above inserts a one-time total into the current cell; changing numbers later does not recalculate it. Add table caption inserts a numbered label.

Navigate and Proofing

The AutoCorrect option handles a small fixed set of typos; it is not continuous proofreading. The quotes-and-dashes label does not provide full smart-quote conversion. Cleanup and replacement can affect document markup, so use a copy for major changes.

Finalize Limits to Check Before Publishing

Saving or changing a layout can divide the text into new pages. Paragraphs over 160 words can lose internal bold, italic, links, or drop caps during that process. Oversized pictures, tables, and blocks can look clipped. The page builder does not enforce all page breaks, odd/even starts, or keep-together rules.

Use Finalize for editing and layout work with these limits in mind. Open the exported file and check it page by page. For a print-ready book with strict margins, page numbers, tables, and images, finish and verify the layout in a document or publishing program that preserves them. A correct-looking Conteur screen is not proof of a matching PDF.

Create an EPUB Ebook

EPUB is a book file that lets readers change font size and lets text flow onto their screen. Its page count changes with the reader's device and settings. Conteur's EPUB window has eight steps: Book Content, Book Information, Cover, Navigation, Styling, Preview, Validation, and Export.

1. Save and check the manuscript chapters. Open Finalize, then Create EPUB.
2. Review Book Content. Include the sections you want and put them in order.
3. Enter Book Information. Add a cover if wanted.
4. Check Navigation and choose Styling.
5. Read Preview, make corrections, and save them using both save steps described below.
6. Run Validate EPUB. Fix errors and review warnings.
7. Choose Save EPUB, select a destination, then open the result in an ebook reader.

Use the step buttons to jump to a step or Back and Next to move through them. You can drag, resize, or maximize the window. EPUB creation does not call a paid AI model. Keep a copy before importing or rebuilding an existing ebook project.

EPUB Book Content and Import

Import accepts an EPUB up to 100 MB, with further limits on expanded contents. It converts supported text and images; it does not promise an exact copy of all styles, fonts, tables, or navigation. Check imported sections and pictures before saving over any existing ebook file.

Unmodified manuscript sections can refresh from saved chapters when the workspace opens or saves. The EPUB copy is not a fixed snapshot unless you keep an exported backup. Opening it from a single active chapter may also bring in that chapter's unsaved Finalize text. Whole-book Finalize changes do not receive the same treatment.

Changed Manuscripts and Reset

If Conteur shows a changed-source notice, choose Update Changed Sections to bring in fresh source sections while retaining supported local corrections. This can reset ordering or other section choices, so review them again. Rebuild from Manuscript discards source-section corrections while keeping custom sections and other ebook settings. It saves the rebuilt workspace.

Compare Changes compares saved ebook corrections with saved chapter text. Keep Current EPUB Copy dismisses the notice; it does not freeze all future source updates. Reset offers current section, styling, navigation, metadata, or entire workspace. “Entire EPUB Workspace” currently uses Rebuild and still keeps some settings and custom content. Do not expect a complete factory reset.

EPUB Book Information

Fill in title, author, language, and the unique identifier. Conteur normally supplies an identifier. Use a language tag such as en-US or es-MX. Restore Project Information replaces entered information with current project defaults after confirmation.

The form also includes subtitle, author sort name, contributors, editor, illustrator, publisher, publication date, ISBN, series name and number, copyright year, subject categories, keywords, rights statement, and description.

This build writes title, author, language, identifier, publisher, publication date, series information, subjects, rights, and description into the ebook package. Several other fields remain workspace notes: subtitle, author sort, contributors, editor, illustrator, separate ISBN, copyright year, and keywords. Put essential reader-facing information in a title or copyright section too. Do not enter a series number without its series name.

EPUB Cover and Navigation

Choose Cover accepts a JPEG or PNG up to 30 MB. Check the preview and image dimensions. Conteur may resize a large cover and convert it to JPEG. Remove Cover deletes the workspace cover after confirmation. Both actions save at once. A cover is optional, though you should review any size or shape warnings.

The Alternative text field is available, but this build exports the fixed description “Book cover” instead. There is no cover crop or positioning tool.

In Navigation, check entries you want readers to see and edit their labels. Restore Automatic Navigation resets labels and visibility from the sections. Flatten navigation hierarchy is stored, but this build produces a flat contents list either way. Test Every Link checks missing labels; it does not test all links inside the book. Open the exported contents and links in a reader yourself.

EPUB Styling

Choose Classic Fiction, Modern Fiction, Literary, Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Minimal, or Custom. Restore Theme Defaults reapplies the chosen theme; it does not reset Custom.

Changing themes can reset custom CSS and image-width choices. Review these after changing a theme. Preview and export use some different rules, so the exported reader view is the final check.

EPUB Preview and Corrections

Use the section selector or Previous/Next to move through included sections. Device choices change the preview frame: phone, e-reader, tablet, or responsive. Light, Dark, Sepia, orientation, and A−/A+ affect the preview, not the saved book's reading preferences. Readers choose their own display settings.

1. Select the section to correct. Edit the section heading, navigation label, or text in Final Corrections.
2. Click Save EPUB Changes inside the correction editor. This puts those edits into the current working copy in memory.
3. Click the separate Save EPUB Changes in the window footer. This writes the working copy to the story file.
4. Reopen or refresh the section and check the words you changed.
5. Validate and export only after checking your saved corrections.

Refresh redraws from the working copy; it can discard text you typed but did not collect with the editor's save button. Undo/Redo cover some workspace changes, not all raw typing. Find uses browser search. Replace can also affect hidden formatting, so check its result. Spellcheck uses your browser. Restore from Manuscript replaces the current correction with its available source copy.

Apply Ebook Corrections Back to Chapters

The ebook and manuscript remain separate until you choose an Apply to Manuscript action. Apply Selected Change means the whole current linked section, not a highlighted word. Apply All Eligible Changes targets saved linked corrections. Imported or EPUB-only sections do not have a chapter to update.

1. Save through the correction editor, then save through the footer.
2. Choose Apply Selected Change to Manuscript or Apply All Eligible Changes to Manuscript.
3. Read the comparison. If it shows old words or no change, cancel and check both saves.
4. Confirm only after checking the chapter and replacement text.
5. Open the chapter afterward and inspect its beginning, ending, and special content.

This transfers plain text. It does not keep all images or layout, change chapter titles, or refresh the chapter's older Finalize HTML. Make a story copy first. Check future EPUB openings for an older formatted version taking priority over the corrected prose.

Validate and Export the EPUB

Click Validate EPUB. Conteur saves the submitted workspace, builds a test ebook, and lists errors and warnings. Open Location tries to take you to the affected section, Cover, or Information. Ignore Warning hides a card; it does not fix the problem or guarantee the next validation will ignore it.

Fix errors before choosing Save EPUB. Choose the destination in the file dialog and confirm any intended overwrite. On success, use Open File, Open Folder, Return to EPUB Editor, or Close. An overwrite retry may reopen the save dialog, so check the destination again.

Conteur checks the book's package, required information, and some links and images. If EPUBCheck is installed, the status reports its additional check; otherwise you have internal validation only. A pass does not guarantee bookstore acceptance, accessibility, or working links to every paragraph.

17. Settings

Open Settings from the sidebar. Drag its title bar to move it. The minus button minimizes it; the X closes it. Click Advanced: Off to show advanced controls, and click again to hide them. Closing the window does not replace Save Settings.

Display and Background Images

These controls change the writing screen. They do not set the book's final typography. Use Finalize or EPUB Styling for that work.

To add a background, choose an image file and click Add Background Image. Select it in the list and click Use Selected Background. Move Background image translucency to make it less or more visible. The label shows its visibility percentage. Keep writing readable over the image.

To rename a saved background, select it, enter its new name, then Rename Selected Background. Delete Selected Background removes it from the collection. No Background clears the displayed picture without requiring you to delete the collection.

Advanced Settings

Advanced contains Computer Access, Database Location, Conteur Cloud Account, AI Model Selection, and Adaptive Learning. Sections 18 and 19 explain models and permissions. Use the cloud sign-in buttons here or beside your profile; they address the same cloud account.

A development installation may show View app as with a Plan preview choice. This changes the previewed appearance only. It does not buy a plan, add credits, or grant access. Return to My actual plan before checking account behavior.

Move the Database

1. Save open writing and make a separate story copy.
2. Open Settings > Advanced > Database Location. Note the current path.
3. Click Change Database Location and choose the destination folder.
4. Wait for the copy and verification to finish. Do not move files yourself while it runs.
5. Check the new path and open several saved chapters, builder profiles, and other needed data.
6. Keep the old folder until you have checked the move and made a backup.

Delete Old Folder removes the previous database folder. Use it only after those checks. Dismiss hides the reminder without deleting that folder. Conteur checks the copied files' counts and sizes; still open your work to confirm it is usable.

Adaptive Learning

Conteur uses the Free model in the background to collect reusable working preferences for the active workspace. For example, a repeated request for short answers may become a preference. This does not retrain the AI or spend Star Credits. It starts after you choose a memory folder.

Read the status, lesson count, and recent preferences in Advanced > Adaptive Learning. Story facts belong in Story Memory or Captured Details, rather than in working preferences. One-time directions and sensitive data are not intended as learning material.

Use Clear Adaptive Learning and confirm to remove the saved learning. This does not delete chapters or builder profiles. Continue giving clear instructions for the current request; a learned preference is not a guarantee of perfect behavior.

18. AI Models, Plans, and Star Credits

The model is the AI that writes or checks text. Free runs on your computer. Cloud models run through your signed-in Conteur account and require a connection. Model access depends on your plan, while a tool can have a separate plan restriction.

Choose Models

1. Open Settings and turn Advanced on.
2. Find AI Model Selection. Choose one model for the whole program, or choose models for individual features.
3. Select only choices your account can use. Some changes save as you make them; use Save Settings to confirm your settings.
4. Run the available model test and read its result. Try a short, low-risk request before a large job.
5. Recheck your selections if a test fails. A failed non-Free test can reset that choice to Free.

Universal applies one model across the program. Per-feature routing lets you assign separate models for Generation, Story Checks, Quality Control, World Builder, Character Builder, Outline Builder, Chapter Builder, Check Continuity, Evaluate, Editorial Check, Humanizer, and Timeline. Choosing N/A means use the fallback selection, then Free if needed; it does not disable the feature. Help uses Free.

The current in-app list includes Free, Claude Haiku 4.5, GPT-5.4 Mini, Claude Sonnet 5, GPT-5.6 Luna, Claude Opus 4.5, and GPT-5.6 Sol. Treat these as Conteur's displayed choices, not permission to configure an arbitrary provider. The old Add API Model/API key instructions do not describe the current customer model-selection screen.

The Free model is Qwen2.5-7B Q4_K_M. Its first load can take time and it cannot read pictures. Evaluate requires a much larger verified reading capacity than Free provides. Images and PDFs require the supported choices described in section 6.

If a test reports “Good to Go” but real requests still fail, record the error and contact support. A successful connection check does not prove every tool or attachment type works.

Plans & Credits

Click Plans & Credits in the top bar. Review the current Free, Plus, Pro, and Author Studio information, monthly/annual choices, included credits, and available models. Prices and offers can change; use the amounts shown in the live purchase screen rather than an old handbook price.

1. Sign in to Conteur Cloud with the account you intend to use.
2. Open Plans & Credits and choose the offered plan or top-off.
3. Read the price, billing period, and terms in the checkout before paying.
4. Finish checkout in the browser, then return to Conteur.
5. Refresh Cloud Status or account status if the new purchase has not appeared. Check that this workspace links to the right account.

The checkout handles real payments. Do not repeat a purchase merely because the desktop balance is slow to refresh. Check the payment result and account status first.

Paid Tools include Check Continuity, Evaluate, Editorial Check, Humanizer, and Timeline in this build. A star and Upgrade to Access indicate a plan restriction. Free-model selection does not remove that restriction. Story Overview has been retired; do not look for its old button.

Read the Credit Balance

Star Credits pay for eligible cloud AI work. Local Free generation, help, and local EPUB creation do not spend them. Credit use depends on the model and the amount of work, not a fixed price for each click.

Conteur can reserve credits before a request and settle the amount afterward. A cancelled or failed request may still have processed some work. Check the refreshed balance before assuming the whole reservation has disappeared or become a charge.

Monthly credits refresh according to the account's cycle. Top-off credits are separate; the account uses the available monthly allowance before top-off credits. Read the current account display for your balances and renewal date. Paid-plan access is required for offered top-off purchases.

An out-of-credits notice may offer Use Free Model or Buy Top Off. Use Free Model changes model routing to Free; it does not unlock paid tools or make unsupported attachments readable. Whole-book checks can process many chapters and use more credits than a single-chapter check. Start with one chapter to judge the results.

Account Status and Plan Changes

Open account status to review the plan, cycle, renewal information, notices, available actions, and recent payments. If information is missing, refresh after confirming cloud sign-in and workspace linking. The desktop display depends on the account service's response.

Use Manage Subscription or the offered account action to open subscription management. Read whether the change takes effect now or at renewal. Current-period upgrades and renewal changes can follow different paths. Use Cancel My Plan/Cancel to Free only after reading the offered cancellation and refund preview. Eligibility and amounts come from your account; this handbook does not promise a refund.

This build contains overlapping cancellation handling. If a cancellation appears to succeed and then shows an error, check account status or contact support before repeating it. Do not treat a second error message as proof that the first action failed.

Customer Support in Plans & Credits opens a message form. See section 21 for sending a useful report without sharing private credentials.

19. Computer Access and Privacy

Computer Access starts off. Leave it off unless you need Conteur to use local information or a file path in a prompt. Opening a workspace is not password protection for your Windows files; protect a shared computer through your Windows account and file permissions.

Click Save Settings and approve only the permissions you intend. File reading and writing require the master Computer Access switch. Supported writing is for ordinary text formats such as TXT, Markdown, CSV, JSON, HTML, RTF, XML, and logs, rather than unlimited control of your computer.

Cloud Requests and Chosen Attachments

Choosing a cloud model sends the request and relevant supplied context to that service. The Computer Access switch does not prevent this. Choosing a file through Choose Files is also an explicit way to supply it, even if broad file reading is off.

Use Free for supported local text work when you do not want a cloud generation request. Online widgets, purchases, account checks, updates, and support still make their own connections. Signing in does not create a cloud backup of your library.

Keep Private Material Private

• Share only the story passages needed for the task or support question.
• Remove passwords, sign-in codes, account tokens, and private paths from screenshots or copied logs.
• Keep story copies and program backups in a private location. A program backup can include account or configuration data.
• Review a support attachment before sending it. Sending an entire database is seldom necessary.

Saved workspace learning, story files, exports, and browser recovery serve different purposes. Clearing one does not erase all the others. See Appendix B before removing data or moving computers.

20. Internet Research

Live web research in chat is disabled in this build. Asking “search the web,” “look it up,” or “Deep Scan” does not make the AI retrieve current sources. The older handbook's web-research instructions no longer apply.

For current facts, open trusted sources in your browser and check their dates. Copy the relevant passage into Conteur and explain what help you want with it. A link alone is not proof that Conteur opened the page. Keep source details so you can check claims before publishing.

The Encyclopedia widget can look up online reference material, and Video and Radio have online functions. These are separate from live web research in chat. They do not grant access to your email, private accounts, subscription pages, or unpublished files.

AI can invent facts and citations. Check source documents yourself, especially for health, law, money, history, or claims about living people. Conteur's current web-research setting is a software limit, not a statement about what a model vendor might support elsewhere.

21. Updates, Restore, Safe Mode, and Uninstall

Open Updates And Restore from the sidebar. You can move or minimize the window. Save writing and copy important story files before an update or restore.

Official Online Updates

1. Choose Beta or Stable under Update channel. Read what is offered for that channel.
2. Click Check for Updates. Read the version and release notes.
3. Choose Download Update to download first, or Download and Install to continue through both stages.
4. If you downloaded first, use Install Downloaded Update when ready.
5. Allow verification, backup, installation, and restart to finish. Reopen a story and check the version afterward.

Automatically check for updates checks availability; it does not mean every update installs without your choice. Remind Me Later postpones the offer. View Release Notes opens the supplied notes.

Conteur checks official update information, file integrity, signatures, and version requirements. If an update requires a newer base installer, use the official full installer. Do not rename an unrelated ZIP or bypass an invalid-signature warning.

Manual Update and Revert

In Downloaded Update Installer, choose the trusted update ZIP, then click Update. Wait for the result. Cancel clears the selected package; it does not promise to stop an installation already running. Revert restores the available previous update state. Read the confirmation and save work before continuing.

Conteur creates a restore point and validates supported changes. It can roll back a failed update, but you should still keep a separate manuscript copy.

Make and Restore Backups

Back up the actual database location separately when you need the full workspace, including settings and assets. Close Conteur before making a manual complete copy. Check the copy before deleting the original. Keep program backups private because they can contain configuration data.

Logs and Safe Mode

Refresh Logs displays recent application errors. Read or copy the relevant message before choosing Clear Logs. Clearing a log does not repair the error.

Open Safe Mode starts the reduced recovery interface. If the normal screen will not load, use the installed Safe Mode launcher if available. Use its recovery controls or a known-good restore point. Do not delete application files at random to force it to start.

Support and Feature Suggestions

For a problem, open Customer Support in Plans & Credits. For an idea, choose Updates And Restore > New Feature Suggestions. Fill in the name/email fields and message, then Send. Cloud sign-in may be required by the form.

Describe what you clicked, what you expected, and what happened. Include the Conteur version and the exact error. You can add up to five supported attachments, up to 8 MB each. Remove private story text or credentials unless they are needed and you intend to share them. Wait for confirmation before sending again.

The current forms use the application's support relay. The old Formspree setup instructions do not apply to customers. If sending fails, check the connection and sign-in, preserve your message, and retry after the problem clears.

Shut Down or Uninstall

Use Shut Down in Updates And Restore to stop Conteur, then close the browser window. Save first. Closing a tab alone can leave the local program running.

The current normal screen has no Uninstall button. Use Windows Settings > Apps and the installed Conteur uninstaller. Read its separate choices about keeping stories, settings, and the downloaded model. Make and verify a copy before choosing to remove saved data. Cancelling uninstall leaves the installation in place.

22. Installer and Distribution

Use the official Conteur installer and update source. The current installer targets 64-bit Windows and normally installs for the current Windows user under AppData\Local\Conteur. It does not require you to run the old multi-part developer download procedure.

1. Download the official installer and close a running Conteur session after saving work.
2. Read the license and installation choices. Use the offered folder or choose a suitable location.
3. Allow the installation to finish. Create the offered shortcut if you want one.
4. Start Conteur from the shortcut, create or open a workspace, and choose its database location.
5. Download the Free model when offered if you want local AI generation.

Allow several gigabytes of free space. The current installer checks for about 5.5 GB; the model download is about 4.7 GB. Working files, updates, and backups need additional room. A slow first model load does not mean your story has disappeared.

Installer choices can vary between releases. Follow the signed package's prompts rather than running old developer scripts. If Windows cannot verify a download, confirm its source before proceeding. For a moved installation or broken shortcut, check where the shortcut points; moving a shortcut does not move the program or database.

Keep installer repair/removal separate from story recovery. A fresh program install does not restore missing manuscripts unless you kept their database or copied story files.

23. Troubleshooting

Save or copy any visible writing before restarting. Use the following checks before repeating a paid request or destructive action.

Reporting a Persistent Problem

Record the version, workspace/story name if safe to share, control used, exact error, and whether the Free or a cloud model was selected. Add a screenshot that excludes private credentials. Open Updates And Restore > Refresh Logs for relevant errors. Do not clear evidence before sending a support request.

24. What Conteur Cannot Do

• Guarantee that generated prose, summaries, or facts are correct. Read and decide what to keep.
• Perform live web research through chat in this build, or open private websites because you typed a link.
• Read images with Free, or read every word of a long chat attachment.
• Guarantee exact word counts, complete recall of a long series, or that a review finds every contradiction.
• Generate image artwork through the writing tools. An image prompt or inserted picture is different from image generation.
• Guarantee that Finalize's screen pages match Word, PDF, or printed pages. Several advanced layout controls remain incomplete.
• Guarantee that an imported EPUB retains all styles, pictures, tables, and metadata, or that a validation pass means retailer acceptance.
• Preserve unsaved work through every crash, close action, or workspace change. Make verified backups.
• Turn a cloud subscription into an automatic online manuscript backup.
• Provide unrestricted computer control. Local file access has permission and file-type limits.
• Retrain its AI through Adaptive Learning. It keeps working guidance around the model.
• Replace your judgment, a professional editor, or specialist advice about rights, health, law, or money.

This edition describes the installed 0.2.7 source and its visible controls, checked against the development journal through September 16, 2026. The source review and a read-only running-app version check establish the edition covered. They do not constitute a live test of every purchase, AI request, export, or device. After an update, check changed controls and release notes.

25. Best Daily Workflows

Daily Writing Session

1. Open Conteur and choose the right workspace and story. Confirm Active Memory.
2. Load the saved chapter you intend to work on, or start a new section.
3. Check the prose voice and model. Check credits before cloud work.
4. Write or ask for a specific change. Review the answer and edit it yourself.
5. Save the intended chapter. Check its title and ending after the save.
6. Export a copy when you reach a useful stopping point. Keep dated backups outside the live story folder.
7. Use Shut Down when finished.

Plan and Draft a New Chapter

1. Review World and Character profiles in Captured Details.
2. Create or revise the outline. Expand only the lines that need more detail.
3. Use Chapter Builder for a planned chapter or Pantser Builder for discovery writing.
4. Set the chapter title, point of view, word target, and needed story facts.
5. Review the result before saving. Correct any invented facts you do not want.
6. Save the chapter and update the outline or profiles if your story direction changed.

Revise a Draft with Control

1. Copy the story or export the original chapters.
2. Choose an eligible model and scope for Evaluate or Check Continuity. Read the report.
3. Run Editorial Check or Humanizer on one suitable-length chapter first.
4. Compare suggestions. Accept only the changes you want.
5. Check the chapter's opening, ending, names, and important facts before saving over it.
6. Repeat for other chapters. Whole-book review can take time and spend more cloud credits.

Prepare a Book to Share

1. Put saved chapters in order. Add wanted front and back matter.
2. Export Complete Story to check the manuscript text outside Conteur.
3. Check Finalize's layout limits. Save lasting prose changes in Chapter Manager.
4. Check EPUB content, information, cover, and navigation. Use both correction-save controls.
5. Validate, export, and read the exported file. Test links and inspect pictures and chapter endings.
6. Keep the manuscript, ebook, cover, and a dated story backup as separate files.

Move to Another Computer

1. Save chapters and builder work. Export any whole-book-only text you need.
2. Preserve any older Downloads directory copy before running Copy Story Directory again.
3. Copy the story directory and, for settings and assets, the full database to safe storage.
4. Install Conteur on the new computer and create/open the destination workspace.
5. Use Install Directory for story files. Check imported titles, chapters, profiles, and series order.
6. Link the intended cloud account. Download Free on this computer if you need it.
7. Keep the old computer's data until you have verified the new setup.

Appendix A. Button Reference

Use this table to find the relevant instructions. Names such as Save, Reset, and Cancel have different meanings in different windows. Read the window title before clicking.

Appendix B. Data and Safety Map

Save a chapter, copy story files, and keep a full database backup for different reasons. Check the destination and contents before relying on any copy.

Before You Replace or Delete Anything

1. Check the workspace, story, chapter, or folder named in the window.
2. Make a separate copy and open it to confirm it contains the work you need.
3. Read whether the command changes a draft, saved chapter, whole book, ebook, or program installation.
4. Perform the change once and wait for its result.
5. Reopen the affected work and inspect it before removing the backup.