Document Editing

Create and edit legal documents directly in SafeAppeals — Word, Excel, Markdown, and plain text — with full rich text and spreadsheet support.

Supported File Types

Working with Word Documents

SafeAppeals includes a built-in Word document editor, perfect for creating appeal letters and legal briefs.

Opening Word Files

1. Click on a .docx file in the File Explorer
2. The document opens in the visual editor
3. Edit using the formatting toolbar

Formatting Options

Creating New Word Documents

1. Right-click in the File Explorer
2. Select New File
3. Name the file with a .docx extension
4. Start typing in the visual editor

Working with Markdown

Markdown is a simple, portable text format that's great for notes, drafts, and documentation.

Markdown Basics

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

**Bold text** and *italic text*

- Bullet point
- Another point
  - Nested point

1. Numbered list
2. Second item

> Block quote for citing sources

[Link text](https://example.com)

---

| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   |

Preview Mode

• Ctrl+Shift+V — Open preview in new tab
• Ctrl+K V — Open side-by-side preview

Working with Excel Spreadsheets

Open .xlsx files in the built-in spreadsheet editor — useful for evidence catalogs, medical chronologies, billing summaries, and grant budgets.

Opening Spreadsheet Files

1. Click an .xlsx file in the File Explorer
2. The workbook opens in the visual spreadsheet editor
3. Edit cells, formulas, and sheets directly

Agent-Assisted Spreadsheets

In Agent mode, the assistant can read, create, and edit spreadsheets using safeappeals_xlsx_* tools — with the editor open for review or headlessly when the file is closed. See Agent Tools.

AI-Assisted Editing

Use the AI assistant to help write and edit your documents — in chat or via built-in document tools in Agent mode:

• Chat & Quick Edit — Select text, use Ctrl+K or send to chat for rewrites and summaries
• Agent document tools — safeappeals_docx_read/create/edit, safeappeals_xlsx_read/create/edit, and safeappeals_openDocument for structured create/edit workflows

Quick Edit (Ctrl+K)

1. Select the text you want to modify
2. Press Ctrl+K
3. Describe your change (e.g., "make more formal")
4. Review and accept the suggestion

Chat-Based Editing

1. Select text in your document
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+L to send to chat
3. Ask the AI to rewrite, expand, or analyze the text
4. Copy the result back into your document

Useful AI Prompts for Legal Documents

Saving and Exporting

Auto-Save

Enable auto-save to never lose work:

1. Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
2. Search for "Auto Save"
3. Set to "afterDelay" (recommended: 1000ms)

Manual Save

• Ctrl+S — Save current file
• Ctrl+Shift+S — Save As (new location/name)
• Ctrl+K S — Save all open files

Exporting

• Word to PDF: Use "Print to PDF" or an external tool
• Markdown to PDF: Install a Markdown PDF extension
• Markdown to HTML: Use the built-in export or extensions

Document Templates

Create templates for documents you use frequently:

1. Create your template document with placeholder text
2. Save it in a "Templates" folder
3. When needed, copy the template to your case folder
4. Edit the copy with your specific case details

Suggested Templates

Next Steps