Editing documents (the file editor)

The file editor is Esqase's built-in word processor. When you open a rich-text document, the editor fills the whole screen so you can write, format, and lay out a document the way you would in any familiar word processor, while everything you type saves automatically. This page walks through opening and editing a document, how autosave works, setting page size and orientation, saving and restoring versions, exporting, and commenting.

Before you begin

• The editor lives inside your firm's documents area, so you need access to your firm's Documents to use it.
• What you can do in the editor depends on your role's permissions for documents:
  • View access lets you open and read a document. Without edit access, the editor opens in read-only mode and shows View only next to the document name.
  • Update (edit) access lets you change the content, rename, move, copy, mark as a template, change page setup, and save versions.
  • Delete access lets you move the document to Trash.
  • Firm owners can always do everything.
• Comments are available to anyone who can view the document, so you can leave feedback even when you cannot edit the body text.

Open and edit a rich-text document

You open a document from the documents workspace, and it takes over the full window so you can focus on writing.

1. In the sidebar, click Documents.
2. Find the document you want. It can live at the top level or inside a folder. Rich-text documents are the ones you created in Esqase (not uploaded files).
3. Click the document to open it in the editor. The editor opens full-screen with the document name in the top-left corner and a toolbar above the page.
4. Click into the page and start typing. The page is laid out like real paper, so you can see exactly where text falls on the page and where each page break lands.

Format your text with the toolbar

The toolbar across the top of the page holds the everyday formatting controls. Hover over any button to see what it does. From left to right you will find:

• Undo and Redo for stepping back and forward through your changes.
• A turn into control plus font family and font size pickers to change how a block or selection looks.
• Text styles: Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Code, Text color, Background color, and Highlight.
• Link and Image for inserting a hyperlink or a picture.
• Align and Line height for paragraph layout.
• List buttons: Numbered list, Bulleted list, and a to-do (checkbox) list, plus a toggle (collapsible) block.
• Outdent and Indent to shift content left or right.
• Table, Emoji, and an Insert menu for adding other content.

Use the menu bar for everything else

Next to the document name at the top of the screen is a compact menu bar with File, Edit, Insert, and Format. These mirror the toolbar and add a few document-level actions.

• File: New document, Download (PDF or Word), Import Word (.docx), Rename, Make a copy, Save version, Version history, Page setup, Print, and Move to Trash. Some items appear only if your role allows them.
• Edit: Undo, Redo, and Select all.
• Insert: Table (pick a size from 1 x 1 up to 4 x 4), Image, Link, and Horizontal line.
• Format: Text (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough), Paragraph styles (Normal text, Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Quote), Bulleted list, Numbered list, and Clear formatting.

Rename, star, and other actions in the header

The header at the top of the editor also has quick actions on the right side:

• Mark as template / Remove template: turns this document into a reusable starting point. See Document templates.
• Star / Unstar: pins the document to your starred list for fast access later.
• Comments: the speech-bubble icon opens (or closes) the Comments panel on the right. See Comment on a document.
• Share: opens sharing options so others can view or comment. See Sharing documents.
• A record time control (if your role allows time tracking) to start or stop a timer tied to this document. Once that time entry has been billed or paid, the control becomes a view-only eye icon that opens the entry read-only. See Time and expense tracking.
• Download: exports the document (covered below).
• More actions (the three-dot menu): Rename, Move to, Make a copy, and Move to Trash.
• Close (the X): returns you to the folder the document lives in.

To rename quickly, click the document name in the top-left corner (if you have edit access) and type a new name.

How autosave works

You never have to click Save in the file editor. Esqase saves your changes for you as you type, so your work is always kept up to date.

• A small status indicator sits next to the menu bar at the top of the screen. It shows:
  • Saving... while your latest changes are being written.
  • Saved (with a checkmark) once they are stored.
  • Save failed (in red) if something went wrong, for example a dropped connection.
• Autosave waits a brief moment after you stop typing, then saves in the background. This means it batches a burst of edits into one save rather than saving every keystroke.
• If you close the tab or navigate away while a change is still pending, Esqase makes a final attempt to save it for you.

How autosave differs from versions

Autosave keeps the single, current copy of your document up to date. It does not create a snapshot you can roll back to. When you want a labeled point you can return to later, save a version (covered in the next section). Think of autosave as "never lose your latest work" and versions as "remember this exact state."

Set page size and orientation (Page setup)

Page setup controls the shape of the page, useful for matching court formatting rules or a firm template. The page on screen updates to match your choices, and exports and printouts use the same settings.

1. In the menu bar, click File, then Page setup. (You can also open it from the File menu at any time.)
2. In the Page setup dialog, choose your options:
   • Page size: pick from the dropdown. Options include Letter (8.5 x 11), Tabloid (11 x 17), Legal (8.5 x 14), Statement (5.5 x 8.5), Executive (7.25 x 10.5), Folio (8.5 x 13), and the ISO sizes A3, A4, A5, B4, and B5. The dropdown is searchable, so you can type to filter.
   • Orientation: choose Portrait (taller than wide) or Landscape (wider than tall).
   • Margins: set the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left margins. Margins are entered in inches.
3. Click Apply to use the new layout, or Cancel to discard your changes.

When you click Apply, the page redraws immediately. If you have edit access, the settings are also saved with the document, so the next time you (or anyone else) opens it, the same page setup is used. New documents start at Letter, Portrait, with one-inch margins by default.

View and restore content versions

A version is a saved snapshot of the document's content at a moment in time. Versions let you keep a record of major drafts and roll back if a later edit goes wrong. They are separate from autosave: autosave keeps the live copy current, while a version freezes a copy you can return to.

Save a version

1. In the menu bar, click File, then Save version. (You can also save a version from inside the Version history dialog.)
2. Esqase captures the current content and adds it to the version list. A confirmation shows the version number that was saved (for example, Version 3 saved).

You can save a version any time you reach a milestone, such as finishing a first draft or before making a big change.

View and restore an earlier version

1. In the menu bar, click File, then Version history.
2. The Version history dialog lists every saved version, newest at the top, with who saved it and when.
3. To capture the current state before browsing, click Save current version at the top of the dialog (available if you have edit access).
4. To go back to an earlier snapshot, click Restore next to that version.

When you restore, the document content is replaced with that version's content and the editor reloads to show it. Restoring does not delete your other versions, so you can always move forward again to a later one.

Export a document

You can download a document as a PDF or Word file, or send it straight to your printer. Exports use the document's current page size, orientation, and margins.

Download as PDF or Word

1. In the editor header, click Download (or open the File menu and choose Download).
2. Pick a format:
   • PDF (.pdf): a fixed-layout file that looks the same everywhere, ideal for filing, sharing, or signing.
   • Word (.docx): an editable Microsoft Word file.
3. Your browser downloads the file, named after the document.

Print

In the Download menu (or the File menu), click Print to open your browser's print dialog. The printed pages match the page size and orientation set in Page setup.

Import a Word file

If you have edit access, you can pull the contents of a Word document into the current document. In the File menu, choose Import Word (.docx), then select a .docx file from your computer. Its content is brought into the editor where you can keep editing.

Troubleshooting exports

• The buttons are greyed out. The editor is still loading, or an export is already running. Wait a moment and try again.
• The export did not download. Your browser may have blocked the download or a pop-up. Check your browser's download bar or settings, then retry.
• You see "We couldn't complete that. Please try again." A one-off problem interrupted the export. Try the download once more.

Comment on a document

Comments let you and your colleagues leave feedback on a document without changing its text. They are a chat-style conversation: one line per comment with the author's initial, name, and time. Anyone who can view the document can comment, so it works for review and approval even when someone cannot edit. The same comments panel is available on every kind of document, including uploaded files (see The documents workspace).

Open the Comments panel

1. In the editor header, click the Comments (speech-bubble) icon. The Comments panel opens on the right, with its own heading and a close (X) button.
2. The panel is separate from the side panel's Placeholders, Details, and Activity tabs. Opening comments hides that tabbed panel, and vice versa; only one shows at a time.
3. Click the X in the panel header, or the Comments icon again, to close it.

Add a comment

1. In the Comments panel, type your note into the Write a comment... use @ to mention box at the top.
2. Click the send button (or press Enter). A Comment posted confirmation appears, and your comment shows in the list with your name and how long ago you posted it.

If there are no comments yet, the panel reads No comments yet. Start the discussion.

Mention a teammate

Type @ in the comment box to bring up a list of your firm's members, then keep typing to search and click the person you want. Their name is inserted and highlighted in the posted comment, and they are notified (see the note on notifications below).

React and reply

• React: hover over a comment and click the add reaction (smiley) button, then pick one of the six quick reactions: 👍, ❤️, 😂, 😮, 😢, or 🙏. Reactions gather into small counters beneath the comment; click a counter to add or remove your own.
• Reply: hover over a comment and click the reply button. A Replying to banner naming the author appears above the box; type your reply and send it. The reply is posted with a short quote of the comment you answered.

Edit or delete your own comment

Hover over a comment you wrote to reveal its actions:

• Click the edit (pencil) button to change the text in place, then click Save. The comment then shows an edited marker next to its time.
• Click the delete (trash) button, then confirm. This removes the comment for everyone and cannot be undone.

Refresh and load older comments

Comments do not update live. Click the refresh button at the top of the panel to pull in new comments, and click Load more at the bottom to reveal older ones.

Common questions

• Does commenting change the document? No. Comments live in their own panel alongside the document and never edit the body content.
• Can clients see comments? No. These comments are for your firm's internal review. They are not shown on shared or signing links.

Related

• The documents workspace
• Document templates
• Document placeholders
• Sharing documents
• Requesting e-signatures
• Time and expense tracking
• Activity timelines and audit logs