Get unstuck in Root

Root Workspace

Support covers installation, product behavior, import/export, backup guidance, and reproducible Root Workspace problems. Root cannot guarantee recovery when every local copy and backup is missing.

Root Connect

Support covers Root Connect purchase or restore problems, connection setup, Root-generated diagnostics, and synchronization problems between supported Root surfaces. Root cannot recover a Google account or guarantee Google Drive availability.

Root for Codex

Root for Codex is a free permanent beta. Its documentation and reproducible issue reports are best-effort only, with no guaranteed compatibility, response time, service level, or data recovery. Keep backups of your local Codex Drafts or supported legacy Codex notes folder.

How do I install Root and know it worked?

Both versions begin as private local workspaces. Choose iPhone, Chrome, or install both:

• On iPhone: download Root from the App Store, open it, then choose Start a new workspace. Capture one small note and confirm it appears in Inbox.
• In Chrome: install Root from the Chrome Web Store, choose Add to Chrome, then select the Root icon. If Research Draft opens in Chrome's side panel, the core install worked.
• Pin the Chrome extension if you want Research Draft easy to reach from the toolbar.

Set up Root Connect only if you want to sync devices with your Google Drive.

Already installed Root?

Use Getting Started for the short first-run loop: pin Root, open Research Draft, save or append one useful thought, open the full workspace, and keep one manual export outside the browser.

How should I connect iPhone and Chrome?

Start on iPhone so Chrome lands on a workspace that is already ready: download Root from the App Store, unlock Root Connect, connect Google Drive, and use Sync now. Then install Root from the Chrome Web Store, set up Root Connect with the same Google account, use Sync now, and confirm one small test note appears on both devices. Root Connect is the optional way to sync devices with your Google Drive.

How does Root open in Chrome?

Selecting the Root extension icon opens Research Draft in Chrome's side panel. The panel stays beside the page you are browsing. Use Open workspace when you want the full Root library and editor.

• Beside the web: use Research Draft for writing, quotes, findings, questions, and sources while you browse.
• Full workspace: use the open-workspace icon to review, edit, organize, search, and prepare handoffs.
• Closing the side panel does not close the full workspace tab.

How do I keep one stable full-workspace tab?

Use Open workspace from Research Draft, then pin or bookmark that tab if it helps. Root focuses and reuses the existing workspace tab when one is already open instead of creating duplicates.

Does Root replace my new-tab page?

No. The current public Chrome package leaves your usual new-tab page alone. Root opens Research Draft in Chrome's side panel and opens the full workspace in its own tab only when you choose Open workspace.

How do I back up or move my library?

Open Last backup in the top bar, then use Export library. That same menu also holds the import paths when you want to bring content back in. If you want to move content between machines or browser profiles, export first, then import on the other side.

Optional Root Connect can keep supported Root surfaces in sync through your own Google Drive, but it is not a complete backup or account-recovery service. Keep a normal export outside the browser even when Root Connect is active.

Where do I see backup status or Workspace health?

Use the Last backup control in the top bar. It shows whether you have never exported or how long it has been since the last full backup. The same menu opens Workspace health, which gives a quick local summary of items, snippets, open tasks, trash, and storage so you can sanity-check the workspace before a cleanup or move.

What do Archive, Trash, and Version do?

• Archive hides items without deleting them.
• Delete moves items into Trash first.
• Version helps recover recent local snapshots for an item.

Can I import or drag files into Root?

Yes. You can import by menu or drag one or more .md or .txt files straight onto the workspace. Drag-and-drop is best when you have a small set of loose scratch files and want to see them together in Root.

• Drag in multiple files at once.
• Use the sidebar to move between them without opening separate text editor windows.
• Edit the text, pull out checklist lines in Open Tasks, save reusable bits as Snippets, or use Context Handoff when you need to share the exact slice.

What can wipe a local-first beta?

In the current public Chrome package, Root lives in browser storage. If you clear browser site data, reset Chrome, delete the browser profile, or do a full cleanup without exporting first, the local workspace may be deleted.

What should I try if the extension looks stale after an update?

Reload it from chrome://extensions. If that still looks off, close the stale Root surfaces and reopen the workspace cleanly.

Why is Attach page unavailable sometimes?

Some internal Chrome pages, such as chrome://extensions and chrome://settings, do not expose the same page information that normal websites do. On those pages Attach page may be unavailable.

Does Root have built-in voice dictation?

No. Use your operating system's built-in dictation wherever your cursor is in Root. On Mac, use the Dictation shortcut you set in Keyboard settings. On Windows, press Windows logo key + H.

Does Root work in Incognito?

Not as your main workspace. Chrome can require explicit permission for extensions in Incognito, and Incognito windows are temporary by design. Root is safer in a normal browser profile where the local workspace persists.

Why does a context bundle feel too big?

Use a smaller scope, turn metadata off, or try Links only when the references are the real payload. The handoff is usually better when you narrow it before you copy.

What should I avoid while testing?

• Avoid editing the same item in multiple Root tabs at once.
• Export before switching profiles or machines.
• Do not assume a browser cleanup will spare local extension data.

What should I send in a support email?

Tell us what happened, which Root surface and version you were using, and the last thing you clicked before the problem showed up. For a Root Connect problem, include the safe Root-generated sync log if available, but never send passwords, authorization codes, or Google account recovery information.