Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is GeminiPaper?

GeminiPaper is an AI-powered research assistant that helps academics, researchers, and students manage and understand research papers. It combines intelligent paper management with AI-driven analysis to streamline your research workflow.

Who is GeminiPaper for?

GeminiPaper is designed for:

• Graduate students conducting literature reviews
• PhD candidates managing thesis research
• Academic researchers staying current in their fields
• Research teams collaborating on projects
• Independent researchers working outside institutions

How is GeminiPaper different from Zotero or Mendeley?

While traditional reference managers focus on citations and organization, GeminiPaper adds AI-powered understanding:

• AI summaries of papers
• Smart Q&A to interrogate papers
• Relationship mapping between papers
• Intelligent search by concepts, not just keywords
• Modern, intuitive interface

You can also import from Zotero or Mendeley and use GeminiPaper alongside them.

Is GeminiPaper free?

GeminiPaper offers both free and paid plans:

• Free plan: 50 papers/month, basic AI features
• Pro plan: $12/month, 500 papers/month, unlimited AI
• Team plan: $29/month/user, unlimited everything, collaboration features

See our pricing page for full details.

Account & Billing

How do I create an account?

1. Visit geminipaper.com
2. Click Sign Up
3. Choose sign-up method (email, Google, or GitHub)
4. Verify your email
5. Start uploading papers!

Can I change my plan later?

Yes! Upgrade or downgrade anytime:

1. Go to Settings → Billing
2. Click Change Plan
3. Select new plan
4. Confirm changes

Changes take effect immediately. Downgrades apply at the end of your billing period.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept:

• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AmEx)
• Debit cards
• PayPal (Pro and Team plans)
• Bank transfer (Team plans, annual billing only)

Is there a student discount?

Yes! Students get 50% off Pro plans:

1. Sign up with your .edu email address
2. Or verify student status with ID
3. Discount applied automatically

Can I get a refund?

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans. Email support@geminipaper.com with your refund request.

Uploading Papers

What file formats are supported?

Currently, only PDF files are supported. PDFs must:

• Contain selectable text (not scanned images)
• Be under 15MB (Free) or 100MB (Pro/Deep)
• Not be password-protected

My PDF won't upload. Why?

Common reasons:

• File too large: Compress the PDF or upgrade your plan
• Scanned PDF: Use OCR software first to make text selectable
• Password-protected: Remove password protection
• Corrupted file: Try re-downloading the PDF
• Internet connection: Check your connection and try again

Can I upload multiple papers at once?

Yes! You can:

• Drag multiple files at once (up to 20)
• Select multiple files in the file browser
• Each file processes independently

How long does processing take?

Typical processing times:

• Short papers (< 10 pages): 5-10 seconds
• Standard papers (10-30 pages): 10-30 seconds
• Long papers (30+ pages): 30-60 seconds

Very long papers or high server load may take longer.

What if metadata isn't extracted correctly?

You can manually edit any metadata:

1. Open the paper
2. Click Edit next to any field
3. Make corrections
4. Click Save

Reporting errors helps improve our AI for future uploads!

AI Features

How accurate is the AI?

Our AI is highly accurate for:

• Summaries: 90%+ accuracy for main points
• Q&A: 85%+ accuracy for factual questions
• Metadata extraction: 95%+ accuracy

However, AI can make mistakes. Always verify important information with the original paper.

What languages does AI support?

Currently supported languages:

• English (full support)
• Spanish (beta)
• French (beta)
• German (beta)
• Chinese (beta)

More languages coming soon!

Can AI understand mathematical equations?

Yes, AI can:

• Recognize mathematical notation
• Explain equations in context
• Reference specific equations by number

However, complex mathematical proofs may require human expertise.

Why is AI slow sometimes?

AI speed depends on:

• Paper length: Longer papers take more time
• Server load: Peak hours may be slower
• Complexity: Complex papers need more processing
• Your plan: Free plans have lower priority

Pro and Team plans get priority processing.

Do my questions train your AI?

No. Your papers and questions are private and not used for AI training. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Library Management

How many papers can I store?

Storage limits by plan:

• Free: 50 papers, 5 GB storage
• Pro: 500 papers, 50 GB storage
• Team: Unlimited papers, 200 GB per user

What happens if I exceed my limit?

You'll be notified when approaching your limit. If you exceed:

• You can't upload new papers
• Existing papers remain accessible
• Upgrade your plan to add more

Can I organize papers into folders?

GeminiPaper uses Collections instead of folders:

• More flexible than folders
• Papers can be in multiple collections
• Easily filter and search within collections

See our Smart Library guide for details.

How do I find a specific paper quickly?

Multiple ways to find papers:

• Search bar: Type title, author, or keywords
• Filters: Filter by date, status, tags, etc.
• Advanced search: Use operators like author:Smith
• Saved searches: Save frequent searches

Press / to quickly open search from anywhere.

Can I delete papers permanently?

Yes:

1. Select paper(s) to delete
2. Click Delete
3. Confirm deletion
4. Papers move to Trash
5. Empty trash to permanently delete

Papers in trash are deleted after 30 days automatically.

Collaboration & Sharing

Can I share papers with team members?

Yes, on Team plans:

• Create shared collections
• Invite team members
• Set view/edit permissions
• Comment on papers together

Can I share a paper with non-GeminiPaper users?

You can:

• Export PDFs: Send the file directly
• Share summaries: Copy AI-generated summaries
• Generate links: Create read-only public links (Pro/Team)

Note: Sharing copyrighted papers may have legal restrictions.

How does team collaboration work?

Team plans allow:

• Shared libraries: All team members access same papers
• Permissions: Admin, Editor, or Viewer roles
• Comments: Discuss papers with team
• Projects: Shared project management
• Activity log: See who uploaded/edited what

Data & Privacy

Is my research data private?

Yes. Your data is:

• Encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encrypted at rest (AES-256)
• Not used for AI training
• Not shared with third parties
• Backed up daily

Only you (and team members you invite) can access your papers.

Where is my data stored?

Data is stored on secure servers in:

• Primary: US (AWS us-east-1)
• Backup: EU (AWS eu-west-1)

Enterprise plans can choose specific regions.

Can I export all my data?

Yes! Export everything:

1. Go to Settings → Data & Privacy
2. Click Export All Data
3. Choose format (JSON or ZIP)
4. Download complete backup

Includes papers, metadata, notes, and AI summaries.

What happens if I delete my account?

When you delete your account:

• All papers are permanently deleted
• AI summaries and notes are deleted
• Subscription is cancelled
• Data is removed within 30 days

Important: Export your data first! Account deletion is irreversible.

Do you comply with GDPR?

Yes. GeminiPaper is fully GDPR compliant:

• Right to access your data
• Right to delete your data
• Right to export your data
• Transparent privacy practices

EU users' data stays in EU servers by default.

Technical Issues

The app is slow or not loading

Try these steps:

1. Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
2. Clear browser cache and reload
3. Check internet connection
4. Try different browser (Chrome recommended)
5. Check status page: status.geminipaper.com

Still having issues? Contact support@geminipaper.com

I can't log in

Common solutions:

• Forgot password: Click "Forgot Password" on login page
• Wrong email: Check which email you used to sign up
• Account suspended: Check your email for notifications
• Browser issues: Clear cookies and cache
• Two-factor authentication: Ensure you have access to 2FA device

Features are missing or broken

If features aren't working:

1. Check plan: Some features require Pro/Team
2. Update browser: Use latest browser version
3. Disable extensions: Ad blockers may interfere
4. Check permissions: Browser may block features
5. Report bug: Help us fix it!

How do I report a bug?

Report bugs via:

• Email: support@geminipaper.com with screenshots
• In-app: Click ? → Report Bug
• GitHub: github.com/geminipaper/issues (for developers)

Include:

• What you were doing
• What went wrong
• Browser and OS version
• Screenshots if possible

Getting Help

How can I contact support?

Multiple ways to reach us:

• Email: support@geminipaper.com (24-48 hour response)
• Live chat: Available for Pro/Team (during business hours)
• Discord: Join our community server
• Documentation: Comprehensive guides and tutorials

Do you offer training or tutorials?

Yes! We provide:

• Video tutorials: On YouTube
• Webinars: Monthly for new features
• Documentation: Detailed written guides
• Office hours: Weekly Q&A sessions (Team plans)
• Onboarding: Personalized for Team plans

Can I suggest a new feature?

Absolutely! We love feedback:

1. Visit our Feature Requests page
2. Search if it's already suggested
3. Upvote existing requests or submit new one
4. We review all suggestions monthly

Many features started as user suggestions!

Is there a community forum?

Yes! Join our community:

• Discord: Active community of researchers
• GitHub Discussions: For technical users
• Twitter: @geminipaper for updates
• Newsletter: Monthly tips and updates

Still Have Questions?

Can't find your answer here?

• Email us: support@geminipaper.com
• Check docs: Browse our complete documentation
• Join Discord: Ask the community
• Schedule call: Team plans get dedicated support calls

We're here to help you succeed with your research!