Help
Everything you need to know about using Paper Edit App.
Getting started
What files do I need?
You need two files per source: an XML timeline exported from Premiere Pro and the matching SRT transcript file. The XML provides the timecodes; the SRT provides the words. Support for DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro is coming soon.
How do I create a project?
Click "New Project" from your dashboard. Give the project a name, then upload your XML and SRT files. For multi-camera or multi-source projects, set the source count first and upload a pair per source. Hit Create.
What XML format is supported?
XMEML — the format exported by Premiere Pro (File → Export → Final Cut Pro XML). This is the only currently supported input format. DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro support is coming soon.
Is there a file size limit?
XML files up to 50MB and SRT files up to 10MB. Most projects are well within these limits.
Building your paper edit
How do I select a block?
Click any transcript line to add it to your paper edit. It highlights in the transcript and appears in the panel on the right. Click it again to deselect.
Can I select multiple blocks at once?
Yes. Click the first block, then Shift+click any other block to select everything between them. The first block stays anchored until you click somewhere else without holding Shift.
How do I reorder my edit?
Drag and drop spans in the paper edit panel on the right. You can also use the arrow buttons. Selections within a span move together as a unit.
What are spans?
Consecutive selections from the same part of the transcript are automatically grouped into spans. You can label a span (e.g. "Intro", "Key argument"), collapse it to a summary view, or expand it to see every line. Span labels export as blue timeline markers in Premiere so the editor can see your structure at a glance.
How do I label a span?
Click the label area on any span in the paper edit panel. Type your label and press Enter or click away. Labels appear as blue markers in the Premiere timeline when the sequence is built with the Bridge, or as blue sequence markers in the exported XML.
Can I add notes to individual transcript blocks?
Yes. Hover over any block in the paper edit panel and click the message icon (or "Add note…") that appears. Type your note and press Enter. Notes appear as orange timeline markers in Premiere when the sequence is built — the marker name is "Note" and the comment field contains your text. Each block in a span can have its own note.
Can I undo mistakes?
Yes — Cmd+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows) undoes the last action. The app keeps a 20-step history, covering deletes, reorders, label changes, note edits, and bulk clears.
How do I clear my paper edit?
The paper edit panel header shows "Clear:" with three separate options — Spans, Labels, and Notes. Spans removes all selected blocks. Labels clears all span labels. Notes clears all block notes. Labels and Notes only appear when there is something to clear. All three are undoable with Cmd+Z.
How does keyword search work?
Use the search bar at the top of each transcript column. Type a word or phrase and use the arrow buttons (or Enter / Shift+Enter) to jump between matches. Press Escape to clear. Matches highlight in yellow.
What is AI search?
AI search lets you describe what you're looking for in plain language instead of an exact keyword. Type a phrase like "the bit where he talks about losing his job" into the search bar, then click the ✦ AI button that appears next to it. The AI reads the full transcript and returns every segment that matches the idea, not just the literal words. Results highlight in yellow using the same navigation as keyword search.
How do I enable AI search?
Go to Settings → AI Keys and paste a key for any supported provider (Claude, OpenAI, or Gemini). You only need one. If you save keys for more than one provider, each saved key shows a green Active dot next to the one currently in use — click "Set as active" next to any saved key to switch. If no preference is set the app defaults to Claude first, then OpenAI, then Gemini. Keys are stored securely on our servers and never sent to the browser.
Which AI providers are supported, and what does it cost?
Claude (Anthropic), OpenAI, and Gemini (Google). You use your own API key and pay the provider directly — there is no markup. A typical search on a 500-block transcript costs less than half a US cent. Gemini via Google AI Studio has a free tier and is the easiest way to get started at no cost.
What do the AI search error messages mean?
"Your AI key appears to be invalid" — check the key you pasted in Settings, it may have been entered incorrectly or expired. "Your AI account has run out of credits" — top up your balance with your provider. "Rate limit reached" — you've hit your provider's per-minute request cap; wait a moment and try again. If AI search fails entirely, keyword search always works without a key.
What is the Refine tab?
The Refine tab is an AI editorial assistant that reads your existing paper edit and surfaces structured observations to help you think more clearly about your choices. It never makes changes automatically — every suggestion requires a deliberate action. Switch to the Refine tab (above the transcript columns) once you have a draft paper edit you want to review.
What kinds of suggestions does the Refine tab give?
Four types: Repetition — two or more spans that cover the same idea or near-identical phrasing. Pacing — a section taking up a disproportionate amount of runtime relative to its ideas. Trim candidate — spans that feel redundant relative to what surrounds them (only when you've set a time target). Arc — a high-level observation about narrative structure, such as resolving before it builds or opening with the conclusion.
How do I use the Refine tab?
Switch to the Refine tab, optionally enter a target duration (e.g. "1:30" or "90s"), then click "Analyse paper edit". The AI reads your current paper edit and returns up to five observation cards. Each card shows a neutral observation, a question to sit with, and links to jump to the relevant spans. Some cards include a "Remove span N" button — this tells you exactly what will happen before you confirm. You can dismiss any card with the ✕ button. When you're done exploring, click "Re-analyse" to get fresh suggestions based on any changes you've made.
What does "Find alts" do?
Clicking "Find alts" on a Refine suggestion card switches you to the Sources tab and pre-fills the AI search with the text of the relevant span. The search fires automatically so you can browse alternatives from the full transcript pool — the rest of the rushes you haven't selected yet. On multi-source projects a "Find alts: This source / All sources" toggle appears above the suggestions so you can choose whether to search only the source the span came from or all sources at once. When you find something better, select it as normal and switch back to Refine to re-analyse.
What happens when I click "Remove span N"?
The span is removed from your paper edit via the same batch-delete route used everywhere else — which means Cmd+Z immediately recovers it. The suggestion card disappears once the removal succeeds. There is no "Apply all" button; each suggestion is acted on individually or dismissed.
Does the Refine tab require an AI key?
Yes — the same key you save for AI search is used for the Refine tab. Go to Settings → AI Keys and paste a key for any supported provider (Claude, OpenAI, or Gemini). Analysis of a 20-span paper edit costs roughly $0.002 at current Haiku / GPT-4o-mini pricing.
What keyboard shortcuts are available?
In the paper edit panel: Cmd+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows) to undo. Click a block to select it, then ↑ / ↓ to move it up or down (moves the whole span if the block is inside one). Delete or Backspace to remove the selected block. Escape to deselect. When editing a label or note: Enter to save, Escape to cancel. In transcript search: Enter for next match, Shift+Enter for previous, Escape to clear.
Multi-source projects
How do I work with multiple cameras or interviews?
When creating a project, set the number of sources before uploading. Each source gets its own transcript column, colour-coded (up to 8 colours: green, blue, orange, purple, teal, rose, amber, indigo) so you always know which camera or interview a line came from. The project header shows a Sources row with a coloured chip per source (the same colour as its transcript column header), and the badge in the top-left of each transcript column reinforces which source you're looking at.
How does the project layout work with multiple sources?
Transcript columns sit in a scrollable area to the left, with the paper edit panel fixed on the right. The number of columns visible at once depends on your screen width — typically two or three. If you have more sources than fit, scroll horizontally within the transcript area to reach them. Click any source chip in the project header to jump directly to that source's column — it scrolls into view automatically, even if you're currently on the Refine tab.
How do I reorder transcript columns?
Hover over any transcript column header to reveal left and right arrow buttons. Click them to shift that column's position. This is a local display change — it doesn't affect the underlying source order or any existing selections.
Can I rename a source?
Yes. Click the source name in the transcript column header to edit it inline. Type the new name and press Enter (or click away) to save. Renaming is safe — it only changes the display label. All clip matching, timecodes, and exports use internal IDs, not the name.
Can I add a source to an existing project?
Yes. Click the Add Source pill in the Sources row of the project header to open the Add Source modal. Upload an XML and SRT file (and optionally give the source a name), then click Add source. The new transcript column appears immediately. This is useful when footage or interviews arrive after the project was created.
What if my new source has a different frame rate or resolution to source 1?
The Add Source modal detects this automatically when you choose an XML file and shows an amber warning panel listing both sources. You'll be asked to choose how the final sequence should be built: Match source 1, Match new source, or Manual (pick your own frame rate and resolution). This choice is saved to the project and used by the Paper Edit Bridge and XML export — your chosen settings win, regardless of which source's clips are in the paper edit. You can change it later from Export → Export Settings.
Can I mix sources in one paper edit?
Yes. Select blocks from any column in any order. The export will cut between sources according to your paper edit order, not the original source order.
Does it support Premiere multicam sequences?
Yes. If your XML was exported from a Premiere timeline that contains a multicam source sequence, Paper Edit App detects it, parses it correctly, and the Paper Edit Bridge places it in the rebuilt sequence. One manual step is required after the Bridge builds: select all clips in the new sequence, right-click, and choose Multi-Camera → Enable. This restores camera-switching — the timecodes and selections are already correct.
Does it handle multi-track audio?
Yes. If your source XML has multiple audio tracks — stereo pairs, dual-mono, or multi-channel recordings — Paper Edit App reads all of them. The Paper Edit Bridge places audio on the correct tracks in the rebuilt sequence. Stereo pairs land on adjacent tracks as expected.
Exporting
What is the Paper Edit export?
Click Export → "Export as Paper Edit" to download a JSON file describing your edit. Load this into the Paper Edit Bridge panel in Premiere Pro to automatically build your sequence from existing project media — no re-importing needed.
What is the Paper Edit Bridge?
A free Premiere Pro panel that reads a Paper Edit JSON file and builds the sequence for you. It scans your existing project bin for matching media and places clips at the correct timecodes. The sequence is built at whatever frame rate and resolution you've chosen in Export → Export Settings (single-source projects inherit from the source automatically). Download it from the Bridge page.
How do I control the sequence frame rate and resolution?
For single-source projects the Bridge inherits everything from the source — no action needed. For multi-source projects, open Export → Export Settings to choose: Match source 1 (default), Match last source, or Manual (pick any supported rate from 23.976 to 60 fps and resolutions from 720p to DCI 4K). If your sources have different frame rates or resolutions, the dialog flags it with an amber warning — Premiere will conform off-rate clips to your chosen sequence rate. Your choice persists for the project and applies to both the Bridge build and the XML export.
How do I export to Premiere Pro as XML?
The Paper Edit Bridge is the primary path — it builds the sequence directly from your existing project bin with correct sequence settings honoured. XML is kept as a fallback utility: click Export → "Export XML (utility)" to download an XMEML file, then File → Import in Premiere. This method re-imports the media rather than using existing bin clips, and is most useful for opening the edit in a different NLE.
Can I print my paper edit or save it as a PDF?
Yes. Click Export → "Print / Save as PDF". Your browser's print dialog opens — choose "Save as PDF" as the destination to export a clean document. Only the paper edit panel prints: transcript columns, buttons, drag handles, and search controls are all hidden. Each block shows its timecode and transcript text; labelled spans show their label. All spans expand automatically for printing and return to their previous state when you close the dialog. A "Made with Paper Edit App" footer is added at the end.
What is the SRT export for?
Choose "Export SRT (utility)" to download a subtitle file containing only your selected blocks in paper edit order. Useful for transcripts, reviews, or feeding into a captioning tool.
Does export work in other NLEs?
XMEML is based on the Final Cut Pro 7 XML format, which many NLEs can import. DaVinci Resolve can import it via File → Import → Timeline. Results may vary — Premiere Pro is the tested and verified target.
After building with the Bridge, my multicam clips are not enabled for camera-switching — is that normal?
Yes. Premiere's scripting API does not allow a panel to enable multicam mode automatically. The Bridge places the clip with correct timecodes and selections, then shows a tip in its log. To finish: select all clips in the new sequence, right-click, and choose Multi-Camera → Enable. Camera-switching is then fully active.
The Bridge panel doesn't appear under Window → Extensions — what's wrong?
The Bridge is a self-signed extension and requires Premiere to run in debug mode. On Mac, run this in Terminal and then restart Premiere: defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1. On Windows, add a registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11 → PlayerDebugMode (string) → 1. This is a one-time setup.
Account & settings
How do I set my display name?
Go to Settings → Display Name. Your name appears in notifications and shared project messages instead of your email address, so collaborators see 'Jane has shared…' rather than a raw email.
How do I change my password or email?
Go to Settings (link in the top nav). You can change your password (requires your current password) and update your email address.
How do I set up AI search?
Go to Settings → AI Keys. Paste a key for any supported provider — Claude (Anthropic), OpenAI, or Gemini (Google). You only need one key. If you save multiple keys, a green Active dot shows which provider is currently selected; click "Set as active" next to any saved key to switch. With no preference set the app defaults to Claude first, then OpenAI, then Gemini. Keys are never exposed to the browser. Gemini via Google AI Studio is free to start and takes about two minutes to set up.
How do I organise projects into folders?
Click "New Folder" from your projects page to create a folder. Move a project into a folder using the three-dot menu on its card. Use the search box in the header to find projects by name across all folders.
Still stuck?
Send us a message and we'll get back to you.