Frequently Asked Questions

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Getting Started

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What is Cleve?

Cleve is an AI-powered writing and knowledge workspace that helps you capture, organize, and create content with intelligent assistance. Think of it as your second brain—combining a rich text editor, quick idea capture, and context-aware AI chat.

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Who is Cleve for?

Cleve is designed for:

• Creators: Bloggers, writers, content creators building their craft
• Founders: Entrepreneurs documenting strategies and ideas
• Knowledge workers: Professionals managing research and notes
• Teams: Collaborative content creation with shared workspaces

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How is Cleve different from Notion, Evernote, or Obsidian?

vs. Notion:

• Cleve is focused on writing and AI assistance, not project management
• Faster, lighter editor optimized for long-form content
• Context-aware AI that understands your knowledge base

vs. Evernote:

• Modern editor with offline-first architecture
• Built-in AI chat vs external plugins
• Better collaboration and real-time sync

vs. Obsidian:

• Cloud-hosted (no local files to manage)
• AI-native with multiple model support
• Easier collaboration without plugins

Cleve’s unique value: Context-aware AI that references your writings, combined with a professional writing editor and frictionless idea capture.

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Do I need a credit card to try Cleve?

No! The Free plan requires no credit card. Sign up with email or Google and start creating immediately.

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How long does onboarding take?

60-90 seconds if you follow the guided flow. Most users complete onboarding in under 2 minutes.

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Features & Functionality

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Can I use Cleve offline?

Yes! Cleve works offline with:

• IndexedDB persistence: Changes save locally
• Background sync: Uploads when connection returns
• Offline editing: Full editor functionality without internet

Available on Starter, Pro, and Max plans.

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What AI models does Cleve support?

Cleve supports multiple AI providers:

• Anthropic: Claude Haiku, Sonnet, Opus
• OpenAI: GPT-5.4 (via Azure)
• Google: Gemini 3 Flash, Gemini 3.1 Pro (via Vertex AI)
• Perplexity: Sonar (web search)
• Groq: Whisper (audio transcription)

Free plan users get limited model access only. Paid plans access all models.

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Can the AI reference my writings?

Yes! This is Cleve’s superpower. Enable “Writings” context in AI chat settings, and the AI can:

• Search your writings for relevant content
• Summarize specific documents
• Create new content based on your existing knowledge
• Find patterns and connections across your work

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How does semantic search work?

Semantic search uses AI embeddings to find conceptually related content—not just keyword matches. How it works:

1. Your content is converted to vector embeddings
2. Your search query is also embedded
3. The system finds content with similar meaning

Example: Searching “productivity tips” will find writings about focus, time management, and work habits—even if they don’t contain the exact phrase.

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Can I export my data?

Yes! Export formats include:

• Markdown (.md) - All plans
• HTML - Starter+
• PDF - Starter+
• Plain text (.txt) - All plans
• JSON - Pro+ (for developer use)

Bulk export all writings: Settings → Export Data

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Does Cleve have a mobile app?

Web app works on mobile browsers with a responsive design. Native iOS and Android apps are coming in Q2 2024. Currently available:

• ✅ Mobile web (app.cleve.ai)
• ✅ PWA (install to home screen)
• 🚧 iOS app (beta)
• 🚧 Android app (beta)

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Can I collaborate with my team?

Yes! Share categories with teammates:

• Read access: View-only for stakeholders
• Write access: Full editing for team members
• Live presence: See who’s currently active
• Real-time sync: Changes appear instantly

Collaboration limits vary by plan. See Pricing.

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Privacy & Security

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Is my data private?

Yes. Your content is:

• Private by default: Only you can see your writings
• Encrypted at rest: AES-256 across all data stores
• Encrypted in transit: TLS 1.2+ on all connections, including AI provider calls
• Not used for AI training: Your data never trains AI models — this applies to Cleve and every AI provider we work with
• Zero Data Retention on AI calls: Prompts are not persisted by AI providers after a response is returned

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Where is my data stored?

Cleve uses:

• Convex for real-time database (US region by default)
• Neon for Postgres (US region by default)
• Vercel Blob for file storage
• Local storage (IndexedDB) for offline support

Enterprise customers can request EU data residency. See our Security page for the full list of subprocessors.

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Can I delete my data?

Yes. You can:

• Delete individual writings/ideas anytime
• Close your account: Settings → Account → Delete Account
• Request full data deletion: Email [email protected]

GDPR-compliant data deletion within 30 days.

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Do you use my data to train AI models?

No. Your writings, ideas, and chat conversations are:

• Not used to train Cleve’s systems
• Not persisted by AI providers after your query is processed (Zero Data Retention)
• Not shared with AI providers except as the minimum context needed for your specific query
• Not sold or shared with third parties

All AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Groq, and Perplexity) are contractually or policy-restricted from using your content to train their models. Note: Gemini models operate with a 24-hour in-memory processing cache for operational purposes — this is not persisted to disk. See our Privacy Policy for details.

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Is Cleve GDPR compliant?

Cleve is built with GDPR principles in mind and supports the rights required under the regulation:

• Right to access your data
• Right to correct your data
• Right to delete your data (within 30 days)
• Right to export your data in a portable format
• Transparent data processing with clear lawful bases

Data Processing Agreements are available for enterprise customers. See our Security page for details.

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Billing & Pricing

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How does the Free plan work?

The Free plan includes:

• 10 writings, 50 ideas
• 50 AI messages/month
• GPT-4o-mini model only
• 7 days of version history
• 100 MB storage

No credit card required. Upgrade anytime.

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What happens if I exceed my plan limits?

AI messages: You’re blocked from chatting until next month or you upgrade. Storage: Read-only mode—delete content or upgrade to continue. Writings (Free plan): Can’t create new writings until you delete some or upgrade. We notify you at 80% of limits.

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Can I upgrade/downgrade anytime?

Upgrade: Takes effect immediately with prorated billing. Downgrade: Takes effect at end of current billing cycle. No penalties or fees for changing plans.

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Do you offer refunds?

Yes. 14-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans. Email [email protected] for a full refund, no questions asked.

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What payment methods do you accept?

• Credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
• PayPal
• Apple Pay (mobile)
• Google Pay (mobile)
• Wire transfer (Enterprise only)

All payments via Stripe.

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Is there a student discount?

Yes! 50% off Starter and Pro plans for students and educators. Verify with your .edu email via SheerID.

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Technical

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What browsers are supported?

Fully supported:

• Chrome 100+ (recommended)
• Edge 100+
• Safari 15+
• Firefox 100+

Limited support:

• Older browsers may have degraded functionality
• Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile)

Best experience: Latest Chrome or Edge.

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Does Cleve work on iPad?

Yes! The web app works on iPad with:

• Touch-optimized UI
• Keyboard shortcuts (with external keyboard)
• Gesture navigation

Native iPad app coming Q2 2024.

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Can I use Cleve with a screen reader?

Yes. Cleve supports screen readers with:

• ARIA labels and semantic HTML
• Keyboard navigation
• High contrast mode

We’re continuously improving accessibility. Report issues to [email protected].

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Is there an API?

Yes! API access is available on Pro and Max plans. API capabilities:

• Create, read, update, delete writings
• Manage ideas and categories
• Trigger AI chat
• Webhooks for real-time events

See API Documentation for details.

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Can I self-host Cleve?

Not currently. Cleve is a cloud-hosted SaaS product. Enterprise customers can request:

• Dedicated isolated instances
• Custom data residency
• On-premise deployment (enterprise tier only, contact sales)

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Troubleshooting

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My writings aren’t saving

Check:

1. Internet connection
2. Browser console for errors
3. IndexedDB is enabled (not incognito mode)
4. Storage quota (Settings → Storage)

Fix:

• Force save with Cmd/Ctrl + S
• Reload the page
• Clear browser cache
• Contact support if persistent

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AI chat isn’t responding

Check:

1. You haven’t hit your monthly message limit
2. Internet connection is stable
3. AI model is selected

Fix:

• Check usage limits (Settings → Subscription)
• Try switching AI models
• Reload the page
• Contact support if persistent

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Search isn’t finding my content

Check:

1. Content exists and isn’t deleted
2. Filters aren’t too restrictive
3. Spelling is correct

Fix:

• Try semantic search instead of keyword search
• Remove filters
• Rebuild search index (Settings → Advanced → Rebuild Index)

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Offline mode isn’t working

Requirements:

• Starter+ plan
• IndexedDB enabled
• Not in incognito mode
• Previously loaded content

Fix:

• Check plan level
• Enable offline mode (Settings → Offline)
• Reload while online first

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Getting Help

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How do I contact support?

• Community: Join our Discord or Twitter
• Email: [email protected] (Starter+ plans)
• Live chat: Pro+ plans (in-app chat widget)
• Documentation: docs.cleve.ai

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Where can I request features?

• Feature requests: feedback.cleve.ai
• GitHub: github.com/cleve-ai/feedback
• Discord: #feature-requests channel

We review all requests and prioritize based on community votes.

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How do I report a bug?

• Email: [email protected]
• In-app: Help menu → Report Bug
• GitHub: github.com/cleve-ai/feedback/issues

Include: browser, plan level, steps to reproduce, screenshots if applicable.

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Where can I learn more?

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Still Have Questions?

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email us at [email protected] or join our Discord community.