FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about CoachKeeper.

Is CoachKeeper free?

Yes — free to use, no credit card. The codebase is open source, so you can also self-host on your own infrastructure for complete data ownership.

CoachKeeper is currently developed by a single maintainer, funded out of pocket. A paid plan may appear later for hosted accounts; self-hosting will always remain free.

Where is my data stored?

On the hosted version, your data lives in the EU — application servers in Helsinki (Hetzner), database in Frankfurt (Neon). Nothing leaves the EU. If you self-host, your data stays entirely on your infrastructure.

Can I export or delete all my data?

Per-note export to PDF / Markdown / HTML works today from the editor’s export menu. Full-account export and full-account deletion (GDPR Article 17) are on the near-term roadmap — for now, account deletion can be requested via in-app feedback and is honored within 30 days.

What does the AI see, and does OpenAI keep it?

The coach sends only what’s needed to answer your request: the message itself, relevant retrieved chunks from your notes / sources, and a compact summary of your workspace state (tab open, view, weekly availability). Nothing else is forwarded.

CoachKeeper uses the OpenAI API (not ChatGPT). Under OpenAI’s API terms, your inputs and outputs are not used to train models and are retained at most 30 days for abuse monitoring before deletion. If you self-host with your own API key, the same OpenAI policy applies.

How are backups handled?

On the hosted version: continuous WAL backups via Neon (point-in-time recovery within 7 days) plus nightly server snapshots. If you accidentally wipe a note, contact support and we can restore from PITR.

For self-hosted setups, take regular pg_dump snapshots of your Postgres instance and back up the /storage volume that holds uploaded images and documents.

Does CoachKeeper sync across devices?

Yes — anything you save on one device shows up on the next page-load on another. There is no peer-to-peer or local-first sync layer; the source of truth is the server, and the app re-fetches on focus / reconnect. Real-time multi-device cursors are not a feature.

Do I need an OpenAI API key?

The AI assistant features (chat, Quick Capture, AI editing, note summarization) require an OpenAI API key. Without one, you can still use all of CoachKeeper’s core features, the editor, todos, calendar, and sources, you just won’t have AI-powered features.

What AI models does CoachKeeper use?

CoachKeeper uses OpenAI models: GPT-4o-mini for most interactions (fast and cost-effective) and GPT-4o for more complex tasks. Text embeddings use text-embedding-3-small for semantic search across your notes and sources.

Can I use CoachKeeper offline?

Currently, CoachKeeper requires an internet connection. Offline support is planned for future versions.

What file types can I upload?

The Sources feature supports PDF, DOCX, TXT, and Markdown files. Images (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP) can be uploaded and viewed but don’t have text extraction. Once uploaded, document text is extracted and made searchable by the AI.

Can the AI access my uploaded documents?

Yes. When you upload a source, CoachKeeper extracts the text, breaks it into chunks, and creates vector embeddings. When you ask the AI a question, it searches across both your notes and your uploaded sources to find relevant context, by meaning, not just keywords.

How does Coach mode differ from Assistant mode?

Assistant mode is direct, you ask, it does. Coach mode adds proactive productivity coaching: it checks in on your current state, flags stale tasks, surfaces unscheduled priorities, and suggests what to focus on next. The tone is always supportive and offer-based, never nagging.

What is Quick Capture?

Quick Capture (Cmd+K or Alt+I) is a floating input you can open from anywhere in the app. Type naturally, “Meeting with Alex tomorrow at 3pm”, and the AI classifies it as an event, todo, or note, shows a preview, and creates it when you confirm. It’s the fastest way to capture a thought.

Is there a mobile app?

A native iOS app (SwiftUI) is on the roadmap. For now, CoachKeeper works on mobile browsers with its responsive three-breakpoint layout (mobile, tablet, desktop).

How much can it hold?

There’s no hardcoded per-user limit. In practice the editor stays comfortable into the tens of thousands of notes / todos; semantic search over sources scales linearly with the number of chunks (pgvector + HNSW indexes). If you push the hosted version past those numbers, get in touch.

How does the AI action log work?

Every action the AI takes (creating a todo, scheduling an event, updating a note) appears in a live action log in the chat. You see exactly what changed, with an “Open” button to jump to the item and an undo button to reverse it instantly. For bulk operations (6+ changes), the AI presents its plan and waits for your approval before executing.

Can the AI undo its actions?

Yes. Every action is reversible. Click the undo button in the action log, or tell the AI “undo that” or “undo the last 3 actions.” The AI tracks up to 20 recent actions for reversal.

What are @mentions?

In the chat input, type @ to reference a specific note, todo, event, or source. The AI pins that item to the conversation with its full content, giving it deep context without you needing to describe it.

Does CoachKeeper support multiple languages?

Yes. The interface is available in English and Spanish. You can switch languages anytime in Settings.

Is CoachKeeper open source?

Yes. The full source code is available on GitHub.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Use the in-app feedback system (accessible from Settings) to submit bug reports or feature requests with optional screenshots. You can also open an issue on the GitHub repository.