Proofline Support

Getting started

After you log in, the Dashboard is your main starting point. It shows documents you have submitted, documents waiting for you to review, and any print or publication requests that need attention.

Use Needs your attention first. It highlights anything waiting for you now and links directly to the relevant part of the document page.

Proofline should not ask you to review the current version again once you have already marked yourself happy with that version. If you are an approver and a document is ready for final approval, the message should say that clearly.

To join an installation, choose Register, enter your name, email address, and a password of at least 12 characters, then wait for a manager to approve your account. Proofline emails your user name and login details after approval. The first registered user becomes the initial admin.

If you cannot log in, use I've forgotten my password to request a time-limited reset link by email, or I've forgotten my user name to ask Proofline to email the user names associated with your address. Password reset links can only be used once. If one has expired, request another from the login page.

Setting up your profile

Open your profile from the menu item with your user name, such as @jsmith. Your profile tells other people who you are and controls how Proofline contacts you.

• User nameThe short name you use to log in. Other people can mention you in comments with this name.
• NameYour full display name. This appears on submissions, comments, approvals, print requests, and publication requests.
• RoleYour job title or team role. This helps colleagues understand why you are involved.
• EmailThe address Proofline uses for account messages and notifications.
• Mobile phoneAn optional contact number for colleagues who may need to reach you about a document.
• WhatsAppTick this if the mobile number can be used on WhatsApp.
• Email mentionsTick this if you want an email when someone mentions your user name in a comment.
• ReviewerYou can check documents, leave suggested changes, and mark yourself happy with the current revision.
• ApproverYou can give final approval once the review is ready.
• ManagerYou can manage users, tags, force approvals, remove documents, manage print and publication work, view archived projects, and publish stored archived documents on the public sharing site.
• AdminYou have all manager abilities and can also manage installation settings, licensing, backups, and server controls.

If you do not have reviewer access, you can request it from your profile. Proofline emails the managers, and your profile shows that the request is awaiting a decision. You will receive an email and an in-app notification when the request is allowed or denied.

To change your password, enter your current password, enter the new password, confirm it, and save your profile. New passwords must be at least 12 characters long.

Your profile also shows your archived documents.

How do I upload a file for review?

1. Go to the Dashboard.
2. Select Submit new document for review.
3. Enter a clear title. Do not include a version number such as "v1"; the title applies to every revision.
4. Add a description if reviewers need background or instructions.
5. Select any existing tags that describe the submission. You may also enter one or more new tags, separated by commas.
6. Tick Send to print after approval if the document may need printing after approval.
7. Tick Publish on Internet and/or send to press after approval if the document may need to be published online or sent to press contacts after approval.
8. Optionally select Share on the web using a permanent short link and QR code for a direct upload. The link is reserved immediately and the document becomes public only when archived.
9. Either upload the file directly or paste a file-sharing link. Use one or the other, not both.
10. Add a revision note if you want to explain what this version is. The page shows the minimum approval time; if the review is urgent, say so here.
11. Select Submit.

Direct uploads can be up to the limit shown on the upload page. For larger files, use a Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or similar sharing link.

When a new tag resembles one that already exists, Proofline asks whether you want to reuse the existing tag. Reusing it keeps related submissions together; you can instead confirm that the new tag is deliberately different.

How can I tell if my uploaded file has been approved?

Open the document from Your submissions on the Dashboard and look at the status panel near the top of the page.

• In reviewThe document is still being checked.
• Changes requestedA reviewer has asked for changes. Read the comments, upload a new revision, or explain why you are not revising it.
• Approval pendingThe latest revision has some reviewer approval, or reviewer comments have been dealt with, but final approval is not complete yet.
• ApprovedThe review is complete and the document has been approved.
• Post-approvalThe document has been approved and is now in a printing or publication stage.
• CompleteAll work for the document is finished.
• ArchivedThe document has been removed from active queues. Proofline keeps the newest revision for reference.

If Proofline automatically approves a document after the minimum review period because no reviewer requested changes, the status panel says so. Approvers are also notified.

What if changes are requested?

1. Open the document and read the Suggested changes.
2. Make the changes in your original document.
3. Use Upload new revision on the document page.
4. Upload the revised file or provide a new sharing link.
5. Add a short revision note so reviewers know what changed.
6. Tick the comments that the new revision addresses.
7. Select Upload revision.

Uploading a new revision sends the document back into review.

If you are not going to revise the document, use Not updating this document?. You must enter a reason explaining why the reviewer comments are not being addressed. Proofline records that response and notifies reviewers.

How do I review an upload?

1. Open the document from Awaiting review or Needs your attention on the Dashboard.
2. Use the Review checklist near the top of the document page.
3. Download the latest file or open the external link.
4. Read or check the document outside Proofline.
5. If changes are needed, add them under Suggested changes.
6. If you are happy with the current revision, use I'm happy with the current revision in the Approve panel.

Keep comments practical and specific, and enter each suggested change as an individual comment. If you have more than one comment to make, use Add another comment. For example, Heading for section 2 should be larger is one comment, and Typo in paragraph 3 is another. The submitter can then indicate exactly which comments a revised document addresses.

Line breaks within an individual comment are preserved when it is displayed.

The Approve panel shows who has marked themselves happy with the current revision. If you have already done so, Proofline says You have indicated you are happy with this.

What does final approval mean?

Marking yourself happy with a revision is not always the same as final approval. It tells other people that you have checked the current version and do not need changes.

Final approval means the document is accepted and can move on to any requested printing or publication work. If the minimum review period has passed and reviewer comments have been addressed or explained, approvers see a final approval action in Needs your attention.

If the minimum review period has not passed, managers may see Force approve controls in the Approve panel and must give a reason.

How do I request printing?

Print requests are available after the document is approved, if Send to print after approval was selected when the document was submitted.

1. Open the approved document.
2. Go to Print request history.
3. Complete the printing details, delivery details, and authorisation fields.
4. Select Place print request.

Open a print request from the Dashboard or the submission to see its own page with printing details, artwork, delivery tracking, and printing actions. Select View submission to return to proofreading comments, approvals, and revision history.

When you have used a delivery address before, Proofline offers up to ten of your recent addresses. Choose one to fill the address box, or enter a new address.

Once a request is marked Delivered, the document submitter or a manager can select Mark received.

The broad lifecycle badge for active print work is Printing/delivery, with the detailed status shown separately: sent to printers, in production, dispatched, delivered, or received.

Managers can add an order reference when work is sent to printers. When a request is dispatched, managers can add courier, tracking number or ID, and a tracking URL. The submitter is notified of dispatch details when they are provided.

If there is already an active or completed print request, Proofline hides the normal form and shows Create another print request anyway. Use that button to open a separate confirmation page, complete the details, and select Confirm print request. Select Cancel to return without creating anything. After confirmation, Proofline returns you to the Dashboard.

Before a print request is dispatched, the submitter, the person who made the print request, or a manager can use Upload corrected artwork. Use this only for production corrections such as bleed, margins, crop marks, or colour setup. Upload a replacement file or link, give the reason, and confirm that the approved content has not changed. Content changes must go back through the normal review process. Proofline labels these versions as print-production revisions and tells the print team and managers about the replacement.

If printing was selected at submission but is no longer needed, the submitter or a manager can open Printing is no longer required, give a reason, and confirm the choice—provided no print request has been created. Managers can restore the requirement later. This choice is recorded in the activity history and may make the document ready to archive.

How do I request online publication?

Publication requests are available after the document is approved, if Publish on Internet and/or send to press after approval was selected when the document was submitted.

1. Open the approved document.
2. Go to Publish on Internet.
3. Choose one or more platforms, All appropriate platforms, one or more press contact lists, or a combination of these.
4. Add any details, dates, headline ideas, post text, or media notes that will help the publishing team.
5. Select Submit publish request.

Open a publish request from the Dashboard or the submission to see its own page with publishing instructions, platform progress, press-release emails, and completion actions. Select View submission to return to proofreading comments, approvals, and revision history.

Managers can update platform statuses, add notes and published links, and update the overall request status. When a published request looks right, the submitter or a manager can select Mark complete.

If you submit without choosing any platforms, All appropriate platforms, or press contact lists, Proofline asks you to choose at least one destination.

If there is already an active or completed publish request, Proofline warns you before you create another one.

When a request includes press contact lists, an approver can use Prepare press release email. Proofline starts a draft using the publication details and takes a snapshot of the active contacts in the selected lists. The approver can edit and save the subject and body, refresh the recipients from the lists, then send an individual email to each recipient with the latest document attached. Once queued, the draft and recipients cannot be changed, but the sent text and delivery status remain visible.

If publication was selected at submission but is no longer needed, the submitter or a manager can open Publishing is no longer required, give a reason, and confirm the choice—provided no publish request has been created. Managers can restore the requirement later.

When can I archive a document?

Archiving is available for approved documents when all requested follow-up work is finished.

If printing is still required, at least one print request must exist and all print requests must be marked Received. If publication is still required, at least one publish request must exist and all publish requests must be marked Complete or Skipped. A recorded no longer required choice satisfies that part of the archive check.

When you select Archive, Proofline keeps the newest revision and removes older revisions from that document. Submitters can see their archived documents on their profile page. Open Archive from the main menu to search archived submissions by metadata, submitting user, file type, and print or publication outcome.

How do I share a document with a short link and QR code?

Reserve a link when submitting

When submitting an uploaded file, select Share on the web using a permanent short link and QR code. Proofline immediately reserves the link and shows QR downloads on the submission record, so they can be added to a later revision of the document.

Before archival, the link opens a branded holding page and no document is publicly available. When the submission is archived, Proofline automatically publishes the final retained revision at the same link. The short URL and QR code do not change.

This option is available only for files uploaded directly to Proofline, not external file links.

Share after archival

Managers and admins can publish a stored file from an archived submission on Proofline's separate, read-only public sharing site. Anyone with the public site address can see its index, open a shared document page, and download the file without signing in.

External file links cannot be shared this way. The archived submission must contain a file uploaded to Proofline.

1. Open Archive.
2. Find the archived submission and select Share publicly.
3. Enter a clear share name, a display date, and a short public description.
4. Choose the stored revision to publish. Proofline initially selects the newest suitable revision.
5. Check the public notice, then select Share publicly.

After the share succeeds, Proofline shows a short public URL and a QR code. You can open the public page, copy its URL, or download the QR code as PNG or SVG. Proofline also emails the URL and attaches the PNG QR code to a message sent to the manager who created the share.

The short URL opens a page showing the share name, display date, description, and a document download image. PDF documents show a preview of their first page; unsupported files or documents that cannot be previewed show a standard download image. The public index lists active shares by display date, with the most recent first. The short URL and its QR code stay the same when the sharing details or published revision change.

Changing or withdrawing a share

Return to Archive and select Manage public share. Any manager or admin can change the name, date, description, or stored revision. Select Save and republish to update the public copy.

Withdraw public share removes the item from the public index and makes its public page and download unavailable. Proofline keeps the internal record and activity history. A manager or admin can later use Restore public share to publish it again at the same short URL.

Use Resend sharing email if you need Proofline to send the URL and QR code to you again.

If Share publicly is unavailable, check that you are a manager or admin, the submission is archived, and it has a stored uploaded file. If Proofline says public sharing has not been configured, ask the installation administrator to configure the sharing domain.

How do tags work?

Tags are reusable labels for grouping related submissions. Anyone submitting a document can choose any existing tags and create one or more new tags. A submission may have no tags or several tags.

Managers and admins can correct a submission's tags from its document page. They can also open Tags from the main menu to create, rename, merge, or delete tags.

Renaming a tag keeps its public link and QR code. Merging moves all submission associations to the chosen destination tag and keeps the old tag URL working as a redirect. Deleting a tag removes it from submissions but never deletes the submissions themselves.

Tag sharing pages

Every tag has its own permanent short URL and QR code. Its public page lists all currently active public document shares carrying that tag, ordered by display date with the most recent first. Tagged submissions that have not been shared, reserved links awaiting archival, withdrawn shares, and failed shares are not shown.

Managers can open Tags to copy a tag's public URL or download its QR code as PNG or SVG. The URL and QR code remain stable when the tag is renamed.

What are the dashboard lists for?

• Needs your attentionWork waiting for you now, including revisions you need to upload, current-version reviews you have not completed, final approvals for approvers, delivered print requests waiting for receipt confirmation, publication requests waiting for completion, and manager print or publish work.
• Your submissionsDocuments you uploaded for review.
• Awaiting reviewDocuments waiting for you to check. This may include active documents, but Needs your attention should not ask you to review a current revision you have already marked happy.
• Your print requestsPrint work connected to documents you submitted or requested.
• Your publish requestsPublication work connected to documents you submitted or requested.
• Open queuesActive print and publication work across Proofline.
• Manager controlsExtra queues for managers who handle missing post-approval requests, print progress, and publication progress.

What emails does Proofline send?

Proofline sends a welcome email when you first register. It can also email users when their access changes, such as when they are made managers, approvers, or reviewers.

Submitters are notified when reviewers request changes, mark a revision happy, approve a document, or dispatch print work. If printing or publication was selected when the document was submitted, approval emails ask the submitter to create the relevant request.

Approvers are notified when a document is automatically approved after the minimum review period. If you have email mentions turned on, Proofline emails you when someone mentions your user name in a comment.

Proofline sends daily reminders to approvers while an approval is waiting for them. If an approved document is still missing a required print or publication request after three days, Proofline emails the submitter and repeats the reminder every three days until the request is made or recorded as no longer required.

When a manager successfully shares an archived document publicly, Proofline emails that manager the short public URL and attaches a PNG QR code. A manager can resend this message from Manage public share.

When a print request has been marked Delivered for more than 24 hours, Proofline emails the document submitter to check the delivery and mark it Received. The reminder repeats every 24 hours until receipt is confirmed.

New users start with email notifications turned on. Your profile includes email options for mentions, print requests, and publish requests. Turning off an option requires confirmation and pauses it for no more than one month. Proofline then turns it back on automatically; you can turn it back on sooner from your profile.

After an upgrade of a packaged installation, Proofline emails registered users the installed version and the release changes when outgoing email is configured.

What can managers do?

Managers include all approver and reviewer abilities. They can edit user details and access, approve registrations, manage tags and submission tag assignments, force approvals, remove documents, manage print and publication work, restore print or publication requirements, view archived projects, and create or manage public shares of stored archived documents. Approvers can also prepare and send press-release emails for publish requests that include press lists. Older entries connected to removed users stay visible but show Deleted user.

What can admins do?

Admins include all manager abilities and can access installation administration:

• Minimum review daysThe normal waiting period before final approval.
• Maximum direct upload MBThe largest file size people can upload directly. The upload screen shows this limit.
• LicenceThe installation licence status. Admins can send licence registration details to Hexela; passwords and secret values are not included.
• Email deliveryThe app URL for email links, SMTP settings, sender details, reply-to address, and test email.
• Organisation brandingThe organisation name, optional website and logo used in press-release emails and on the public sharing site, plus optional footer text added to all outgoing email. Logos can be PNG, JPEG, or WebP files up to 5 MB.
• Publish platformsThe list of places users can request publication to.
• Press release distributionPress contact lists and the people in them. Admins can add, edit, or remove lists and contacts, assign contacts to multiple lists, and view a contact's sending history. Removing an entry keeps existing publication and email history.
• Public sharing setupThe sharing site uses a separate domain configured during server setup. If sharing is unavailable, the server administrator must create its DNS record and complete the HTTPS setup once.
• Backups and restoresAdmins can download a backup of app data, settings, uploaded files, public-share snapshots, QR codes, and branding, and restore from a backup. Restoring keeps the current installation licence and rebuilds active public shares.
• Server controlRestart or update Proofline where the installation supports it.

Contacting Support