Underframe is a document search platform designed for construction, with a specific focus on vendor documents. The platform consists of two core parts:

1. Centralized document repository to share documents across your entire team
2. Search function to lookup information across all project documents using plain English

To get started with Underframe, Sign up with your company email address.

A 14-day, 500 page, free trial is available for new users. After the trial ends, you'll be charged $50/user/month.

Upon signing in, you'll be prompted to setup your account and create an organization. This is your team's workspace where all projects and documents will be stored.

Projects are the foundation of document organization in Underframe. Each project contains its own set of documents and can be accessed by your entire team.

To create your first project, navigate to the Projects page and click the Create Project button. Give your project a descriptive name that your team will recognize.

Once you have created a project, you can start uploading documents. Navigate to your project and click the Upload button. You can either click Select files or drag-and-drop files directly into the dialog.

After uploading, documents will be processed and indexed automatically. Wait for documents to appear under the Ready group - indicating they have been indexed and ready to be searched (typically takes 1-2 minutes).

Tip: Start with 1-2 frequently-referenced vendor documents to get familiar with the system.

With your documents indexed, you can now search them using plain English. Navigate to Query and select your project from the dropdown.

Enter a search query - for example, "What are the installation requirements for the HVAC system?" or "Find warranty information for pumps", then click Run to start the search.

Underframe will search across all indexed documents in your selected project and return the most relevant information in the form of highlighted snippets from the original documents.

Underframe Preview is our document summary engine, providing concise descriptions of documents based on their contents and filename.

After a document has been indexed, Underframe Preview is used to generate a short description. The document type will dictate what details are included in the description.

For example, an installation manual may include the vendor name, product name, and serial number. In contrast, a project manual may include the customer name, project name, and manual revision.

Underframe currently supports PDF files with the following limits:

• Maximum file size: 500 MB
• Maximum pages per document: 3,000 pages

If you're having trouble with a specific document that should work but isn't uploading or processing correctly, please reach out to us - we're happy to take a look and help troubleshoot the issue.

Underframe is optimized for text-heavy documents commonly used in construction:

• Installation guides and manuals
• Technical specifications
• Product data sheets
• Instruction sheets
• Warranty documentation

The platform is not optimized for visual documents like floor plans, architectural drawings, or electrical schematics.

Scanned and handwritten documents are automatically processed using OCR (Optical Character Recognition). This allows you to search text within scanned PDFs, photos of documents, and handwritten notes.

When uploading a new version of a document, you should delete the old version if you don't want it to appear in search results. Documents are indexed independently, so multiple versions of the same document will all be searchable unless removed.

The most successful queries follow a three-part structure:

1. Type of information - instruction, specification, warranty, etc.
2. Specific details - what exactly you need to know
3. Object or system - the equipment or component in question

Example: "What are the installation instructions for the TCY AC unit?"

Search results are presented as snippets - horizontal slices of your documents showing the most relevant content with surrounding context. Each result displays:

• Document name and description
• Page number for easy reference
• Highlighted relevant text with context

Searches automatically run across all documents within your selected project. This means you don't need to specify which document to search - Underframe finds relevant information wherever it exists in your project.

For best results, avoid these common search mistakes:

• Overly broad queries that could match any document
• Multiple questions in a single search
• Vague terms without specific context

Keep searches focused on one specific piece of information for the most accurate results.

Understanding the difference between organizations and projects is key to using Underframe effectively:

• Organizations - Your team's workspace containing members, billing, and all projects
• Projects - Folders within organizations where documents are uploaded and searched

Organizations can have unlimited projects, allowing you to organize documents by job site, client, or any structure that works for your team.

To invite team members to your organization:

1. Navigate to Settings
2. Select Members under Organization
3. Click Invite Member
4. Enter their email address and send the invitation

To remove a member, navigate to the Members page and click Remove in the context menu (far right of the user row).

All organization members have full access to all documents across all projects within the organization. This ensures your entire team can access the information they need without permission barriers.

Users can belong to multiple organizations. Each organization maintains separate projects, documents, and billing. Switch between organizations using the dropdown in the top navigation bar.

After your 14-day free trial (which includes 500 pages), Underframe costs $50/user/month. Each new subscription includes 2,500 page credits (including trial) to get you started.

Page credits are used when uploading and processing documents:

• Each PDF page counts as one credit
• Additional credits cost $0.025 per page
• Credits are purchased in increments of 1,000 pages ($25)
• Credits never expire - use them whenever you need

Manage your subscription and credits from the Billing page under Organization Settings. Here you can:

• View your current credit balance
• Purchase additional page credits
• Update payment methods
• View billing history and invoices
• Manage your subscription

You can cancel your subscription at any time. When you cancel:

• Your documents remain accessible in your account
• Unused page credits stay in your account
• You can reactivate your subscription anytime
• No additional charges after cancellation

Need assistance? Drop us a line:

• Email: support@underframe.com
• Schedule a call: Book a meeting

We do our best to respond to emails within 24 hours M-F.

Underframe is available as a web app, designed to work on desktop and mid-sized tablets.