> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vanticlab.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Common questions about how Vantic IQ works, what it detects, and what to do when something is unclear.

export const diagnosticFaqWindowLine = `The Diagnostic is a paid ${diagnosticWindowLabel} window that produces a complete Friction Score and operational report.`;

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What does Vantic detect?">
    Vantic IQ detects workflow signals from your Mac via the macOS Accessibility API: which application is in focus, when focus changes, how long you spend in each application, and the sequence and timing of transitions between applications. That is the complete scope.

    It does not see screen content, typed text, email bodies, document contents, file contents, or anything inside the applications you use. There is no content pathway — this is an architectural constraint, not a setting.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is my screen recorded?">
    No. Screen recording is not a capability Vantic IQ has or requests. The
    Accessibility permission it uses detects which applications are active — not
    what is displayed in them, not what you type, not any screenshot or recording
    of your display. Screen recording is explicitly prohibited at the
    architectural level.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Vantic IQ watch what I do?">
    No. Some tools watch what you do. Vantic IQ detects the structure of how work
    flows — which applications are active, in what order, for how long — not the
    content of that work. It cannot see your screen, read your files, or intercept
    what you type. The architecture has no content pathway. This is not a setting
    that is switched off; it is a structural constraint built into the system from
    the start.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is a Friction Score?">
    The Friction Score is a single number from 0 to 100 that summarises the intensity of structural overhead in your workflows. It combines four independently calculated dimensions:

    * **Tool Fragmentation:** How spread a workflow is across many applications
    * **Workflow Consistency:** How repeatable the order of steps is run to run
    * **Context Switching:** How often focus changes in rapid succession
    * **Workflow Duration:** Sessions that run materially longer than your baseline

    | Range  | Band     | Meaning                                  |
    | ------ | -------- | ---------------------------------------- |
    | 0–29   | Low      | Workflows are running efficiently        |
    | 30–59  | Moderate | Review the top contributing patterns     |
    | 60–79  | High     | Prioritise the highest-scoring dimension |
    | 80–100 | Critical | The top pattern is costing material time |

    A high Friction Score reflects process and tool overhead — not individual performance. See [How the Friction Score works](/concepts/how-the-friction-score-works).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between workflow signals and content capture?">
    Content capture reads what you do — what you type, what is on your screen,
    what documents contain. Workflow signals are structural — timing patterns,
    switching sequences, session durations, application identifiers. Vantic
    derives all of its intelligence from structure. It does not need to know what
    you are doing to understand how your work flows.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When will I see my first insight?">
    Vantic IQ will not surface a Friction Score until the Pattern Engine has sufficient confidence — a minimum number of workflow instances, with enough dimensions crossing a reliability threshold. This typically takes 3–5 days of normal use. If your first week was atypical — unusually busy, unusually quiet, or you were travelling — it may take longer. Continue working normally and the score will arrive when the signal is ready.

    During the accrual window you will see Friction Pulse signals in the conversational interface — single factual signals that show the product is working without making a pattern claim.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is the ROI figure calculated?">
    The ROI estimate in your Operating Assessment is calculated from two inputs:

    1. **Your hourly rate** — provided during onboarding, or the sector median for your vertical if you left the field blank. When the sector median is used, it is labelled "sector median estimate" throughout the report.
    2. **Recoverable hours** — identified from patterns at High or Critical confidence (Friction Score of 60 or above). Moderate and Low confidence patterns are excluded from the dollar figure.

    The calculation is: recoverable hours × hourly rate, projected monthly. A conservative estimate of 15 minutes per day of friction overhead per qualifying pattern is applied.

    **Mandatory framing:** "Based on the \[team rate provided / sector median estimate] and the workflow patterns detected, approximately \$X in recoverable time per month."

    This is an estimate, not a verified savings figure. All assumption inputs — rate used, pattern count and confidence scope, detection window, and calculation methodology — are always visible in the report. The ROI figure is more credible with its assumptions visible, not less.

    See [Your Operating Assessment](/guides/operating-assessment) for the full framing and report structure.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Vantic IQ work with my specific apps?">
    Vantic IQ detects any application active on your Mac via the macOS
    Accessibility API. It is not limited to a specific list of supported apps and
    does not require any integration or setup within the apps you use. Password
    managers, banking applications, and system credential prompts are
    automatically excluded regardless.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will it slow down my Mac?">
    No. Vantic IQ runs as a lightweight menu bar process. Pattern detection is
    on-device and processes only timing and sequence signals — the CPU footprint
    is negligible under normal use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Vantic IQ need an internet connection?">
    Signal detection and pattern detection run locally and do not require an
    internet connection. A connection is required to sync derived scores to the
    cloud and to use the conversational interface (which calls the AI provider
    API). If you are offline, Vantic continues detecting and syncs when your
    connection is restored.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why hasn't my Friction Score appeared yet?">
    Vantic IQ will not surface a Friction Score until the Pattern Engine has sufficient confidence — a minimum number of workflow instances, with enough dimensions crossing a reliability threshold. This typically takes 3–5 days of normal use. If your first week was atypical — unusually busy, unusually quiet, or you were travelling — it may take longer. Continue working normally and the score will arrive when the signal is ready.

    During the accrual window you will see Friction Pulse signals in the conversational interface — single factual signals that show the product is working without making a pattern claim.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My Friction Score seems high. Is that bad?">
    A high score means your current workflow patterns generate significant
    structural overhead. It is not a reflection of how hard you or your team work
    — it reflects the efficiency of the processes and tools around your work. A
    high score is the diagnosis. What you do with it is the outcome.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Vantic IQ see what I'm typing?">
    No. Vantic IQ does not detect keystrokes under any circumstances. The
    Accessibility permission it uses does not expose keyboard input, and the
    application does not request any permission that would.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Vantic IQ see my emails or documents?">
    No. Vantic IQ detects that an email application is active and for how long,
    but cannot read the content of that application. It has no access to email
    content, document content, file contents, or any other readable data within
    the applications you use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to window titles?">
    Window titles can carry incidental meaning, so Vantic hashes them at the point
    of capture using SHA-256. The original value is discarded immediately. What is
    retained is the hash — usable only for detecting repetition and continuity,
    not for reading what the title said.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is my data stored in Australia?">
    Yes. All workflow signal data is stored on Vantic's Supabase infrastructure
    hosted on AWS in Sydney, Australia (ap-southeast-2). AI processing in the
    conversational interface may use servers outside Australia with Australian
    Privacy Principles-aligned safeguards — see the Privacy Policy for the binding
    description.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I delete my data?">
    Yes, at any time. The Privacy Hub lets you delete workflow signal events from
    the last hour, the last day, or entirely. Account deletion permanently removes
    all data including Friction Score patterns, Context Hints, and audit records.
    Deletion is immediate and cannot be reversed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to my data if I cancel?">
    Raw workflow signal events are deleted automatically after 90 days regardless of subscription status. Friction Score patterns persist until you explicitly delete them via the Privacy Hub or close your account.

    Closing your account permanently removes all data — workflow signal events, Friction Score patterns, Context Hints, and audit records. You can do this before, during, or after cancellation. It cannot be reversed.

    Go to **Preferences → Account → Delete Account**, or email [s.attwood@vanticlab.com](mailto:s.attwood@vanticlab.com). You do not need to wait for the end of your billing period to delete your data — deletion via the Privacy Hub or account close is available at any time. See [Privacy Hub](/privacy-data/privacy-hub) and [Data & retention](/privacy-data/data-and-retention).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the Diagnostic and is it a free trial?">
    {diagnosticFaqWindowLine} It is not a free trial — it is a concrete
    deliverable with a defined scope. If you continue to Starter or Growth within
    7 days of completing your Diagnostic, the fee is applied to your first
    invoice.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does annual billing work?">
    Annual billing on Starter and Growth plans charges 10 months upfront. The
    remaining 2 months are included — equivalent to approximately a 16.7% discount
    compared to monthly billing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I cancel or get support?">
    Email [s.attwood@vanticlab.com](mailto:s.attwood@vanticlab.com) for any
    question about your account, your data, billing, or the product.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>