FAQ

Is my data in the cloud?

No. Boards live in a SQLite database on your computer. Nothing is uploaded unless you share a board (encrypted, to peers) or send a prompt to an AI provider. Security & privacy.

Do I need an OpenAI or Anthropic account?

No. Every license includes DeepState AI with a monthly allowance. You can add your own provider later for unlimited use or a specific model. AI providers.

Can I use it offline?

Mostly. The canvas, editing, timeline, presentations, export and backup work offline. The assistant needs its provider - with Ollama that is your own machine, so yes. Research tools need the internet by nature. The license tolerates three days offline between checks.

Does the AI see my whole board?

It sees what you select, recent nodes, a summary of the board's entities, and anything it looks up with search_board. It does not see other boards. What it sees.

Can the AI delete my work?

In Investigate mode it can delete nodes, but is instructed to do so only for duplicates and corrections, and everything is undoable with Ctrl/Cmd+Z. Use Plan mode for a strictly read-only assistant. Modes.

How many people can work on a board?

There is no hard limit. Sync is peer-to-peer over the relay, LAN or a folder, and every device holds a full copy. Teams of a handful work well; a dozen is fine. Collaboration.

Can I give someone read-only access?

Not with live sync - an invite code grants read and write. For a read-only copy, export the board or send a presentation as PDF or self-contained HTML. Export, Presentations.

Can I remove someone from a shared board?

Stop sharing (which discards the key) and share again with a new invite code to the people who should stay. Their existing copy remains on their machine - it just stops receiving updates.

Is the relay a server that can read my board?

No. It stores encrypted frames it cannot decrypt, in a room it cannot link to a board. You can also run your own. Encrypted relay.

What's the difference between a narrative and a region?

A region is a visual box - nodes inside it are grouped by position. A narrative is a storyline - nodes belong to it wherever they are, it has status and summaries, and it syncs. Narratives, Regions.

What's the difference between Embed, Social Post and News Article?

News Article scrapes and summarizes an article. Social Post fetches a post from X, Reddit, Bluesky or YouTube with author, metrics and media. Embed is a link with a preview card, for everything else. Pasting a URL picks the right one. Node types.

Can I import from Maltego / Obsidian / a spreadsheet?

Not directly. The practical route today: ask the assistant. Paste a list of names and say "create actor nodes for each of these"; paste URLs and say "file these as articles". A custom tool can automate a specific format. Custom tools.

Does it work on a tablet or phone?

No. DeepState is a desktop application for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Where do I find my app version?

Bottom of the board select screen, next to your license tier.

How do I move to a new computer?

Deactivate the license on the old one, make a backup, restore it on the new one, sign in to providers again. Backup & restore.

Can I get a trial?

Ask [email protected] - trial keys (14 days, Personal features) are issued on request.

Is there an API?

Not a network API. Custom tools are the extension point - JavaScript with access to the board, scraper and summarizer, callable by the assistant. Custom tools.

What happens when my subscription ends?

Renewals are automatic. If you cancel, the license works until the end of the paid period, then the app asks for a license. Your data stays on disk and is fully accessible again the moment you activate any license. Licensing.