Terms of Service

These terms are the agreement between you and CiteOwl when you use the service. The essentials: you own what you write, you use CiteOwl in good faith and check its work before relying on it, and we run the service on a best-effort basis as it grows. The full terms are below.

Agreeing to these terms

By creating an account or using CiteOwl, you agree to these terms. If you are using it on behalf of an institution, you confirm you are allowed to accept these terms for them. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

What CiteOwl is

CiteOwl is an AI assistant for research writing. It can search for sources, draft and edit text, add citations, and track every change as a reviewable diff. It is a tool that helps you write, not an author, an expert, or a substitute for your own judgment.

Your account

• You must give accurate information and keep your login secure. You are responsible for activity under your account.
• You must be old enough to form a binding contract where you live, and at least 16.
• Tell us promptly at hello@citeowl.com if you suspect unauthorized use.

Your content stays yours

You keep all ownership of the documents, sources, and writing you create or import. We claim no ownership of it. You grant us only the limited permission needed to operate the service: to store your content, display it back to you, and send the relevant parts to AI and search providers so the agent can act on your instructions. We do not use your content to train AI models. See the Privacy Policy for how data is handled.

Using AI responsibly

CiteOwl is built to cite only sources the agent actually retrieved, and to attach the supporting quote to each citation so you can verify it. Even so, AI can make mistakes. It can misread a source, summarize it imperfectly, or phrase a claim too strongly.

• You are responsible for the final work. Review every change, check that each citation supports its claim, and confirm facts before you submit, publish, or rely on anything.
• Follow your own rules on AI use. Your school, journal, or institution may have policies on AI-assisted writing. Complying with them is up to you.
• CiteOwl does not guarantee that output is accurate, original, complete, or fit for any particular purpose.

Acceptable use

Don't use CiteOwl to break the law, infringe others' rights, fabricate or misrepresent research, generate harmful or deceptive content, attempt to disrupt or reverse-engineer the service, or resell it without our permission. We may suspend accounts that do.

Plans, billing, and cancellation

• CiteOwl offers a free plan and paid plans. Current features and prices are on the pricing page.
• Paid plans are billed in advance through our payment processor and renew automatically each period until you cancel.
• Some plans allow pay-as-you-go usage beyond the included limits; that usage is billed in addition to the plan fee.
• You can cancel anytime; your plan stays active until the end of the paid period and does not renew after that.
• Except where the law requires otherwise, payments are non-refundable. We may change prices or plan features with reasonable notice.

Availability

CiteOwl is offered on a best-effort basis, especially in this early period. We may change, pause, or remove features, and we do not promise specific uptime. We'll try to give notice of significant changes, and to avoid losing your work.

Disclaimers

The service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the fullest extent the law allows. We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that its output will meet your requirements.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, CiteOwl is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for lost data, work, or academic or professional outcomes arising from your use of the service. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the amount you paid us in the three months before the claim. Nothing in these terms limits rights that cannot be waived under the law that applies to you.

Termination

You can stop using CiteOwl and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or end access if you breach these terms or to protect the service. You can export your work before leaving (export options depend on your plan).

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of [your jurisdiction], and disputes will be handled by the courts of [your jurisdiction], unless mandatory consumer-protection law in your country gives you other rights.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as CiteOwl evolves. When we make a material change we will update the date above and, where appropriate, notify you. Continuing to use the service after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Contact

Questions about these terms? Email hello@citeowl.com.

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