Clean, correct formatting for student papers — in minutes.

No. StructraDocs is designed so that formatting and preview run entirely in your browser. Your PDF or DOCX is read locally; the text is never sent to our servers. The only exception is if you use the optional Plagiarism check API: in that case, the text you choose to check is sent to the plagiarism service so it can be compared against the web and academic databases. For day-to-day formatting (MLA, APA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, Harvard), your files stay on your device.

If we ever add server-side features (e.g. cloud save or collaboration), we will update this FAQ and our privacy notice so you know exactly what is stored and where.

StructraDocs follows the official guidelines for each style (MLA 9th edition, APA 7th, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, Harvard). That means margins, font size, spacing, title blocks, and reference lists match what the style guides specify. Many instructors use these same rules, so your paper will look correct for most assignments.

Some instructors add their own rules (e.g. a specific running head, extra spacing, or a custom title page). In those cases, use StructraDocs to get 90% of the way there, then adjust the exported document in Word or Google Docs to match the syllabus. We don’t support every possible variation, but we cover the core requirements so you have a solid starting point.

We support PDF and DOCX (Microsoft Word). These are the formats most students and writers use. PDFs are converted to text only (layout and images are not preserved); DOCX files keep basic structure (headings, paragraphs, lists) when converted to the formatted preview. Maximum file size is 20 MB per document.

We do not currently support RTF, ODT, or plain TXT upload. If your work is in another format, save or export it as DOCX or PDF first, then upload. If you only have plain text, you can paste it into a Word document, save as DOCX, and upload that.

When you click Plagiarism check in any formatter (MLA, APA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, Harvard), the app can send the text of your document to our Plagiarism API. The API compares your text against web pages and, if configured, academic databases, and returns a similarity score and a list of passages that may match other sources. You can then add citations, paraphrase, or rewrite those parts before submitting.

The plagiarism API is optional and can be run on your own server. By default, the formatters also include a local check that looks for obvious issues (e.g. long quoted passages without citations, phrases like “according to” that may need a source). That local check never leaves your device. For full web/academic checking, you need to deploy the plagiarism API and optionally connect it to a third-party plagiarism service (see the API README in the repo).

Yes. Each formatter (MLA, APA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, Harvard) has an Import from other formats section. You paste one or more citations that are already in another style (e.g. NLM, APA, Chicago), choose the format from the dropdown, and click the import button. The app parses the pasted text and converts it into the current formatter’s style, then adds the new entries to your Works Cited, References, or Bibliography list.

Supported import formats depend on the formatter. For example, the MLA formatter can import NLM, APA, and Chicago; the APA formatter can import NLM and Chicago; the IEEE formatter can import APA and Chicago. Auto-detect is available in most formatters to guess the format from the pasted text. Parsing works best when you paste one citation per line or separate blocks with a blank line. Very unusual or messy citations may not parse correctly—you can always add those manually using the source form.

Each style is a set of rules for how to format your paper and how to cite sources. The main differences:

• MLA (Modern Language Association): common in literature, arts, and humanities. Uses a Works Cited list and in-text citations by author and page (e.g. Smith 42).
• APA (American Psychological Association): common in psychology, education, and social sciences. Uses a References list and in-text author–date citations (e.g. Smith, 2020).
• Chicago: used in history, some humanities, and publishing. Supports footnotes or author–date; bibliography at the end.
• AMA (American Medical Association): used in medicine and health sciences. References are numbered in order of appearance (1, 2, 3…).
• IEEE: used in engineering and computer science. References are numbered in brackets [1], [2], [3]… in order of appearance.
• Harvard: author–date style common in the UK and in business. Alphabetical reference list and in-text (Author Year) citations.

Your instructor or journal will usually tell you which style to use. StructraDocs provides a separate formatter for each so you can get the right layout and citations for your assignment.

The formatting tools (upload, preview, citations, print/save PDF) are free and run in your browser. You don’t need an account or a subscription to use the MLA, APA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, or Harvard formatters. All processing for formatting is done locally on your device.

The optional Plagiarism API is a separate service you can host yourself. If you connect it to a commercial plagiarism provider (e.g. Copyleaks, PlagiarismCheck.org), that provider may charge per check or per month; StructraDocs does not charge for the API itself. The in-app “Plagiarism check” also includes a free, local check that never sends your text anywhere—it only flags possible issues like long quotes without citations.

When you upload a PDF, StructraDocs extracts the text only. It does not preserve the original layout, columns, images, or fonts. The extracted text is then displayed in the formatter’s style (e.g. MLA or APA): correct margins, font size, and spacing, but not the same visual design as your PDF. That’s by design—the goal is to reformat your content into the chosen citation style.

If you need to keep complex layouts (figures, tables, multi-column pages), work from a DOCX file when possible; Word documents retain more structure during conversion. For simple essays and reports, PDF extraction is usually sufficient to get your text into the right format.

StructraDocs works in any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) on desktop and mobile. You can open the site on your phone or tablet and use the formatters. Uploading files may be less convenient on small screens (e.g. picking a file from cloud storage), and the formatted preview is easier to read and edit on a larger screen. Printing or saving as PDF uses your device’s print dialog, which works on both desktop and mobile.

For the best experience—especially when adding many sources or doing a plagiarism check—we recommend using a laptop or desktop. The site is responsive, so layout adapts to smaller screens, but dense forms and long documents are easier to manage on a bigger display.

In each formatter (MLA, APA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, Harvard), open the Add a source (or similar) section. Choose the type of source (e.g. book, journal article, website, video), fill in the fields (author, title, year, URL, etc.), and click Add. The citation is added to your Works Cited, References, or Bibliography list and appears in the formatted preview.

For in-text citations, you usually type the citation yourself in the document (e.g. “(Smith, 2020)” for APA or “(Smith 42)” for MLA). StructraDocs doesn’t insert in-text citations into the body automatically—it builds the reference list and shows you how the final document looks so you can place citations correctly in your writing.

Use the Print / Save as PDF (or similar) button in the formatter. Your browser opens its print dialog; you can print to paper or choose “Save as PDF” (or “Print to PDF”) to download a PDF of the formatted document. The preview you see on screen is what gets printed—margins, font size, and reference list match the chosen style.

We don’t offer direct DOCX export from the browser. To get an editable Word file, copy the formatted text from the preview into Word or Google Docs, or print to PDF and then use your word processor’s “Open PDF” or conversion tools if available. For most assignments, a PDF is sufficient for submission.

The main StructraDocs site and formatters are web pages; they need an internet connection to load the first time. Once the page is loaded, formatting and preview run in your browser using JavaScript, so you can continue editing and viewing the formatted result if you temporarily lose connection—as long as you don’t refresh or close the tab.

The Plagiarism check that uses our API requires the internet, because the API compares your text against the web and academic databases. The local plagiarism check (uncited quotes, attributions) runs in the browser and does not need the network. We do not currently offer a full offline or installable app; for repeat use without the web, you’d need to host the site yourself and use a service worker or similar for caching.

Each formatter includes the most common types: book, journal article, website, newspaper, film/video, and sometimes more (e.g. blog, conference paper). If your source doesn’t fit—for example a podcast episode, a tweet, or a government document—use the closest type (e.g. “Website” for a tweet or report with a URL) and fill in the fields as best you can. You can add notes in the “Other” or “Notes” field if your style allows.

For very specific or unusual sources, check your style guide (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) for the exact format; then either add the citation manually via “Import” (if you can format it as text) or add a generic “Other” entry and edit the exported document in Word to match the guide. StructraDocs covers the majority of sources; edge cases may need a quick manual tweak.

When you use StructraDocs only for formatting (upload, preview, citations, print/save PDF), your document and text stay in your browser. We don’t receive or store your file content, and we don’t share it with anyone.

If you use the optional Plagiarism check and the app is configured to call our Plagiarism API, the text you submit for checking is sent to that API (which you or your institution may host). The API may use third-party services (e.g. Bing, Semantic Scholar) to compare your text against the web and academic databases; see the API README and your deployment’s privacy policy for details. The main StructraDocs site does not sell or share your data with advertisers or other third parties.

Yes. StructraDocs supports the same citation styles often required for theses and dissertations (MLA, APA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, Harvard). You can format the body and reference list to match your school’s chosen style. Many institutions also require specific margins, title pages, or chapter formatting that go beyond the default style guide.

Use StructraDocs to get the citations and reference list correct, then apply your university’s template or guidelines in Word or LaTeX for the final submission. For very long documents (e.g. 100+ pages), consider splitting by chapter or section if you hit browser limits; the 20 MB file limit applies per upload.

StructraDocs works in current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. You need JavaScript enabled (it’s required for formatting, preview, and file handling). We recommend keeping your browser up to date for security and compatibility.

Older browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer) are not supported. If the formatter or upload doesn’t work, try another browser or device; clearing cache and cookies can also help. The site uses standard web APIs for file reading and printing, so any modern, standards-compliant browser should work.

First, try a different browser or device in case the issue is local. If upload fails, check that your file is PDF or DOCX and under 20 MB. If citations look wrong, confirm you’ve selected the right source type and filled in the required fields (author, title, year, etc.). For style questions (e.g. “How do I cite X in APA?”), refer to the official style guide or your instructor.

StructraDocs is an open project; if you use it from a repo or your own host, check the project’s README and issue tracker for known bugs and workarounds. For the Plagiarism API, see the api/README.md for setup, environment variables, and troubleshooting. We don’t provide formal customer support, but the FAQ and documentation cover the most common questions and fixes.