Settings
Access Settings by pressing ⌘ + , or choosing Certum Draft → Preferences from the menu bar.
General
Section titled “General”Matters Folder
Section titled “Matters Folder”The default location for creating new matters.
- Click Choose to select a different folder
- This can be a local folder, network drive, or cloud-synced folder (Dropbox, iCloud)
Templates Folder
Section titled “Templates Folder”Where Certum Draft looks for template definitions.
- Each subfolder with a
matter.jsonbecomes an available template - Click Choose to select a different location
Export / Import Settings
Section titled “Export / Import Settings”Share your configuration with colleagues:
Export Settings saves a JSON file containing:
- Notion configuration (token, database IDs)
- Matter numbering settings
- Folder naming template
- Finder colour labels
- Default folders and starter files
Import Settings loads a previously exported configuration.
Show Onboarding
Section titled “Show Onboarding”Click to run through the initial setup wizard again. Useful if you need to reconfigure folder locations.
Factory Reset
Section titled “Factory Reset”Matters
Section titled “Matters”Matter Number Format
Section titled “Matter Number Format”Choose how matter numbers are generated:
| Format | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential | 000001 | Simple incrementing numbers |
| Year-Sequential | 2026-0001 | Resets to 0001 each year |
| Custom Prefix | ABC-000001 | Add your own prefix |
Next Matter Number
Section titled “Next Matter Number”The next number to be assigned. Certum Draft auto-detects this from existing folders, but you can override it here.
Folder Naming Template
Section titled “Folder Naming Template”How matter folders are named. Click the placeholder chips to insert them:
| Placeholder | Example Value |
|---|---|
{number} | 000108 |
{client_name} | SCHRUTE Dwight |
{matter_type} | Estates |
{matter.name} | Estate of Mose Schrute |
Default: {number} - {client_name} - {matter.name}
Result: 000108 - SCHRUTE Dwight - Estate of Mose Schrute
Default Matter Folders
Section titled “Default Matter Folders”The subfolders created in each new matter. You can:
- Add new folders
- Remove existing folders
- Reorder the list
Click Restore Defaults to reset to the standard folder structure.
Starter Files
Section titled “Starter Files”Files automatically copied into new matters. Common uses:
- Accounting spreadsheets
- Checklists
- Standard forms
Each starter file has three properties:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Source path | Relative path within the template folder (e.g., Accounts/Office_Accounting.xlsx) |
| Destination folder | Subfolder in the new matter where the file is placed |
| Matter number prefix | When enabled, the matter number is prepended to the filename (e.g., 2026-0001 Office_Accounting.xlsx) |
Finder Colour Labels
Section titled “Finder Colour Labels”Assign colours to matter folders based on the person acting:
- Click Add Colour Label
- Enter a name (e.g., “Rodney”)
- Select a Finder colour (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Grey)
- Click Save
When creating a matter, if the “Person Acting” field matches a name in this list, the folder is tagged with the corresponding colour.
Template Cache
Section titled “Template Cache”Certum Draft caches templates in ~/Library/Application Support/Certum Draft/ so that templates remain available when the source folder is temporarily unreachable (e.g., Dropbox Smart Sync has evicted files or the network drive is offline). The cache refreshes automatically whenever the templates folder is accessible.
Auto-Save
Section titled “Auto-Save”Matter data is saved automatically after changes with a 2.5-second debounce. This means edits are persisted without the user needing to press Save, but rapid typing does not trigger excessive disk writes. A manual Save (Cmd + S) flushes immediately.
Matter Locking
Section titled “Matter Locking”When a matter is opened on a shared drive, Certum Draft creates a lock file to prevent simultaneous editing. If another user already has the matter open:
- The matter opens in read-only mode with a banner indicating who holds the lock
- The lock expires after 10 minutes of inactivity
- Closing the matter releases the lock immediately
This prevents data loss from concurrent edits on shared Dropbox or network drives.
Institution Catalog
Section titled “Institution Catalog”Certum Draft includes a bundled catalog of over 1,500 Australian financial institutions (banks, credit unions, building societies, and insurers). The catalog is bundled with the app and does not require an internet connection. Users search the catalog when filling in mortgagee, lender, or institution fields.
Templates
Section titled “Templates”Validate Templates on Startup
Section titled “Validate Templates on Startup”When enabled, Certum Draft checks all templates for errors when it launches.
- Helps catch problems early
- May slow down startup for large template collections
- Disable if you have many templates and startup is slow
Expand Template Folders
Section titled “Expand Template Folders”When selecting templates for document generation:
- On: All folders start expanded
- Off: Folders start collapsed (click to expand)
Test Templates
Section titled “Test Templates”Click to run a validation check on all templates. Shows:
- Templates with errors (missing files, invalid JSON)
- Templates with warnings (unused fields, etc.)
- Valid templates
Updates
Section titled “Updates”Check for Updates
Section titled “Check for Updates”Certum Draft uses Sparkle for automatic updates.
- Automatically check — Checks on launch (recommended)
- Check Now — Manually check for updates
Update Channel
Section titled “Update Channel”- Stable — Released versions only
- Beta — Include beta/preview releases
Notion
Section titled “Notion”Connect to your Notion workspace for client and matter management.
Connection Settings
Section titled “Connection Settings”- Integration Token — Your Notion API token (starts with
ntn_) - Clients Database ID — The ID of your Clients database in Notion
- Matters Database ID — The ID of your Matters database in Notion
Click Save Token and Save Database IDs after entering values. Use Test Connection to verify everything works.
Team Tagging
Section titled “Team Tagging”Automatically tag team members when creating new matters:
- Click Fetch Workspace Users
- Select team members from the list
- When you create a matter, selected users are:
- Added to the “People” property
- @mentioned in a comment on the matter page
Terms of Use
Section titled “Terms of Use”View the Terms of Use you accepted during setup.
Open Source Licenses
Section titled “Open Source Licenses”View licenses for third-party components used in Certum Draft.
Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
Section titled “Keyboard Shortcuts Reference”App-Wide
Section titled “App-Wide”| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New Matter | ⌘ + Shift + N |
| New Document | ⌘ + Shift + D |
| Preferences | ⌘ + , |
| Check for Updates | ⌘ + U |
Matter Workspace
Section titled “Matter Workspace”| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Switch to Overview | ⌘ + 1 |
| Switch to Details | ⌘ + 2 |
| Switch to Documents | ⌘ + 3 |
| Save | ⌘ + S |
| Undo | ⌘ + Z |
| Refresh Documents | ⌘ + R |
| Email Client | ⌘ + E |
| Print Summary | ⌘ + P |
| Close Matter | ⌘ + W |
Home Screen
Section titled “Home Screen”| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Search Matters | ⌘ + F |