Common Issues¶

Solutions to frequently encountered problems.

License Issues¶

"Invalid license key"¶

Problem: The license key you entered was rejected.

Causes:

The key was not copied completely (missing the signature portion)
The key has been typed incorrectly
The key is from a different version of Certum Draft

Solutions:

Copy the entire key: Make sure you copy everything, including the long signature after the last hyphen. The format is:
```
CERTUM-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-[long signature here]
```
Paste instead of typing: License keys are long — copy and paste from the email or message where you received it.
Contact your administrator: If you still have issues, ask the person who provided the key to resend it.

"Public key not configured"¶

Problem: The app shows an error about public key configuration.

Cause: This is a deployment issue — the app wasn't properly configured before distribution.

Solution: Contact your IT administrator. They need to configure the license verification key in the app before distribution.

Need to change license¶

Problem: You need to enter a different license key.

Solution:

Open Preferences (⌘,)
Go to the License tab
Click Deactivate License
Enter your new license key

Setup Issues¶

Python Setup Failed¶

Problem: The first-run setup shows an error about Python.

Causes:

Python 3 isn't installed on this Mac
Python is installed in an unusual location
Network connection issues during setup

Solutions:

Check if Python is installed: Open Terminal and run:
```
python3 --version
```
If you see a version number (e.g., Python 3.12.0), Python is installed.
Install Python if missing: Download from python.org or use Homebrew:
```
brew install python3
```
Retry setup: Close and reopen Certum Draft. The setup will retry automatically.
Check network: Ensure you have an internet connection — setup downloads required libraries.

Setup Stuck or Taking Too Long¶

Problem: The setup progress bar isn't moving.

Causes:

Slow internet connection
pip (Python's package manager) is downloading large files

Solution:

Wait a bit longer — first-time setup can take 1-2 minutes on slower connections
If stuck for more than 5 minutes, close and reopen the app to retry

"Templates directory not configured"¶

Problem: Certum Draft can't find your templates.

Solution: 1. Open Preferences > Paths 2. Click Choose next to Templates Root Path 3. Select the folder containing your matter type folders 4. Verify each matter type folder contains a matter.json file

"Matters directory not configured"¶

Problem: Certum Draft doesn't know where to create matter folders.

Solution: 1. Open Preferences > Paths 2. Click Choose next to Matters Root Path 3. Select the folder where matters should be created

No matter types appear when creating a matter¶

Problem: The matter type dropdown is empty.

Causes: - Templates folder not configured - Templates folder is empty - Matter type folders don't contain matter.json

Solution: 1. Check Preferences > Paths has the correct templates folder 2. Verify your templates folder structure matches the expected format 3. Ensure each matter type folder has a matter.json file

Creating Matters¶

"Folder already exists"¶

Problem: A matter folder with that number already exists.

Causes: - Matter number counter is out of sync - Someone else created a matter with that number

Solution: 1. The matter was likely created - check your matters folder 2. If needed, go to Preferences > Matters and adjust the next number

Form fields don't appear¶

Problem: The matter creation form shows section names but no fields.

Cause: The matter.json file has blocks but the fields aren't being read correctly.

Solution: 1. Use Test Templates to validate the template 2. Check the matter.json file for JSON syntax errors 3. Ensure field definitions include required properties (key, label, type)

Generating Documents¶

"Precedents folder not found"¶

Problem: Can't find any templates to generate.

Causes: - The precedents folder doesn't exist in the template - The precedents_path in matter.json points to wrong location

Solution: 1. Check that a precedents folder exists inside the matter type folder 2. Verify matter.json has "precedents_path": "precedents" 3. Ensure precedent files are .docx format

"No precedents found" (but folder exists)¶

Problem: The precedents folder exists but no files are shown.

Causes: - Files aren't in supported formats - Files are in the root precedents folder, not subfolders (this is fine) - Cloud sync hasn't downloaded the files

Solution: 1. Check files are .docx, .xlsx, .rtf, .doc, or .pdf 2. If using cloud storage, ensure files are downloaded locally 3. Check for hidden files or folders that might be blocking access

Documents generate with raw placeholders¶

Problem: The generated document shows {{ client.surname }} instead of the actual name.

Causes: - Placeholder syntax error - Field key doesn't match what's in the matter file - Hidden formatting in the Word document breaking the placeholder

Solution: 1. Check placeholder uses correct syntax: {{ field.key }} 2. Verify the field key matches exactly (case-sensitive) 3. Re-type the placeholder directly in Word (don't copy/paste from elsewhere)

"Missing fields" warning¶

Problem: Some fields show as missing or empty.

Cause: The template expects data that wasn't entered in the matter.

Solution: 1. Fill in the missing fields in the generate wizard, or 2. Use Edit Matter Details to add the data permanently

Matter Numbers¶

All matters get the same number¶

Problem: Every new matter gets 2025-00001 or similar.

Cause: The counter file isn't being read or written correctly.

Solution: 1. Check the .matter-counter.json file in your matters folder 2. If it exists, verify the lastNumber value is correct 3. Go to Preferences > Matters and use Auto-detect to reset based on existing folders

Matter numbers are out of sequence¶

Problem: Numbers skip or jump unexpectedly.

Causes: - Counter was manually adjusted - Failed matter creations incremented the counter - Multiple computers with out-of-sync local counters

Solution: 1. The shared counter (.matter-counter.json) is the source of truth 2. Check the file to see the current lastNumber 3. Adjust if needed using Preferences > Matters

Performance¶

App is slow to start¶

Cause: Many templates or large template files.

Solution: - Ensure template files aren't excessively large - If using cloud storage, ensure files are available offline

Generating documents is slow¶

Cause: Large documents or many placeholders.

Solution: - This is normal for complex documents - Check that your template doesn't have unnecessary content

Getting More Help¶

If your issue isn't listed here:

Check the app logs: ~/Library/Application Support/CertumDraft/Logs/app.log
Note any error messages you see
Contact support