DocBeacon Documentation Center

Getting Started

DocBeacon helps you turn documents into secure, trackable experiences. Follow these steps to get value quickly.

1. Create an account and verify your email (if prompted)
2. Upload a document and add a clear title, description, and tags for easy searching later
3. Choose how to share: Public link (anyone with the link) or Specific contacts (individual trackable links)
4. Set access rules: Access code, Expiration, Download permissions, and Watermarks
5. Share the link and track performance in Dashboard and Analytics tabs
6. Update preferences in Settings, including daily digest emails and profile details

Core Concepts

Understanding these foundational concepts helps you design secure sharing and meaningful analytics.

Document Library & Organization

Keep your workspace clean and easy to navigate as your library grows.

• Search: Search by title, filename, or tags
• Filter: Filter by file type, Sort: by newest, oldest, name, or size
• Organize: Use descriptions and tags to help teams find the right file quickly
• Track status: See if documents are ready to view or still processing
• Remove documents: Delete when no longer needed; shares are disabled, analytics retained for history

Plans & Limits

Limits vary by plan. The table below shows current limits used by the product. If you need higher limits, compare plans on the pricing page.

Uploading & Preparation

Uploading is simple and fast, with automatic preparation for viewing.

• Supported formats: All plans support PDF; higher tiers support Word, PowerPoint, and TXT
• Size limits: Each plan has its own file size limit to keep uploads reliable
• Automatic preparation: Files are optimized for consistent viewing across all devices
• Status visibility: You can see when documents are ready to view and share
• Security checks: Unsupported or unsafe files are rejected before sharing
• Progress tracking: Real-time display of upload and conversion progress (0-100%)
• Resumable uploads: Supports interrupted uploads with automatic resume capability

Sharing & Access Control

Control who can access documents and how they can use them.

Viewer Experience & Protection

Recipients open links in a clean viewer with clear controls and built-in protections.

• Simple page navigation, zoom controls, and page count display
• Light, dark, and system theme options for comfortable reading
• View-only protections including disabled text selection and print prevention
• Watermark overlays reflecting viewer and access time
• Optional downloads when enabled by sender
• Content reporting directly from viewer

Analytics & Insights

Track engagement at document and share levels, and use insights to guide follow-up actions.

Activity & Daily Digest

Stay on top of what's happening across your shared documents.

• Activity feed: See recent viewing and download activity with timestamps
• Daily digest email: Summary of views, downloads, reading time, and top documents from previous day
• Email controls: Manage digest and update preferences in Settings or unsubscribe from email itself
• Timezone aware: Automatically adjusts send time based on your timezone

Contacts

Organize your readers so you can track engagement accurately and follow up confidently.

• Create contacts with name, email, company, role, tags, and notes for quick selection when sharing
• Each contact receives a unique trackable link for precise engagement attribution
• Create temporary recipients when sharing; keep your main contact list organized
• Deleting a contact anonymizes their info while keeping analytics intact
• Contact limits: Free 10, Pro 200, Business/Enterprise unlimited

Account & Preferences

Keep your profile up to date and tailor your experience.

• Manage profile details such as name, company, job title, and phone number
• Choose email preferences for daily digest and product updates
• Set your preferred theme (light, dark, or system)
• Delete your account at any time from Settings
• Manage Cookie preferences (functional, analytics, marketing)
• Interactive onboarding flow on first login

Billing & Plans

Pick a plan that fits your workflow and scale as your sharing needs grow.

• Upgrade or downgrade at any time; existing links keep working
• Manage invoices, payment methods, and cancellations in the Billing Portal
• Use the Pricing page to compare limits and analytics access
• New quotas apply immediately after upgrade, all existing data retained

Support & Reporting

Get help quickly or report content that violates your standards.

• Submit support tickets with detailed descriptions and optional attachments
• Report content directly from the viewer if you spot abuse or misuse
• Use the Help Center, Contact page, or Status page for additional guidance
• Support team typically responds within 24 hours
• Ticket types: Question, Suggestion, Bug Report, Other

Security & Privacy

• Email verification helps protect account access
• Access codes, expirations, download controls, and watermarks reduce unauthorized sharing
• View-only protections prevent easy copying or printing of sensitive content
• Cookie preferences let you control functional and analytics data use
• HTTPS encryption during transmission, encrypted storage of sensitive data
• Compliant with GDPR and other privacy regulations
• Review our Security and Privacy Policy

Best Practices

• Use per-contact links to understand who engaged and when
• Set expirations for time-sensitive documents like proposals or negotiations
• Enable watermarks and disable downloads for sensitive materials
• Watch reading paths to spot hesitation or sudden drop-offs
• Segment audiences to compare engagement across groups
• Focus on engagement scores: >80 follow up promptly, 50-80 continue communication, <50 adjust strategy

Glossary

Document

The file you upload and manage in your library.

Share Link

A trackable link with its own access rules and analytics.

Unshared Document

A document stored without any active share links.

Access Code

A short code required before viewing a share.

Verified Email Access

Access control that requires the contact to verify their email before viewing.

Expiration

A time limit after which a share no longer works.

Engagement Score

AI-powered score (0-100) measuring reading depth and quality.

Reading Path

The sequence of pages a reader visits, revealing drop-off points.

Heatmap

Section-level visualization showing which parts of each page capture attention.

Contact

An individual person you can select when sharing for unique link tracking.

Activity

The timeline of viewing and download events for your documents.

Daily Digest

An email summary of document activity from the previous day.

Reading Mode

AI-powered classification of deep reading, focused reading, or skimming.

Watermark

Dynamic overlay containing viewer information to prevent unauthorized sharing.

Troubleshooting & FAQ