Frequently asked questions
Everything you might be wondering about how First Draft works and how it fits your school.
How is this different from an AI detector?+
AI detectors guess whether text was machine-written, and they're unreliable — flagging honest work and missing real misconduct. First Draft doesn't guess. It records the writing process as a student drafts, so you can see how the work was actually produced. The evidence is there to prompt a conversation with the student.
What exactly does First Draft record?+
As a student writes, it captures the shape of the drafting: typing and editing over time, pauses, pastes, focus changes and writing sessions. From that it can replay the draft and surface plain-language signals (for example, a large block pasted in near the end). It is not a keylogger of other apps — it only sees what happens inside the First Draft editor.
Is this surveillance of students?+
No — and we're careful about how it's framed. The process record exists to protecthonest students by letting them prove their work is their own. Students give consent before they start, the data is limited to the editor, and your school controls and can export or delete it.
Do the integrity signals decide a student's grade?+
No. Signals are there to prompt a conversation, not to score a student. A flag simply highlights something worth a closer look — the teacher reviews the replay, talks it through with the student, and decides what, if anything, it means.
Who owns the data, and what about privacy?+
Your school does. Data is hosted securely in Australia, scoped per school, with role-based access, and you can export a full backup at any time. At the end of the year you can clear student work while keeping your classes, tasks and rubrics for reuse. We built it privacy-first, with consent and data minimisation in mind.
What do students and teachers need to get started?+
Just a browser. Schools get a branded sign-up page; teachers join with a staff code and create classes, and students join a class with a class code. There's nothing to install.
Can we use our own rubrics?+
Yes. Build rubrics in the app, or import them from Word, PDF or a spreadsheet. Rubrics can be private to you, shared across your school, or drawn from a shared library — and you mark against them right on the submission.
Does it work for more than essays?+
Yes — alongside essays and reports there's a slide-deck mode for presentations (draft your content and speaker notes, then export to PowerPoint), plus Word and PDF export for written work.
How much does it cost?+
Pricing is arranged individually with each school. The best next step is a quick chat — email us at info@firstdraft.school and we'll help you find the right fit.