How accurate is our format check?
Accuracy depends on two things: whether the rules are right, and whether we read your Word file correctly. This page explains both — including what we can't do.
How a check works
- 01Find the rules that apply to youDepartment handbook → university regulations → default referencing, merged into one rule set, each rule keeping its source.
- 02Read the .docx structureSections, styles, page numbers, captions and citations straight from the Word file — not screenshots or PDFs.
- 03Compare and citeEvery mismatch gets a location, found vs required, a fix and the clause behind it.
Four levels of rule reliability
Every department shows its coverage, so you know how reliable the rules are before you check.
● VerifiedChecked by us clause by clause against the official handbook.
● Confirmed by studentsExtracted from a student-uploaded handbook and confirmed rule by rule.
● From public pagesTaken from the university's public web pages; may not be this year's version.
○ Handbook neededNo department rules yet — we check university rules only, or you upload the handbook.
How reliable each check is
| Area | Notes |
|---|---|
| Layout & margins | Read directly from section settings — most reliable |
| Fonts & spacing | Manual style overrides can be missed |
| Page numbers | Relies on page number fields in headers and footers |
| Headings & contents | Harder when heading styles aren't used |
| Figures & tables | Typed captions reduce detection |
| Referencing | Many punctuation details; some reported as “Suggested” |
What we can't do
- We don't check PDFs or scans — .docx only.
- We don't judge content, argument or grammar, and we don't check plagiarism or AI use.
- Vague rules (such as “a clear, legible font”) only produce suggestions, never “must fix”.
- If your department updated its handbook and we haven't yet, results may be out of date — check the rule's update date.
Think we got something wrong?Tell us which report and which issue. We'll check it against the handbook and correct the rule.
FAQ