Frequently Asked Questions

Do students need an account?

It depends on the licensing model chosen by the instructor. On the student-pay model, students need to create accounts in order to acquire Workbook licenses.

How many credits does correcting an essay cost?

AI credit charges directly reflect the costs charged to us by AI model providers, which are a direct function of token usage. The credit cost for correcting an essay depends on multiple factors, including the model and reasoning level selected, the number of words, and the number of corrections to make.

As a guideline, correcting a 1000-word essay with the smallest model costs between 1 and 15 credits depending on the numbers of errors corrected. The cost increases with errors because output tokens are much more expensive than input tokens, and few output tokens are required for essays with few errors. The smallest model is generally adequate for grammar work, but the larger models are required for more advanced work.

Can I use MATCHA on Linux (perhaps with a Windows virtual machine)?

Due to mainstream Linux distributions not providing a kiosk mode like Windows and macOS provide, this is not currently possible (even with a virtual machine). We are working on a workaround.

Can I use MATCHA without proctoring?

Yes. MATCHA can be used as a local text editor with editing history. Stronger integrity guarantees require supervised workflows.

Can I use the free version of MATCHA for my courses?

In principle, yes. As an edit-tracking editor, MATCHA is free, and you can ask your students to use it for their coursework. However, some key features commonly used for coursework require a paid plan on either the instructor or student side (see our Licensing page). These include Complete Work History (used to make at-home assignments AI-resistant) and Single-App Mode (used to secure in-class activities). Managed follow-up quizzes also only work with instructor-led activities, which require licensing. MATCHA is much cheaper than alternative academic integrity solutions. Talk to your educational technology team about licensing. We also offer free seats to get verified instructors started.

Is MATCHA intrusive?

It is the least intrusive means of securing writing in the age of generative AI. Editing and browsing histories are local to a participant's computer. They are only shared with an instructor if the instructor requests .mcha submissions, which is optional (the summary statistics added to DOCX submissions are normally enough to ascertain the amount of work and the authorship). In comparison, other edit-tracking editors store editing histories on the cloud, and an instructor typically has to have access to them to get any editing information.

MATCHA is also much less intrusive than typical locked down browsers and other proctoring tools, which take over a participant's computer using administrator privileges. MATCHA has the ability to secure writing activities without taking such intrusive measures.

Why am I seeing "This version of MATCHA can no longer be used to edit documents"?

This message appears when your installed version of MATCHA is older than the minimum version currently required to keep editing documents. This can happen after a MATCHA update rolls out and older versions are retired. To continue editing, update MATCHA from the MATCHA menu and then reopen your project.

What file formats are supported?

MATCHA saves projects using its own .mcha file format. Documents can be exported as signed .docx files and (unsigned) PDFs (via LaTeX). MATCHA can also import .docx and LaTeX files (imperfectly).

What is the LaTeX document type used?

MATCHA uses memoir if the document contains chapters or parts; otherwise, it uses article. We plan to add support for other types in the future.

What are the .mcha-wal and .mcha-shm files I see in my project directory?

These are recovery files used by MATCHA. You should keep them because MATCHA can use them to recover changes that are not fully committed to the project file if the project is not saved properly. After closing MATCHA normally it is safe to delete any remaining wal and shm files.

How do I validate a certified .docx?

Use the "Verify .docx" feature from the File menu or the Instructor menu (on the start screen). As a convenience you can also verify an entire directory of .docx files.

Where do I create activities?

Use the MATCHA Dashboard to create, configure, and manage activities.

Can I add my university library to the browser allowlist?

Yes. Instructors can extend an activity browser allowlist with university library sites, proxy domains, and subdomains. The easiest first pass is to sign in to MATCHA Writer with your Dashboard account and use the Instructor Menu workflow to create a browser configuration and allowlist by browsing. Visit the library pages students will need, and MATCHA saves the visited page domains to the new configuration.

You can then refine the configuration in the MATCHA Dashboard , including domain/path rules and wildcard patterns such as **.library.example.edu when a library uses many subdomains. The default academic allowlist already covers many common sources, so you may only need to add the institution-specific pieces.

Can students read and cite library PDFs in MATCHA?

Yes, when the PDFs are reached through approved pages in the built-in browser. MATCHA opens those PDFs inside the app and, when Complete Work History is enabled, records reading activity for the Reading Analysis Report.

Students can add supported PDF sources to their library with Add to library, or use supported citation flows such as copying from the PDF or source page. When supported citation data is available, MATCHA can connect the reading history with the cited work. PDFs read entirely outside MATCHA cannot be included in MATCHA work history.

Can students submit a PDF for Canvas while keeping MATCHA integrity information?

MATCHA can export PDFs, but the integrity certification is attached to signed .docx exports and .mcha project/history submissions, not to PDFs. If your Canvas or LMS workflow requires PDF annotation, use the PDF for grading while also collecting a signed .docx or .mcha submission for integrity review.

For the integrity file, instructors can use MATCHA cloud submission to collect .mcha files, collect signed .docx files, or collect both depending on activity settings. In a two-file workflow, make the requirement explicit and check that the PDF being graded matches the MATCHA submission.