Working with Comments

Select a subject from the sidebar to open it. The content panel shows your subject tree where all your work happens — the outliner displays your subject hierarchy: references, entries, and comments organized as a collapsible outline.

Adding comments in the outliner

There are three ways to add comments from within a subject:

• + Add button — tap Add on any node to create a child. An inline input appears with tabs for Write, Paste, URL, Upload, and Capture.
• Enter key — press Enter on a focused node to add a sibling; Shift+Enter to add a child.
• Compose overlay — tap the expand icon on the inline input to open a full split-screen editor with your source material on one side and your comment on the other.

Generating AI comment ideas

On any reference or entry node that has body text, tap the Generate button (Hoot icon). The AI reads your source material and creates comment ideas as child nodes, each approaching the topic from a different coaching angle.

Generated comments appear in the tree with their bodies expanded so you can read them immediately. Use them as inspiration — then write your own, or edit one to make it yours.

Coaching a comment

Tap the ⋮ button on any comment node and choose Coach from the quick actions bar. Hoot reads your comment and provides feedback with scores:

• Clarity — can someone follow your point after hearing it once?
• Conciseness — does every word earn its place?
• Depth — does it add something beyond the obvious?
• Relevance — does it connect to what's being discussed?

Along with scores, you'll see specific suggestions. Some include an Apply button to accept the suggested revision directly.

Understanding Scores →

Editing and refining

Tap the ⋮ button on a comment node — or press . — to open the action modal with all available tools:

• Edit / Zoom — opens the compose overlay with source context visible alongside your comment. From there you can navigate between sibling comments, toggle between EN / ES / side-by-side (if a translation exists), switch to a clean read mode for practice, and view live metrics like word count, speaking time, and vocabulary diversity. Learn more →
• Refine — give the AI specific instructions: shorten, deepen, simplify, strengthen ending, or add an example. The refined version appears as a child node below your original — non-destructive, so you can compare both.
• More Like This — generate a variation in a similar style, added as a child node.
• AI Compare — generate fresh AI-written alternatives and add them as child nodes, so you can compare different angles with your own writing.
• AI Translate — get a translation to practice bilingually. The body panel switches to show the translated version with an EN/ES toggle.
• Tags — add tags to organize and filter your work. Tap + Tag on any node, or use the Tags section in the action modal. Tags appear as colored chips and power the filter bar above the tree. Learn more →

Reordering and organizing

Use keyboard shortcuts or the tools menu to organize your comments:

• Alt+Up / Alt+Down — move a node up or down among its siblings.
• Tab / Shift+Tab — nest deeper or promote to a higher level.
• Move Up / Move Down — also available in the action modal under the Move section.

Finalizing

When you're satisfied with a comment, tap ⋮ and choose Ready from the quick actions bar. A green badge appears confirming your comment is finalized. The label adapts to your context: Ready, Practiced, or Prepared.

Sharing a comment

Open the tools menu on a comment node and tap Share to generate a shareable link. This lets others read your finalized comment without needing an account.

Meeting prep export

Click the Print button (🖨) in the outliner toolbar to open a branded prep sheet in a new tab. Your finalized comments are organized by paragraph with coaching scores and speaking times. Use your browser's Print or Save as PDF to create a clean document for your meeting.