Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common questions about DebateFlow. If you don't find what you're looking for here, use our contact form.

Getting Started

Do I need debate experience to use DebateFlow?

Not at all! DebateFlow is designed for judges at all experience levels, including parent judges who have never judged before.

The AI helps you track technical details (like which arguments were dropped or extended), so you can focus on evaluating the quality of argumentation and speaking. The guided workflows walk you through every step.

That said, having some basic understanding of Public Forum debate format is helpful. If you're completely new, check out our Getting Started guide which explains the basics.

What equipment do I need?

You'll need:

• A computer or tablet with a modern web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge)
• A stable internet connection
• A microphone (your device's built-in mic works fine)
• Headphones or speakers to hear the debaters

That's it! DebateFlow runs entirely in your browser—no downloads or installations required.

Can I use DebateFlow on my phone?

Yes. DebateFlow works on a phone, and the recording screen has a layout built for a small screen.

A bigger screen is easier for the rest of it. It shows your notes, the transcript and the analysis side by side, where a phone shows you one at a time.

Tablets (like iPads) work great, though. Many judges use a tablet during the round and then switch to a laptop for writing feedback.

Does DebateFlow work offline?

No, DebateFlow requires an internet connection to function. Here's why:

• Transcription happens in the cloud
• AI analysis requires processing power beyond what runs on your device
• Tabroom integration needs to sync your assignments

Make sure you have reliable WiFi or a hotspot available at the tournament.

Recording & Transcription

How accurate is the transcription?

The transcription (powered by Deepgram AI) is not perfect. How close it gets depends on:

• Audio quality (background noise, echo, etc.)
• Speaking clarity (debaters who speak very quickly may have more errors)
• Microphone quality

You don't need perfect transcription to get value from DebateFlow. Even with some errors, you'll have a searchable record of what was said, and the AI can still identify arguments and track responses.

What if the transcription gets something wrong?

The transcription is just a tool to help you remember what was said—it's not the source of truth for your decision. You should always rely on what you heard in the moment.

If you notice an error, you can note it in your comments. The important thing is that you track the substance of arguments, not the exact wording.

Can I set the timer back to zero mid-speech?

Yes. If a debater says "time starts with my first word", or you started the timer early, click the circular arrow next to the timer. The timer resets to 0:00 and recording carries on.

What if I forget to stop recording?

No problem. You can stop recording at any time, and DebateFlow will only transcribe the audio that was captured. The extra recording won't affect your round analysis.

If you realize you recorded too much (like private conversation during prep), you can simply note where the speech actually ended and ignore the extra transcript.

Does DebateFlow record during crossfire?

No. We intentionally do not record during crossfire because it's too difficult to attribute who said what when multiple people are talking rapidly.

You'll need to take notes manually during crossfire sections. The timer still works normally—you just won't get a transcript.

AI Analysis

How does the AI know which arguments are which?

The AI analyzes the transcript of each speech and identifies distinct arguments based on:

• Claims made by the debaters
• Warrants and evidence provided
• Impact statements
• How debaters refer to arguments ("on our economy case..." or "they dropped our healthcare argument...")

It's not perfect, but it does a good job of tracking the major contentions and responses throughout the round.

What if the AI gets something wrong?

The AI is a tool to help you, not replace you. If you notice the AI missed an argument or incorrectly labeled something:

• Trust your own notes and observations
• You can add manual notes to correct or clarify
• When writing your RFD and feedback, you're in complete control of the content

Think of the AI as a really smart assistant who's taking detailed notes—but you're still the judge.

Can I turn off AI analysis?

The part that runs during a round is off unless you turn it on, in Settings → "Show analysis during rounds". With it off you still record, transcribe and take notes; nothing appears on screen while the debate is happening. Each round records what the setting was when it started, so you can show a tournament exactly what was running - see what we do during a round.

The part that runs after you press Complete Round is how the app drafts your feedback and your reason for decision, so it always runs. You can ignore every word of it: you assign the speaker points, you pick the winner, and you can rewrite anything it drafts.

Does the AI decide who wins?

Absolutely not. The AI provides technical analysis about which arguments were made, dropped, extended, etc. But you make the final decision about:

• Which arguments are more important
• How to weigh competing impacts
• Who wins the round
• What speaker points to assign

DebateFlow is designed to enhance your judging, not replace it.

Decision Making

Do I have to use the Decision Wizard?

Yes. It is the only way to decide a round in DebateFlow.

It is built so that your call comes first:

1. Review the round. What you marked while the debate was happening, and the read you gave at the end of it, before the app showed you any analysis.
2. Say what the round came down to. Every argument still standing is listed, with one line on what happened to each. You tick the two or three your decision rests on. Up to three are ticked for you, and every box is yours to change.
3. Decide each one you ticked—one at a time, you pick Pro, Con, or "neither side clearly won this", and write why.
4. Make the final decision. The winner, your reason for decision, and speaker points.

You are never asked to agree with the app. On each issue you commit your own answer first. Only then can you open Compare with the analysis and see what it made of the same issue.

What if I can't decide who won?

First, take a breath. It happens to all judges sometimes.

The decision wizard is designed to help with exactly this situation. It will:

• List the arguments still standing, with what happened to each, so you can narrow the round to the two or three it came down to
• Show you everything each team did to those arguments, in speech order
• Let you mark an issue "neither side clearly won this" rather than inventing a winner for it

If you're truly stuck between two teams, focus on:

• Which team's impacts are more important (magnitude, timeframe, probability)?
• Which team did better weighing analysis?
• Who gave you clearer voters in their final speeches?

Remember: you don't need a "perfect" decision. You need a defensible one based on what happened in the round.

Can I change my decision after I've made it?

Yes, as long as you haven't submitted it to Tabroom yet. You can go back and revise your RFD, change speaker points, or even flip your decision if you realize you made a mistake.

Once you've submitted to Tabroom, it's final (you'll need to contact the tournament director if you need to change something).

Feedback & Ballots

How long does AI feedback generation take?

Usually 30-60 seconds for both teams. It depends on:

• How long the round was
• How many arguments were made
• Server load at the moment

You'll see a progress indicator while it's working. Feel free to grab water or take a quick break!

Can I edit the AI-generated feedback?

Absolutely! In fact, we encourage it.

The AI provides a solid first draft based on your ratings and notes throughout the round. But you should always:

• Read through it carefully
• Add personal observations
• Adjust tone or emphasis as needed
• Make it sound like you

The feedback should reflect your voice and perspective as a judge.

What's the difference between the RFD and feedback?

• RFD (Reason for Decision): Explains why you voted the way you did. It focuses on the voting issues and how you weighed the round. This goes to both teams and is usually 2-3 paragraphs.

• Feedback (3 C's): Personalized comments for each team about what they did well (Compliments), what they could improve (Constructive Criticism), and specific mistakes to fix (Corrections). This is team-specific.

Both are important for helping students learn and improve.

How do I submit my ballot to Tabroom?

DebateFlow doesn't automatically submit to Tabroom (we want you to review everything one more time). Instead:

1. Complete your decision and feedback in DebateFlow
2. Click Preview for Tabroom
3. Use the Copy buttons to copy each section
4. Paste into the corresponding fields in Tabroom
5. Submit in Tabroom as usual

It takes about 60 seconds total. See our Tabroom Integration guide for details.

Tabroom Integration

Why do I have to enter my Tabroom password?

We need your Tabroom credentials to:

• Fetch your judging assignments automatically
• Pull team names, speaker names, and tournament details
• Pre-fill round information so you don't have to type it manually

Your credentials are encrypted and only used to communicate directly with Tabroom. We never share them or use them for anything else.

My assignments aren't showing up. What's wrong?

Check these common issues:

1. Have you connected your Tabroom account? Go to Settings and make sure you've entered your username and password.

2. Has the tournament published the schematic? We can only pull assignments that are published on Tabroom. If the TD hasn't posted the pairings yet, they won't appear.

3. Are your credentials correct? Try logging into Tabroom.com directly to verify your username and password work.

4. Try refreshing: Click the refresh button on your dashboard, or disconnect and reconnect your account in Settings.

If none of these work, contact us.

Can I use DebateFlow without Tabroom integration?

Yes! You can manually create a round by clicking "New Round" and entering the team information yourself.

You won't get the benefits of automatic assignment syncing and pre-filled details, but everything else works the same.

Why can't DebateFlow submit ballots automatically?

We intentionally require manual submission to Tabroom because ballot submission is a serious responsibility. We want you to review your decision one final time in Tabroom before hitting that submit button.

We're exploring ways to make this more seamless in the future while maintaining that important review step.

Privacy & Data

What happens to the audio recordings?

Audio recordings are deleted immediately after transcription. We only keep the text transcript.

This aligns with privacy best practices for handling student data. We don't store, share, or use audio files for anything other than creating the transcript for your round.

Are student names kept private?

Yes. Before sending any data to the AI for analysis, all student and team names are replaced with anonymous tokens (like "Team A Speaker 1").

The AI never sees real names. Only you see the actual names in your interface.

Can students access my notes or feedback?

Students can only see what you choose to share with them through Tabroom. Your private notes, reactions during the round, and draft feedback stay completely private unless you copy them into your Tabroom ballot.

Where do I find the full answer?

Privacy covers what we store, what is encrypted, and who can see a round.

Technical Issues

What browsers work best?

DebateFlow works on all modern browsers:

• Chrome (recommended)
• Safari
• Firefox
• Edge

Make sure you're using a recent version. Very old browsers may not support all features.

The microphone isn't working. Help!

First, check that:

1. Your browser has permission to access your microphone
2. You've selected the correct microphone in your system settings
3. No other app is currently using the microphone

If you're still having trouble:

• Try refreshing the page
• Try a different browser
• Check if other apps can access your microphone
• Restart your computer

What if the app crashes during a round?

Don't panic! Your round data is automatically saved as you go. If the app crashes:

1. Refresh the page or reopen your browser
2. Go back to your dashboard
3. Find the round you were judging (it will be in your "Your Rounds" list)
4. Click to open it and continue where you left off

You may lose the last few seconds of audio if it crashed mid-recording, but everything else should be there.

The app is running slowly. What can I do?

Try these steps:

• Close other browser tabs (especially video-heavy ones)
• Make sure you have a strong internet connection
• Clear your browser cache
• Try a different browser
• Restart your computer

If the issue persists, contact us—there may be a problem on our end.

Your account

How do I get an account?

Request access. We approve each one by hand, and email you when your account is ready.

Can multiple judges share one account?

No. Each judge needs their own account. Sharing one breaks three things:

• Tabroom assignments sync to one account, so yours would land in the wrong judge's list
• Your round list would fill up with someone else's rounds
• A round is private to the account that made it

Tournament Directors

Can tournament directors use DebateFlow?

There is no tournament-director account. DebateFlow is judge-side only. Each judge signs in to their own account, and the app pulls that judge's own assignments from Tabroom. Nothing in the app shows a tournament's rounds across judges.

Judges at your tournament can each request access. To talk about your tournament, contact us.

Still have questions?

Check Other Resources

• Getting Started Guide - Complete walkthrough for new users
• Troubleshooting - Solutions for common technical problems

Report a Bug

Found something that doesn't work right? Please report it:

1. Include what you were doing when it happened
2. Describe what you expected vs. what actually happened
3. Share any error messages you saw
4. Tell us what browser and device you're using

The more details you provide, the faster we can fix it!