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Downloading PDF and Word documents

Export your protocol or consent form, watch the progress bar, and find your download.

Everything you write in Trelice can leave Trelice as a polished document. This guide covers the export buttons in the protocol editor, downloading old approved versions, the Document Generation page, and what to expect while a file is being prepared.

How exports work (the short version)#

When you click an export button, Trelice does not freeze your screen while it builds the document. Instead, the work happens in the background on the server:

  1. Your request joins a short queue — the button label changes to Queued….
  2. The server renders the document — the label changes to Generating….
  3. The finished file is fetched — the label briefly reads Downloading….
  4. Your browser downloads the file the way it downloads anything else.

You can keep reading or editing while this happens. The whole process usually takes a few seconds; a long protocol may take a little longer.

Where the file lands: in your browser's normal download location — usually your Downloads folder, or the bar at the bottom or top-right of the browser window. Trelice names the file for you.

Troubleshooting: If a message appears saying "The export is taking unusually long. It may still complete — retry in a minute.", the server is busy. Wait a minute and click the button again. If nothing appears in your Downloads folder, check whether your browser is asking permission to download — some browsers show a small prompt near the address bar.

Exporting from the protocol editor#

Open a protocol in the editor. In the header bar at the top-right you will find, from left to right:

  • Preview — shows a live PDF preview beside the editor (it becomes Hide Preview while open). This is for looking, not downloading.
  • PDF — downloads the protocol as a PDF file.
  • Word — downloads it as a Word (.docx) document, useful when a colleague outside Trelice needs to comment in familiar software.
  • Redacted PDF — downloads a PDF with your organization's confidential fields blacked out, ready to share with parties who should not see everything. What gets redacted is set by your administrators — see Abbreviations, redaction, and budget pricing.
  1. Click PDF or Word.
  2. Watch the button: Queued…, then Generating…, then Downloading….
  3. What you'll see: the file appears in your browser's downloads.

Note: While one export runs, the other export buttons are dimmed. Wait for the first to finish — a few seconds — and they wake up again.

Downloading a frozen, approved version#

Once a protocol is approved, Trelice freezes that exact document as a numbered version (v1.0, v2.0, …). Amendments create new versions, but the old ones remain downloadable forever — see Amendment history and versions.

  1. Open the study from the Studies page.
  2. On the protocol's card, click Versions (it appears for approved protocols, below the section completion bar).
  3. The list unfolds. Each row shows Version 1.0, Version 2.0, and so on, with when and by whom it was approved.
  4. Click the PDF or Word button on the row you want.

What you'll see: the button shows the usual Queued… / Generating… progress, then the exact document as it stood at approval downloads — not the current working copy.

The Document Generation page#

Each protocol also has a family of derived documents. From the study page, click Documents on the protocol's card. The page is titled Document Generation and shows seven cards:

  • Consent Forms — "Generate informed consent forms for participants, auto-populated from the protocol." Opens the consent forms panel; see The master consent form.
  • Visit Instructions — "Per-visit coordinator checklists with a decision flow chart, derived from the Schedule of Assessments." See Visit instructions and the subject booklet.
  • Study Schematic — "Visual diagram of study arms, visits, and procedures." See The study schematic.
  • Eligibility Screener — "Patient-facing screener derived from inclusion/exclusion criteria." See The eligibility screener.
  • IRB Q&A — "Pre-filled IRB submission questionnaire based on protocol content." See The IRB questionnaire.
  • Site Budget — "Per-procedure site cost estimate based on protocol activities." See The site budget.
  • Redacted Protocol — "Generate a redacted PDF of this protocol using your organization's redaction settings." Clicking this card starts the download directly; while it works, the card title reads Generating redacted PDF….

Most cards open a dedicated page or panel with its own export buttons; the Redacted Protocol card is the one that downloads immediately.

A few reassurances#

  • Exporting never changes the document. It takes a snapshot; your content is untouched.
  • Every export is recorded in the audit trail — normal and expected for a regulated system.
  • Download links are short-lived. The link your browser uses expires after a few minutes for security. If a download fails and you retry much later, simply click the export button again for a fresh one.
  • Closing the page is safe. If you navigate away mid-export, the server still finishes its work; you just won't receive that download. Click the button again when you return.
On the product site: Downstream documents