User Guide

Sidepins helps you review a live website with other people. You create a project from a URL, open the site inside Sidepins, leave pinned comments directly on the page, reply to comments, mention teammates, and resolve issues when they are done.

This guide is organized around what you are trying to do.

Getting Started

What Sidepins is for

Use Sidepins when you need to collect website feedback in context. Instead of describing where an issue appears, reviewers can pin a comment directly on the page, discuss it with the team, and mark it resolved when the work is complete.

Sign in

1. Open Sidepins.
2. Select Continue with Google.
3. Choose your Google account.

If you opened an invite link before signing in, Sidepins brings you back to that invite after Google finishes.

Create your first project

1. Go to the dashboard.
2. Paste the website URL into Paste a URL to review.
3. Select Go.

Sidepins supports http and https URLs. If you paste a domain without https://, Sidepins adds it for you.

Open an existing project

From the dashboard, select the project card.

The review workspace opens with the live website in the main area and comments on the side. Use Back in the top bar to return to the dashboard.

Understand the dashboard

Each project card shows:

• A preview image of the site.
• The site URL.
• When the project was last edited.
• The number of open comments compared with the total number of comments.

If you have pending invitations, they appear on the dashboard above your project cards.

Reviewing A Website

Open the live review workspace

Select a project from the dashboard. Sidepins loads the website inside the review workspace so you can inspect the page and leave feedback in context.

Browse the website normally

Use browse mode when you want to interact with the site without creating comments.

1. Open a project.
2. Select Browse in the top mode switcher.
3. Click links, buttons, menus, forms, and other page elements as usual.

If you are already in comment mode, hold Space to temporarily browse the site. Release Space to return to comment mode.

Switch between modes

Sidepins has three review modes on desktop:

• Comment lets you place pinned comments.
• Browse lets you interact with the site normally.
• Compare shows multiple viewport sizes together.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• C enters comment mode.
• B enters browse mode.
• M enters compare mode.

On mobile, Sidepins opens in browse mode. Mobile is intended for reading and reviewing existing comments, not for placing new pins.

Review desktop, tablet, and mobile views

On desktop, use the viewport switcher in the top bar to review:

• Desktop
• Tablet
• Mobile

Comments are tied to the viewport where they were created, so switching viewport can change which comments and pins are visible.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• 1 switches to desktop.
• 2 switches to tablet.
• 3 switches to mobile.

Use compare mode

Use compare mode when you want to review several device sizes together.

1. Open a project on desktop.
2. Select Compare.
3. Review the mobile, tablet, and desktop previews.
4. Use the comments panel filters to focus on all viewports or one viewport.

Compare mode uses these preview widths:

• Mobile: 375 px
• Tablet: 768 px
• Desktop: 1440 px

Leaving Feedback

Add a pinned comment

1. Open a project on desktop.
2. Select Comment.
3. Click the part of the website you want to comment on.
4. Type your comment.
5. Choose a priority if needed.
6. Select Save.

The comment appears as a numbered pin on the page and as an item in the comments panel.

You can also press N to start a new comment.

Select an area instead of a single point

Use an area selection when you need to call out a region, such as a broken layout, spacing issue, or visual overlap.

1. Enter comment mode.
2. Select the area on the page.
3. Type your comment.
4. Save it.

Area comments appear in the same comment list as regular pinned comments.

Set comment priority

Each comment has a priority:

• P0 - Critical
• P1 - High
• P2 - Medium
• P3 - Low

When creating a comment, use the colored priority controls under the comment box. To change priority later, open the comment and use the priority controls in the detail view.

Mention teammates

Use mentions when you want to bring a specific project member into the conversation.

1. Start a new comment or reply.
2. Type @.
3. Choose the person from the list.
4. Finish your message and save or send it.

Mentioned names are highlighted in replies. Depending on each person's email settings, they may receive an email about the mention.

Cancel or edit a draft

When creating a comment:

• Select Cancel to discard the draft.
• Press Escape to close the comment box.

After a comment is saved, open the comment actions menu and select Edit to change it.

What happens after a comment is saved

After saving, Sidepins adds the comment to the project, shows its pin on the page, and includes it in the comments panel. Other project members can open it, reply, mention people, change priority, resolve it, or reopen it.

Working With Comments

Find comments in the sidebar

Open a project and use the comments panel.

Comments are grouped by page. Open a page group to see its comments. Select a comment to see the full detail.

Active vs resolved comments

The comments panel has two main tabs:

• Active shows unresolved comments.
• Resolved shows completed comments.

Resolved comments are kept so you can review the history or reopen them if needed.

Filter comments

Use filters when you cannot find the comment you expected.

Available filters include:

• Active or resolved status.
• Page group.
• This page only.
• Priority.
• Viewport.
• Compare mode viewport.

Comments are tied to the page and viewport where they were created.

Open a comment

1. Find the comment in the comments panel.
2. Select it.

The detail view shows the full comment, priority, replies, screenshot, activity, assignee, agent status, and other available context.

Jump to the pinned location

Select a comment from the list. If the comment is on the current page, Sidepins scrolls to the pin. If it is on another page, Sidepins opens that page first and then scrolls to the pin.

View captured screenshots

When Sidepins captures a screenshot for a comment, the comment detail view includes View screenshot.

1. Select the comment.
2. Select View screenshot.

Use this when the live site has changed and you need to see what the reviewer saw when they left the comment.

Edit a comment

1. Select the comment.
2. Open the comment actions menu.
3. Select Edit.
4. Change the text.
5. Select Save.

Press Escape to cancel editing. Press Command + Enter or Ctrl + Enter to save from the keyboard.

Delete a comment

1. Select the comment.
2. Open the comment actions menu.
3. Select Delete.
4. Confirm the deletion.

Deleting a comment also removes its annotations and replies. After deleting, you have a short window to undo.

Resolve a comment

Resolve a comment when the issue is finished.

From the comment list:

1. Hover over an active comment.
2. Select the check button.
3. Confirm the resolve action.

From the comment detail view:

1. Select the comment.
2. Select the resolve button.

Resolved comments move from Active to Resolved. After resolving from the list, Sidepins shows an undo option for a few seconds.

Reopen a resolved comment

1. Open the Resolved tab.
2. Select the comment.
3. Select the reopen button.

The comment returns to the active list.

Conversations And Attachments

Reply to a comment

1. Select a comment.
2. Find Replies in the comment detail view.
3. Type your reply.
4. Select Reply.

Press Enter to send a reply. Press Shift + Enter to add a new line.

Mention people in replies

1. Type @ in the reply composer.
2. Choose a project member.
3. Finish the reply.
4. Select Reply.

The mention appears highlighted in the reply.

Add attachments

Use attachments for screenshots, PDFs, text files, or supporting material.

1. Select a comment.
2. In the reply composer, select Attach.
3. Choose one or more files.
4. Wait for uploads to finish.
5. Send the reply.

Attachments can be images, PDFs, or text files. Each file can be up to 15 MB.

Image attachments appear as previews. Other files appear as links with file names and sizes.

Delete replies

1. Hover over the reply.
2. Select the delete button.

If the delete fails, Sidepins shows an error message.

Understand activity history

The comment detail view may show an activity history with actions such as:

• Comment created.
• Comment edited.
• Reply added.
• Comment resolved.
• Comment reopened.
• Agent claimed or completed work.

Use activity history to understand what changed and who changed it.

Inviting And Managing People

Share a project with existing members

Use the board link when the person already has access.

1. Open the project.
2. Select Share.
3. Copy the Board link.
4. Send it to the person.

People who already have project access can open the board link directly.

Invite someone new

Use an invite link when the person is not already a member.

1. Open the project.
2. Select Share.
3. Enter the person's email under Invite by email.
4. Select Invite.
5. Copy the generated magic link from Pending invites.
6. Send that link to the person.

Sidepins does not send invite emails yet. The generated link appears in the pending invite list, and you send it however you prefer.

Invited people get full access to project comments. They can leave comments, reply, change statuses, and resolve issues like other project members.

Accept an invite

When you receive an invite link:

1. Open the invite link.
2. Sign in with Google if prompted.
3. Sidepins accepts the invite and opens the project.

If the invite was already accepted and you are signed in, Sidepins sends you to the project.

Accept or dismiss dashboard invitations

If you have pending invitations, they appear on your dashboard.

To accept:

1. Find the invitation on the dashboard.
2. Select Accept.

To dismiss:

1. Find the invitation on the dashboard.
2. Select the dismiss button.

Accepting opens the project. Dismissing removes the invitation from your dashboard.

Revoke an invite

Project creators can revoke pending invites.

1. Open the project.
2. Select Share.
3. Find the invite under Pending invites.
4. Select the revoke button.

If someone says their invite does not work, check whether it was revoked or whether the project was deleted. If needed, create a new invite and send the new link.

Remove a project member

Only the project creator can remove other members.

1. Open the project.
2. Select Share.
3. Find the person in Members.
4. Select the remove button next to their name.

The creator cannot remove themselves from the member list. To stop using a project you created, archive or delete the project.

Who can manage members

The project creator can remove members and revoke invites. Other project members can collaborate in the project, but member management controls may not be available to them.

Managing Projects

Understand project cards and comment counts

Project cards show the current comment count as open comments over total comments. For example, 3/8 means 3 comments are still active and 8 comments exist in total.

Archive a project

Archive a project when you want it out of your active dashboard without deleting its review history.

1. Go to the dashboard.
2. Open the project actions menu on the project card.
3. Select Archive.

Archived projects move to the archive page.

Restore an archived project

1. Go to Archive.
2. Find the project.
3. Select Unarchive.

The project returns to your dashboard.

Delete a project

Delete a project only when you want to permanently remove it.

1. Go to the dashboard or archive page.
2. Open the project actions menu.
3. Select Delete.
4. Confirm the deletion.

Deleting a project removes its comments, sessions, and review history. When deleting from the dashboard, Sidepins gives you a short undo window.

Archive vs delete

Archive when you may need the project again. Delete when you are sure the project and its review history should be permanently removed.

Staying On Top Of Work

Use triage

The triage page helps you work through open comments across projects.

1. Go to Triage.
2. Review comments grouped by priority.
3. Use the priority menu to change priority.
4. Select the check button to resolve a comment.
5. Select the arrow button to open the comment inside its project.

If there are no open comments needing attention, triage says that nothing needs attention.

Work by priority

Triage groups comments by priority:

• Critical
• High
• Medium
• Low

Start with the highest-priority group, then move down.

Open issues from triage

Select the arrow button on a triage row to open that comment inside its project. Sidepins opens the right project and selects the comment.

Resolve from triage

Select the check button on a triage row to resolve the comment without opening the full project.

Understand agent-working indicators

If an agent is actively working on a comment, the row shows an agent indicator. Use that signal to avoid duplicating work.

Notifications

Change email notifications

1. Open your profile menu.
2. Select Settings.
3. Find Email notifications.
4. Choose a mode.

Available modes:

• All updates emails you about mentions, replies, new comments, resolved comments, reopened comments, and handoffs.
• Only mentions emails you only when someone mentions you.
• None turns off configurable project update emails.

Mentions vs all updates

Choose Only mentions if you want to be notified when someone specifically needs your attention, but you do not want every project update.

Choose All updates if you want broader visibility into comment activity.

What none does and does not turn off

None turns off configurable project update emails. Invite-related emails and invite access are separate from this preference.

Working With AI Agents

What agents can do in Sidepins

AI agents can work alongside humans as project members. Depending on their access, they can read project context, reply to comments, claim work, resolve comments, mention people, attach files, and appear in activity history.

Create an API key

Use API keys when you want an AI agent to work on comments.

1. Open Settings.
2. Find API Keys.
3. Select New API Key.
4. Enter a name, such as Reviewer bot.
5. Choose a scope.
6. Select Create.
7. Copy the key.

You need to own an organization before creating API keys. If you see a message saying you do not own one yet, create a project from the dashboard first.

Read-only vs full access

Choose Read only when the agent should inspect project information but not make changes.

Choose Full access when the agent should work on comments, such as replying or resolving.

Add agent instructions

Each agent can have context that tells it how to behave.

1. Open Settings.
2. Find the agent under API Keys.
3. Edit the Context field.
4. Click away from the field to save.

You can also upload a .md or .txt file to fill the context field.

Regenerate an API key

Regenerate a key when the old key should stop working.

1. Open Settings.
2. Find the agent.
3. Select Regenerate.
4. Confirm the action.
5. Copy the new key.

The old key stops working immediately.

Delete an agent

1. Open Settings.
2. Find the agent.
3. Select the delete button.
4. Confirm the deletion.

Deleting an agent permanently removes the agent and revokes its API key.

Understand agent activity in comments

Agents can appear in comments with:

• An agent-working indicator.
• The agent name.
• How long the agent has been working.
• Agent replies.
• Agent actions in the activity history.
• Agent suggestions when available.

If a comment is claimed by an agent, humans can still open and read it.

Reporting Problems

Report a Sidepins bug

If something in Sidepins is broken:

1. Select Report bug.
2. Describe what went wrong.
3. Select Submit.

Sidepins includes helpful context with the report, such as the project, source URL, proxy URL, viewport, browser, and screen size.

When to report a bug vs leave a project comment

Leave a project comment when the feedback is about the website being reviewed.

Report a Sidepins bug when the Sidepins app itself is not working correctly, such as the review workspace not loading, a comment action failing, or the interface behaving unexpectedly.

Troubleshooting

I cannot create a project

Check that the URL is a valid http or https URL. If the site requires a login, blocks embedded previews, or behaves differently through a review frame, the review page may not load as expected.

The website is not responding while I try to click it

You may be in comment mode. Switch to Browse, or hold Space while clicking the website.

I cannot leave comments on mobile

Mobile is browse-only. Use a desktop browser to create pins, area selections, and compare comments.

I do not see a comment I expected

Check these filters:

• Active vs Resolved
• This page only
• Current viewport: desktop, tablet, or mobile
• Priority filter
• Compare mode viewport filter

Comments are tied to the page and viewport where they were created.

A shared board link does not work for someone

Board links are best for people who already have access. Open Share, create an invite for that person's email, copy the generated magic link, and send it to them.

The invite link does not work

The invite may have been revoked, already accepted, or tied to a deleted project. Ask the project creator to create and send a new invite link.

Someone did not receive an invite email

Sidepins does not send invite emails yet. The project creator needs to copy the invite link from Pending invites and send it manually.

My attachment will not send

Make sure each file is 15 MB or smaller and wait until all uploads finish. If an upload failed, remove the failed attachment and try again.

My API key stopped working

The key may have been regenerated or the agent may have been deleted. Create a new key or copy the current key from Settings.

I cannot create an API key

Create a project first. API keys require an organization owner, and creating a project sets that up for your account.

Common Workflows

Review a new website with a teammate

1. Sign in.
2. Paste the website URL on the dashboard.
3. Open the project.
4. Select Share.
5. Invite your teammate by email.
6. Copy and send the generated invite link.
7. Leave comments in comment mode.
8. Reply, mention teammates, and attach files as needed.
9. Resolve comments when the work is complete.

Invite a client to give feedback

1. Open the project.
2. Select Share.
3. Invite the client's email.
4. Copy the generated invite link.
5. Send the link with a short note explaining that they should sign in with Google.
6. Ask them to leave pinned comments in comment mode.

Work through all open issues

1. Open Triage.
2. Start with Critical and High.
3. Open comments that need more context.
4. Reply or adjust priority.
5. Resolve finished comments.
6. Return to triage until nothing needs attention.

Review responsive problems

1. Open the project on desktop.
2. Use Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile viewports to review one size at a time.
3. Use Compare to see all sizes together.
4. Leave comments in the viewport where the issue appears.
5. Use the comments panel filters to find comments for each viewport.

Close out a project after delivery

1. Open Triage and resolve remaining completed comments.
2. Open the project and review the Resolved tab if you need a final pass.
3. Archive the project when you want to keep the history but remove it from the active dashboard.
4. Delete the project only if you no longer need its comments or review history.