User Guide

Getting Started

Download & Install

Once you've created an account, head to your Dashboard and click the Download App button to get the latest installer.

Run the installer wizard, choose your install location, and follow the prompts. A desktop shortcut will be created automatically.

First Launch & Sign In

When you open AceXCode for the first time, you'll see a sign-in screen with a device code. Here's how it works:

1. The app displays a 6-character code and a link to the sign-in page.
2. Open the link in your browser (or go to your dashboard and click Authorize Device).
3. Enter the code and confirm. The desktop app will sign in automatically within a few seconds.

Dashboard Overview

Your dashboard is the central hub for managing your account. Here's what you'll find:

• Credit Balance — Your remaining credits displayed prominently at the top.
• Current Plan — Shows your active subscription tier and renewal date.
• Usage Progress — A visual bar showing how many credits you've used this cycle.
• Recent Activity — A timeline of your latest actions (queries, screenshots, transcription sessions).
• Quick Actions — Download the app, top up credits, or manage your subscription in one click.

Topping Up Credits

Running low? Click Top Up Credits on your dashboard. Choose from available credit packs and complete the purchase. Credits are added to your balance instantly.

Setting Up Your Profile

A complete profile helps the AI generate answers tailored to your background and the role you're interviewing for.

Accessing Profile Settings

Click the profile icon in the app's title bar (top-right corner) to open the profile panel.

Resume

• Upload PDF — Click "Upload Resume" and select a PDF file (max 5 MB). The AI will extract and summarize your experience.
• Paste Text — Alternatively, paste your resume content directly into the text field.

Job Description

Paste the job description for the role you're interviewing for. This helps the AI align its answers with what the interviewer is looking for.

Interview Type

Select the type of interview you're preparing for (e.g., Technical, Behavioral, System Design). This adjusts the AI's response style and format.

Save & Summarize

After filling in your details, click Save & Summarize. The AI will create a concise profile summary that it references when generating answers.

Starting an Interview

Begin Recording

Press Ctrl+Shift+Space to start recording. AceXCode captures two audio streams simultaneously:

• System audio — What your interviewer is saying (from your computer's output).
• Microphone — Your own voice (from your default mic).

Live Transcript

As recording runs, you'll see a live transcript bar at the bottom of the overlay showing what's being said in real time.

Status Indicators

The overlay shows recording status with visual indicators so you always know when audio capture is active.

Stop Recording

Press Ctrl+Shift+Space again to stop.

AI Question Detection

AceXCode automatically identifies questions from the interview audio and organizes them as topic tabs in the sidebar.

How It Works

• The AI continuously analyzes the conversation and detects when a question is asked.
• Each detected question appears as a new topic tab with a short label.
• Questions are categorized (behavioral, technical, etc.) based on content.

Topic Limits

You can configure how many topics to keep visible (between 3 and 20). Older topics are cycled out as new ones are detected. This is configurable in the topic settings.

Duplicate Prevention

The AI avoids creating duplicate tabs for rephrased or follow-up versions of the same question.

AI Answer Generation

When a question is detected, AceXCode generates an answer automatically.

Streaming Responses

Answers stream in token by token, so you can start reading immediately without waiting for the full response.

Profile-Aware Answers

If you've set up your profile (resume + job description), answers will reference your actual experience and align with the target role.

Conversation Context

The AI maintains context from the ongoing conversation, so follow-up questions get coherent, contextual answers.

Behavioral Questions

For behavioral questions, the AI uses the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers naturally.

Regenerate with Example

Press Ctrl+Shift+E to regenerate the current answer with a more detailed, concrete example.

Credit Usage

Each AI-generated answer costs 1 credit.

Keyboard Shortcuts

AceXCode is designed for speed. All core actions have keyboard shortcuts so you never need to leave your interview flow.

Recording

Screenshots

Answers

Window

Topic Navigation

Other

Screenshot Analysis

Use screenshots to give the AI visual context — coding problems on screen, diagrams, system design prompts, or any visual content the interviewer shares.

Capture

Press Ctrl+Shift+S to take a screenshot. You can buffer up to 3 screenshots before analyzing.

Analyze

Press Ctrl+Shift+A to send all buffered screenshots for AI analysis. The AI will extract questions, code, or context from the images and use it to generate a more informed answer.

Clear

Press Ctrl+Shift+D to clear the screenshot buffer if you captured the wrong screen.

Analysis Modes

• Question Mode — The AI identifies the question or problem shown on screen.
• Context Mode — The AI extracts supplementary information (code, diagrams, constraints) to enrich its answers.

Privacy

Screenshots are processed transiently and are never stored on any server. They exist only in memory during analysis.

Credit Usage

Each screenshot analysis costs 1 credit.

Window Management

The AceXCode overlay is designed to sit on top of your interview window without interfering.

Move the Overlay

Use Ctrl+Shift+Arrow keys to reposition the window in any direction.

Resize

• Ctrl+Shift+= — Make the window larger.
• Ctrl+Shift+- — Make the window smaller.

Hide & Show

Press Ctrl+B to instantly hide the overlay. Press it again to bring it back. This is useful if you need to quickly conceal the overlay during screen sharing.

Click-Through

The overlay is click-through by default — mouse clicks pass through to the window behind it. This means you can interact with your interview app normally while the overlay is visible.

Screen-Capture Protection

The overlay is protected from screen recording and screen sharing. It will not appear in screen captures made by other applications.

Topic Navigation

As questions are detected, they appear as tabs in the sidebar. You can navigate between them quickly.

Cycling Through Topics

• Alt+Ctrl+Up / Alt+Ctrl+Down — Move to the previous or next topic.

Jump to a Specific Topic

Press Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+9 to jump directly to topic tabs 1–9.

Scrolling Answers

If an answer is longer than the visible area, use Alt+Shift+Up and Alt+Shift+Down to scroll through it.

Topic Settings

You can configure the maximum number of visible topics (3–20) from the topic settings. Older topics are automatically removed as new ones arrive once the limit is reached.

Subscription & Billing

Plans

• Free — Limited daily credits to try out the core features.
• Paid Plans — Monthly credit allocation, higher limits, more devices, and priority support.

Credits

All actions (AI answers, screenshot analyses) consume credits. 1 credit = 1 action. Your balance is shown on the dashboard and in the app.

Top-Up Packs

Need more credits mid-cycle? Purchase top-up packs from your dashboard. Credits are added instantly.

Subscribe

Go to the Pricing section on the website or your dashboard to select a plan and subscribe. Payments are processed securely via Razorpay.

Cancel or Reactivate

You can cancel your subscription anytime from your dashboard under Account Settings > Subscription. Your credits remain available until the end of the billing period. To reactivate, simply subscribe again.

Account Settings

Manage your account from the Settings page in your dashboard.

Update Name

Change your display name at any time from the profile section.

Change Password

Enter your current password and choose a new one. Passwords must be at least 8 characters.

View Subscription

See your current plan, renewal date, and credit balance.

Danger Zone

At the bottom of settings, you'll find the option to delete your account. This is permanent and removes all your data. You'll be asked to confirm before proceeding.

Device Management

AceXCode tracks which devices are linked to your account.

Automatic Registration

When you sign in on a new device, it's automatically registered to your account.

Device Limits

Each plan has a maximum number of active devices. Free plans allow 1 device; paid plans allow more depending on the tier.

Managing Devices

From your dashboard, you can view all registered devices and:

• Activate / Deactivate — Toggle a device's active status.
• Remove — Permanently unlink a device from your account, freeing up a slot.

Troubleshooting

Microphone Not Detected

Ensure your OS has granted microphone permission to AceXCode. On Windows, check Settings > Privacy > Microphone.

Credits Running Out

Purchase a top-up pack from your dashboard, or upgrade to a higher plan for more monthly credits.

Network Errors

AceXCode requires a stable internet connection for transcription and AI features. Check your network and try again. If the issue persists, the service may be experiencing temporary downtime.

Session Expired

If you see a session expired message, simply restart the app. It will refresh your session automatically. If the problem continues, sign out and sign back in.

Overlay Not Visible

Press Ctrl+B to toggle visibility — the overlay may be hidden. If it's still not visible, try moving it with Ctrl+Shift+Arrow keys in case it drifted off screen.

Contact Support

Still stuck? Reach out to us at support@acexcode.com and we'll help you out.