First launch

What to do the first time you open SENTINEL·IEP.

1. The disclaimer

On first launch you'll see the disclaimer. SENTINEL·IEP is an informational tool, not legal advice. Read it, then acknowledge to continue. This is required.

2. Enter your license key

Click the colored chip in the top-right of the app — it says FREE, FAMILY, ADVOCATE, or similar depending on your tier. A license dialog opens. Paste your key, click Save, and restart the app.

License keys look like SI-ADV-XXXXXXXX-XXXX. The prefix tells you the tier:

SI-TRY- — Try-It (limited)
SI-FAM- — Family tier
SI-ADV- — Advocate tier

3. Run the hardware diagnostic

Click the ? Help button in the top right, then choose Test my setup in the sidebar. The diagnostic runs six checks:

Internet connection — needed for cloud AI and license check
License key — confirms your key is registered and active
Microphone — lists available input devices
Disk writable — confirms the app can save files
SENTINEL backend reachable — confirms our moderation service is online
FFmpeg present — needed for audio processing during transcription

Each row shows a result and, if something failed, what to do about it. Run this whenever you suspect something's wrong with your setup.

If FFmpeg is missing on Windows: download a static build from gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds, extract it, and add the bin folder to your PATH. Restart the app.

4. Add your first student

Click the ▼ Student dropdown next to the logo, then choose + Add student. You can add multiple students if you advocate for siblings or clients; SENTINEL·IEP keeps their documents, recordings, and notes separated.

5. Load a case file

In the left sidebar, click + Add next to CASE FILE. Select your child's most recent IEP, evaluation report, or any other case document (PDF, DOCX, or TXT). The app stores documents per-student. You can add more later.

6. Try the live analyzer (optional)

You don't need a meeting to test the analyzer. Just type a sentence like:

The district said we will not do an FBA because his behavior is not severe enough.

Into the MEETING NOTES pane in the center, end with a period, and wait a few seconds. If everything is working you'll see a flag appear in the LEGAL ANALYSIS pane on the right.

If nothing appears in 10 seconds, see Troubleshooting — specifically the "The live analyzer isn't flagging anything" section.

What next?

Live meeting monitoring — the meat of the app
Letters generator — for PWN requests, eval requests, complaints
Knowledge Library — browse the curated entries
AI Help Bot — for questions while you're using the app

Last updated: 2026-05-26