# Handy Tool documentation

This page is the index. Every description of what Handy Tool does lives in the [Feature catalog](features.md); everything here is a door to a page.

## The path

Nine numbered rungs, in order. Each one is short, and each one ends at a point where you can stop.

- [01 — Install and say your first words](start/01-install.md) — install, download one model, dictate one sentence.
- [02 — Trust the safety net](start/02-first-words.md) — rehearse Escape and read the History page.
- [03 — Make five choices](start/03-make-it-yours.md) — the five settings worth changing on day one.
- [04 — Two keys, not one](start/04-two-keys-not-one.md) — add the second dictation key and use both.
- [05 — Your first jump](start/05-your-first-jump.md) — mark a field, bury it, come back to it _{Windows only}_.
- [06 — Nothing gets lost](start/06-nothing-gets-lost.md) — practice recovering a take on purpose.
- [07 — The buttons you already own](start/07-mouse-buttons.md) — map the spare buttons on your mouse.
- [08 — The deck](start/08-the-deck.md) — the 6-, 9-, and 12-key layouts, and how to program them.
- [09 — Where next](start/09-where-next.md) — the menu of everything you have not tried yet.

## The tools

- [Transcription](tools/transcription.md) — set up the everyday dictation key and its delivery options.
- [Transcribe & Submit](tools/transcribe-and-submit.md) — set up the second dictation key and its submit options.
- [Jumper](tools/jumper.md) — set up anchors and jump slots _{Windows only}_.
- [Remote desktops](tools/remote-desktops.md) — tune the delivery timings used inside RDP and Citrix sessions.
- [History and recovery](tools/history-and-recovery.md) — set retention, and find an earlier take.
- [Providers](tools/providers.md) — configure local engines and remote endpoints.
- [Keyboard Typer](tools/keyboard-typer.md) — prepare text for keystroke delivery.
- [Model Testing](tools/model-testing.md) — run one prompt across providers and read the report.
- [Token Count](tools/token-count.md) — count a prompt before you spend it.
- [Files](tools/files.md) — transcribe a file you pick, or watch a folder and transcribe it in batches.
- [MCP and CLI](tools/mcp-and-cli.md) — enable the loopback server and install the `handy` command.
- [Backup and portable mode](tools/backup-and-portable.md) — export, restore, or carry a setup on a stick.

## The reference shelf

- [Feature catalog](features.md) — every capability, described once.
- [Settings reference](reference/settings/index.md) — every screen, control, breadcrumb, and shipped default.
- [Shortcut reference](reference/shortcuts.md) — every bindable action and its default chord.
- [Command-line reference](reference/cli.md) — flags, companion subcommands, and examples.
- [Glossary](reference/glossary.md) — the vocabulary these pages use.
- [Privacy and data flow](privacy.md) — the audited storage and network boundaries.
- [What runs today, and what is planned](features.md#what-runs-today-and-what-is-planned) — the platform answer for a macOS or Linux reader.
- [Pick the engine that fits the machine](features.md#pick-the-engine-that-fits-the-machine) — which model or endpoint suits your hardware.
- [Speak any language, get English](features.md#speak-any-language-get-english) — spoken language and translation.
- [The engineering journey](improvements.md) — how the guarantees were built.
- [Changelog](../CHANGELOG.md) — the version-by-version record.
- [Documentation contract](_contract.md) — the maintenance rules for this documentation set.