Frequently asked questions

.xlsx, .xls, .csv, and .docx. Most DFMEA spreadsheets are .xlsx. Specwarden detects column structure automatically and maps your columns to standard DFMEA fields.

Yes. Specwarden auto-detects which format your file uses from column headers — legacy 10-column AIAG-RPN or 16-column AIAG-VDA Handbook. Detection is per-file, no configuration required.

Seven hard-coded rule checks run on every file (RPN arithmetic, field completeness, S/O/D range, Severity immutability). The AI reviewer adds: Tier-2 supplier-blame causes (D-001b), vague failure descriptors (U-004), empty Prevention Controls (U-001), implausible risk-reduction (D-005), and post-action closed-loop validation (U-013, U-014) — 60+ checks total.

Under 60 seconds for most files. A 200-row DFMEA costs approximately 31 cents in AI compute and completes in 30-50 seconds.

No — it replaces the first 60 minutes of their review. Senior reviewers catch judgment calls and cross-system failure chains that Specwarden does not model. Specwarden catches the rule violations and pattern failures that waste senior reviewer time on obvious misses.

Free gives you 5 visible findings on any DFMEA up to 30 rows. Same AI engine as Pro, no credit card required, available permanently.

One file upload. Re-uploading a revised version to verify your fixes counts as a second review. Review counts reset monthly on Pro and Pro Plus.

Specwarden checks row count before analysis runs and prompts you to upgrade. Files over your tier limit are never silently truncated.

The Free tier is the trial — same AI reviewer, capped at 5 findings and 30 rows. We do not offer a time-limited Pro trial.

No. Your file is parsed inside the HTTP request that uploaded it, then immediately discarded. We store finding counts and metadata (filename, row count, severity counts) only — never your spreadsheet content.

No. Anthropic commercial API terms explicitly prohibit using customer inputs to train models. Your content is processed for analysis only.

API on Render (US), database on Supabase US-East, authentication on Clerk (US). See the Trust page for a full list of processors.

BYO storage is a V1.1 feature on Pro Plus and Team plans. In V1, you upload files directly through the web interface.

Excel Add-in is on the Phase 2 roadmap. In V1, export your DFMEA from Excel and upload the file — review is ready in under 60 seconds.

V1 supports both DFMEA and PFMEA review on the same plan and review quota. Control Plan review ships in V1.5 and is included at no extra cost on Pro and above.