Revision History: Writing Process Visibility for Google Docs & Slides

Does not work as intended and mistakes handmade for not handmade

I'd give this at least four stars because this helps me find AI cheating much more reliably than stupid AI detectors. But why is the free version, which gives me 150 docs a month to view, telling me I have used it on 150 docs and now I need to upgrade, when legit I have used it on 15 docs at the most this month so far? It's KILLING me. I am a teacher, no, I can't afford to add one more subscription on. I don't need more than 150 docs a month. But it's locking me out anyway. If you could fix that, I'd give at least four stars!

Was a great app, but once they started charging for it it became unusable and annoying.

This app is very limited, and you can only see very few things with this app. When I just want to view a doc, it just already counts as a doc. I wish that when we want to see the revision, then it counts as a doc.

this is absolutely absurd and do not recommend teachers to use this. I do not condone any English teacher to use this because it ruins the students day and does not prove anything otherwise. One of my students wrote his completely fair, but this didn't detect it well. I give this application a solid 1/5 stars. If so I would give it a 0 but it doesn't have a function for that. Please delete this extension for it doesn't help with any academic dishonesty, because it doesn't show any proof it was copy pasted in any sort of way.

I am so unbelievably disappointed. This was the best extension for an English teacher by far. To take away the functionality midyear with no warning is just outrageous. If they want to offer new features and offer tiers, they should offer a free tier with the same functionality. Then, they can offer a paid tier with better features. And if they are insisting on keeping it as is, then they should at least let teachers choose which documents are being checked. It's May 6th and I've already used all of my 150 documents because I use a google doc to create assignments, plan, read student work as they go, etc. I hid the revision feature and thought that would prevent it from being counted, but no. I had never seen any of the data and then had it "show" the information it I was already 114 documents in. I'm just incredibly disappointed in this extension.

Taking away this as a free tool was cruel.

In today's modern world, this extension was a great way to gain insight into my students' writing process. I was able to determine their styles as well as catch plagiarism/AI abuse. This app also allowed me to manage groupshared documents so that I could more accurately score collaborative work. Having it at the top of each document to show me if there were large copy-pasted sections and how long the student worked on the document was so helpful... But then... they named their price. As a teacher, I am already overextended. I work at LEAST 10 hour days (if I'm lucky, it's 10...), and this tool was essential for me so that I could help my young writers develop. To have that yanked away MID SCHOOL YEAR and start asking for fees -- it was a betrayal. Our schools are underfunded, so there's no way they'll pay my subscription fee. *I* can't afford to pay my subscription fee either, and there's NO way my tax return money is going back into my classroom again this year. This is extortion. You get us hooked on a tool that really helps us do our job and help students (especially when the students can't or won't voluntarily put forth the effort to strengthen their skills), and then you rip it away and ask for money. I feel like I'm being blackmailed now. This sucks. Thanks for NOTHING, Revision History... thanks for giving me a way to do a better job then dropping me AND MY STUDENTS off the edge of a cliff. Honestly, I'd almost prefer NOT to have new tools available if I'm only going to get used to having them and then have that SHUT OFF in the middle of the school year. I saw a response to someone else's concerns "we upped the free options to 150 a month from 25 -- hope that helps." Well, it doesn't. Most secondary English teachers have at LEAST 180 students each school year (across several classes). Each class writes MULTIPLE written assignments per quarter. 150 would cut me off before I even get through ONE writing assignment... so yeah. I'm hosed. It's back to spending all those extra minutes opening up the edit history, checking each edit manually, and crying into my pillow at night when I can't get through everything I have to do for work. In a 24-hour day, I work probably 13 of those hours... I couldn't keep up even WITH this convenience, but it was a lot easier. Now...? Maybe I should just give up on helping students develop their writing. Maybe it's an exercise in futility. Who needs brains? Communication? Independent thought? We can all become cogs in the works from now on. Whirrrrr!

I love how this app works and the information it provides. But then you put up a paywall. Uninstalling and finding alternatives.

The new update with the requirement to pay to review an unlimited number of documents is frustrating. The number they give you is not enough. I have 120 students as a high school teacher. The free version says I can only review 25 free documents a month. That doesn't even cover one of my classes... The fact that unlimited review used to be free and is now behind a paywall leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'll be looking into new options.

this is so bad dont use

Apparently the only option is for a paid subscription?

This new paid version has alot of bugs. It also doesn´t match up with Google Doc version history. Please fix!

I think it was updated and I need to create an account. I've tried over 10 times but I never get the confirmation email with the verification code so I can no longer use it.

The playback feature is hard to follow when the text popping up is not matching what was written or seems like nonesense words. It is effective in showing large chunks of pasted information. However, we can no longer use this feature within our board without a fee, so it's essentially useless as an app now.

This extension is a blatant violation of basic privacy rights and should be removed from the Chrome Web Store immediately. It acts as a message logger, storing sensitive data without user consent, and could easily be used to compromise personal information. The purpose of a revision history tool should never involve logging or storing private messages, and this tool goes against the fundamental principles of user privacy. I strongly recommend that this extension be banned and removed from the web store to prevent potential misuse. The presence of such a tool undermines trust in extensions and puts users at risk. It’s essential that Google enforces stricter guidelines to protect privacy and security. This tool should not be available for download under any circumstances.

This was a great extension. However the quick turn to a paid service has rendered it useless. I will revert back to checking a student's history manually as the limited amount of "free" uses has relegated this extension to the garbage bin.

For a product "used by so many educators", the developers seem to have little understanding of their base. Product was good for me, and a useful tool in the age of AI. Prior to this I read on the site "We are developing a premium version, but that should not affect the functionality of the base tier" or something along those lines (it has since been changed of course because it was a lie), but now I am limited to a laughable number of documents a month. The truth is, it does not matter how many documents I can look at for free, having a limit means that I cannot actually use this product without paying (which as a teacher who already has to pay out of pocket for more that I should means that I will not pay it). I have enough students that it means per month I could look at about 1 assignment with this tool. Anyway, this is a review written out of disappointment, feels bad.

Tryna stitch me up

Still reads "You've analyzed 1 out of 25 free documents this month" even though you claimed to have changed the policy to over 150 docs per month. Also, as an English teacher, I easily read 150 docs every few days (think: homework). If you have as many people as you claim who are interested in your product, something like .99 cents per month would still net you a pretty profit. My wife (another teacher) and I are deleting the extension immediately.

It is disappointing that there is now a pay wall because this was my favorite extension. $5 a month is too expensive for public service employees to pay & many districts cannot afford to buy it. Any opened Google document will count towards the limit -- even if you aren't actively using the extension. Can there please be a way to turn the extension off quickly (to toggle between in use/ not in use) so that not every Google Doc counts towards the limit? I easily open over 150 Google Docs a day, many of which are not from students.

What teacher only grades 25 papers a month? No communication about changes and won't post a fee structure, must email to get information, no thanks. Deleting extension and looking elsewhere, my school can't afford any more subscriptions.

This WAS a game-changer when it came to ensuring academic honesty from my students. Now, it's a paid subscription after 25 documents a month. What teacher only needs to check 25 documents a month? Deleting, guess I'll try Brisk.

Starting to charge all of a sudden is bad enough, but requiring a log-on for the free version is inexcusable. If I don't want to give you money, I probably also don't want to create an account.

This was so helpful and now its a paid description. This kills my districts use. I was only here to help students. Really bad decision.

An excellent resource that has been ruined by a paid subscription. If you only want to use your plugin only 25 times a month, then this is for you. If you need to use it more often (like 95% of users), then you're out of luck.

I relied on this tool to ensure that my students are presenting authentic work. I, like many educators, am so disappointed to see a 25 document limit on this chrome extension. If this is "built for teachers", who are historically underpaid and overworked, why would developers think that limiting access behind a paywall would be a good move? To also roll this out WITHOUT warning is disingenuous. It's disappointing to see an educator-based chrome extension locked away after years of use. Extremely disappointed. Please send recommendations for other extensions that function in a similar way.

This is an excellent extension for monitoring documents for plagiarism. However, it is now behind a paywall, which they rolled out without warning in MARCH. This is the time of year for lazy students and essay writing. I am so disappointed in the team that decided that this was a good idea to strongarm teachers into paying for a service that we have come to depend on. Disgusted by the management. It has ruined this product for me.

I was using the free version to much success in my classroom. I logged in today to find that I have to make an account, and now there's a subscription model. This is ridiculous. No thanks. I'll have to look for another service to find out if my students are cheating on their assignments.

I loved this extension and recommended it to my entire department. I am very disappointed that it is no longer free and that they are charging a very high price. Thirty-two dollars a year or $4.49 a month is a lot to ask a teacher to pay for a Chrome Extension, no matter how useful it may be. Instead of asking a more reasonable price to support development, they appear to be trying to capitalize on their large user base (the Chrome Store currently indicates 100,000 users). The free version now offers 25 documents a month, which is completely inadequate. That would barely be enough to check one assignment for one of my six classes, once per month.

Was free, now has a limit of 25. Not worth it anymore. Too bad, was a useful tool for awhile. On to the next free one.

My self and other teachers moved to this extension after draftback started charging. We all stopped using draftback and came to Revision History after Draftback started to charge Teachers. Your increase in users is due to the fact your extension was free to use as teachers are looking for as many tools to use that are free that they do not have to pay for. Now your app is not learning from history and are making the same mistake as draftback. Unfortunately I will no longer use the extension and encourage others to do the same. Your extension did what I needed it to but unfortunately 25 checks a month does not cut it when you have 180 students.

Was an amazing add-on, especially with student use of AI and plagiarism at its height. However, I'm disappointed to learn that now there is a 25/month document limit and you have to pay to use it after that. With over 100+ students in one teacher's course load, this isn't feasible for even one assignment. I can foresee many educators not choosing this now due to the paid feature and its limitations. :(

It's all about the money. This used to be a free tool. Now you have to create an account and log in to use it. You can use it on 25 documents per month for free. Anything more than that, and you have to pay. I honestly would have tipped the creators occasionally if they gave the option, but I am disappointed that they just thrust the payment model on us with no warning. I can only imagine they're going to steadily increase the pricing. Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. No thanks! It was good while it lasted, and I sincerely thank the developers for that. However, I will be removing this extension and using other options.

Until March 14th, this was a five star add-on. It was a powerful, purposeful, and unobtrusive extension that let me see more of the students' writing process. Now, I need an account, and permissions for datamining. I'm sure the next step will be monetizing enhanced features, or selling student data. Too bad.

I launched a full-scale investigation into the malicious nature of this filthy browser extension, uncovering a disturbing operation that blatantly exploits user data. This seemingly harmless tool, advertised as a way to track document edits, is in reality a sophisticated data-harvesting scheme, siphoning everything from browsing history to login credentials. My research revealed that the stolen data is funneled directly to the infamous crime kingpins, the Couwen Brothers, who are notorious for their involvement in illegal data trafficking on the dark web. Analysis of the extension’s source code exposed a mess of poorly structured, outdated scripts—so inept that it suggests the creator outsourced the project to a low-level, back-end middle school digital technologies teacher. With such shoddy craftsmanship and an undeniably sinister business model, Revision History is less of a productivity tool and more of a cybercriminal’s dream come true.

massive invasion of privacy and makes everything you do on a document watched and reviewed. if you dont have enough trust in a person to be writing legit, then thats an issue you have to handle yourself

I am writing to inform you that the "Revision History" extension, which tracks students' edits, time spent writing, and copied snippets in Google Docs, raises concerns regarding student privacy, copyright infringement, and data protection. Despite your claims that the plugin only pulls from data already stored by Google and performs analysis on the user's computer, I strongly disagree with this assertion. By collecting and storing this sensitive information, the extension is in violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects the privacy of student education records. Furthermore, the extension's ability to detect copied snippets may lead to accusations of copyright infringement, and its use of Google Classroom may be in contravention of Google's Terms of Service. Moreover, even if the analysis is performed on the user's computer, the fact that the extension is designed to track students' edits and time spent writing may still be seen as an invasion of their privacy. I find it particularly concerning that the extension's developers claim to respect student privacy, yet still collect and analyze sensitive information about their academic work. I urge you to immediately cease the development and distribution of this extension, and to take steps to rectify any potential harm that may have already been caused. Failure to do so will result in me taking all necessary legal action to protect the rights of students and educational institutions. This may include filing complaints with regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Education, as well as pursuing civil litigation against you and your organization. I will not hesitate to take action to ensure that the rights of students and educational institutions are protected, and that the development and distribution of this extension do not continue to pose a risk to their well-being.

this extension does not pass the vibe check

this extension does not pass the vibe check

This product is seriously flawed and poses significant risks to your privacy and security. It’s easily one of the worst on the market, riddled with issues that can compromise your personal data. The software is poorly designed, with glaring vulnerabilities that leave your sensitive information exposed to hackers and data breaches. Moreover, the company’s data handling practices are questionable at best, with a strong likelihood that your personal details could be sold or misused without your consent. Users should exercise extreme caution and avoid this product at all costs if they value their privacy and data security. I will be taking legal action.

worst thing ever invented

Does not work if the original document is copy + pasted into a new word document and the new doc is submitted. Tried it out myself. It will just say "13 seconds" however long it takes to paste.

This extension hacked my computer and got me in trouble for saying bad words. Do not install this extension unless you want your system hacked!

Massive data privacy concern. The amount of information this extensions collects is concerning and causes issues on my personal computer. Would not recommend, should be taken off the chrome web store.

Very buggy for me, not sure why

This app is good for monitoring student drafting, however, once it became a paid subscription it has become very limited. I would like to print off the revision history to have documentation of cheating and plagiarism. I am no longer able to print this off.

Some of the Plus Analysis tools are useful, such as being able to quickly see if any parts were copied and pasted, however the drafting process replay function is unusable. I tested it on some student essays from last year to see if this was something I could add to my toolbox and potentially replace Draftback, but the replayer made so many errors that it turned legitimate student work into a garbled mess.

I agree with other reviewers in that not being able to choose the 150 documents to be screened has been a problem. I am losing my 150 to documents that I have created as well as student documents that do not need to be screened yet. For instance, I am skimming student documents just to look at progress - I am not even evaluating them yet. However, each time I open a document to check progress, they are taken out of my 150. It is May 5, and I have used up 67 free checks. This tool has been amazing, but I will not make it through the end of this week without going through all of my checks for the month. Considering that my students are currently and will continue to be creating writing that could easily be plagiarized or done with AI, it is unfortunate that this tool will not be able to fully aid me in the evaluation process.

It's missing known copy/pastes for some reason - I don't know if it's a bug or if the way they track copy/paste has an issue. It also still only gives 25 free docs per month despite them claiming that it's upped to 150 now. Basically completely useless, better off just using the normal version history instead of trusting this expensive and unreliable extension.