Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why the request beats a general question
An agency can decline to explain itself informally. A records request starts a clock, and a written denial creates something you can appeal.
Some material is exempt — trade secrets, security details — but the existence of a system, its vendor, and its use policy usually are not.
The protocol
- Write the decision you are trying to understand, with dates and the office involved.
- Identify the agency and its public records officer from its own website.
- Draft a narrow request: system name, vendor contract, policies, and evaluation documents.
- Send it in writing, keeping the date, method, and any tracking number.
- Diary the statutory response window, then appeal or narrow the request if it is denied.
What the tool does
Build an automated-decision records request It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a document-preparation aid, not legal advice. It cannot guarantee an outcome, and it does not know what a court, agency or company will decide.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Free path, in order (no cost):
- FOIA.gov for federal requests — free to file, with an appeal route
- The agency's own public records officer and appeal instructions
- LawHelp.org for free help with a denial or appeal
What this cannot do: It cannot guarantee an outcome, and it does not know what a court, agency or company will decide.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Federal requests go through FOIA.gov; state and local requests go to the agency's records officer. If a request is denied, the denial letter usually tells you how to appeal, and free legal aid can help.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is rights-recourse; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.