Preferences
In short: Open the user menu and click User Preferences to change how SciNodes looks and behaves. There are 11 preferences, covering font, AI languages, reference style, date format, four autosave rules, model providers and a device check. Most are saved to your account and follow you to every device. Platform font, Model providers and Device check are saved to this device only.
Open your preferences
- Click your avatar to open the user menu.
- Click User Preferences.
- Click a row to open that preference. Changes save as soon as you pick an option.
The page is titled User preferences. Use the Search preferences… box to find a setting. It searches setting names, current values and the options inside each one, so typing "APA" or "Roboto" finds the right row. Press Esc to clear the search.
The theme (Dark, Light or System) isn't here. Switch it in the user menu.
All preferences
| Preference | What it controls | Options | Saved to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform font | The main font across the app | 10 fonts; default System default | This device |
| Explainer language | The language SciNodes explains your work in | 20 languages | Your account |
| Assistant language | The language the research assistant replies in | 20 languages | Your account |
| Reference style | The citation style used when SciNodes cites your publications | 81 styles; default APA 7th edition | Your account |
| Date format | How dates are written everywhere | 7 formats | Your account |
| Autosave publications | Which actions file a publication into My references | 4 actions | Your account |
| Autosave maps | Which actions keep a map out of your drafts | 2 actions | Your account |
| Autosave authors | Which actions save an author to Saved Authors | 3 actions | Your account |
| Autosave venues | Which actions save a venue to Saved Venues | 3 actions | Your account |
| Model providers | Which AI providers SciNodes may send your work to | 11 providers; locked by default | This device |
| Device check | How well this device and browser run SciNodes | Run or re-run the test | This device |
"Your account" means the setting follows you when you sign in on another computer. "This device" means it applies only in this browser.
Platform font
Choose the main font used across the app: System default (matches your operating system), Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Verdana, Trebuchet MS, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman or Palatino. Changes apply immediately.
Explainer language
The language SciNodes uses for its explanations, such as map walkthroughs, cluster names and term definitions. Pick English Only to keep everything in English.
The 20 languages are English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Russian, Korean, French, Malay, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Urdu, Tamil, Gujarati, Assamese, Malayalam, Sinhala and Konkani.
The interface itself stays in English, and your publications stay in the language they were published in. See Translation.
Assistant language
The language the research assistant replies in. Every new chat starts in this language. You can set a different language for one chat from its composer without changing this preference. It's separate from your explainer language, so you can read walkthroughs and chats in different languages. The same 20 languages are available. See Mentions and reply language.
Reference style
The citation style SciNodes uses when it writes citations and bibliographies. Choose from 81 styles in 8 groups: General & cross-disciplinary, Life sciences & medicine, Physical sciences & mathematics, Engineering & computing, Social sciences, Humanities & law, Publisher house styles, and National standards. Type in Find a style… to filter the list. The default is APA 7th edition.
You can also pick a different style for one citation in the cite dialog without changing your default. See Citations and reference styles.
Date format
How SciNodes writes dates on projects, publications, notes and everywhere else. Each option shows today's date in that format.
| Option | Example |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated month first (default) | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Abbreviated month, day first | 3 Oct 2026 |
| Month written out, month first | October 3, 2026 |
| Month written out, day first | 3 October 2026 |
| All numeric, month first | 10/03/2026 |
| All numeric, day first | 03/10/2026 |
| ISO 8601 | 2026-10-03 |
Times keep the clock format each screen already uses.
Autosave publications
When you work on a publication in a project, SciNodes files it into that project's My references folder and offers an undo. Choose which actions count:
- Writing a note about it: as soon as the note has some text. An empty or deleted note doesn't count.
- Adding it to Research in Formation: as a research object, or as evidence on one.
- Fetching its PDF: when the open-access fetch is accepted.
- Uploading a PDF for it: when your upload is confirmed.
Chatting about a publication never files it. If you turn every action off, use Save to my library to file publications yourself. See Folders.
Autosave maps
Only your first map in a project is kept automatically. Later maps start as drafts, and when you reach the draft limit the oldest draft is deleted to make room. When you write something about a draft, SciNodes keeps it for you. Choose which actions count:
- Writing a note on it: a note on the map, or on a node, edge or cluster in it.
- Adding it to Research in Formation: as a research object pinned to the map, or as evidence drawn from it.
Chatting about a map never keeps it.
With an action turned off, a map you work on stays a draft. A draft can be deleted for good to make room for a new map, leaving your note pointing at nothing. Keep maps yourself with Save this map. A map that has been kept can't be put back into drafts.
See Drafts and saving.
Autosave authors and Autosave venues
When you work on an author or venue from a map, SciNodes saves it to your project's Saved Authors or Saved Venues list and offers an undo. Authors and venues each have their own page with the same three actions:
- Writing a note about it: a note on its map node.
- Adding it to Research in Formation: as a research object, or as evidence drawn from it.
- Asking the assistant about it: counted when you send a message, not when you open a chat.
Nothing here is permanent. You can remove a saved author or venue from the map panel or from the Authors or Venues list. If you turn every action off, use Save author or Save venue yourself. See Saved authors and venues.
Model providers
The page is titled Authorized model providers. By default, SciNodes picks the best available AI provider for each task, and the controls are locked.
The providers are Scholaris Labs, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, DeepSeek, Mistral AI, Meta, Moonshot AI, Xiaomi and NVIDIA.
To choose providers yourself:
- Click Customize providers.
- Read the "Customize model providers?" warning. Turning off providers can lower answer quality in some tasks and increase credit use.
- Click Do it anyway when its countdown ends. Or click Let SciNodes pick the best providers to cancel.
- Turn providers on or off.
To go back to automatic selection, click Let SciNodes choose.
If you turn too many off, SciNodes shows "Select more providers for uninterrupted operation." If you turn all of them off, it shows "No providers authorized. Model-backed features will be unavailable."
Device check
Measures this device and browser against what SciNodes needs to render maps. The test runs in your browser and takes about a second. Nothing is sent to the server.
- Click Run test (or Re-run test to measure again).
- Read the Compatibility rating, the Requirements table (memory, processor, graphics) and What this device can open, which estimates the map sizes you can work with.
You can also open it from Device Check in the user menu. See System requirements.
Troubleshooting
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "That change could not be saved. Your previous … is still in effect." | The new choice didn't reach your account. Your old setting still applies. | Check your connection and pick the option again. |
| "No preference matches "…"." | Nothing matches your search. | Try the setting's name, or the option you want. |
| "No providers authorized. Model-backed features will be unavailable." | All AI providers are turned off on this device. | Turn some providers back on, or click Let SciNodes choose. |
FAQ
Can I change the interface language?
No. The interface is in English only. You can get AI explanations and assistant replies in 20 languages. See Research in another language.
Why didn't my font change follow me to another computer?
Platform font is saved to this device only. Set it again on each browser you use. Language, reference style, date format and autosave settings follow your account.
Does turning off a model provider save credits?
Not necessarily. SciNodes warns that turning off providers can increase credit use and lower quality, because it can no longer pick the most efficient provider for each task.
Where do I switch to dark mode?
Open the user menu and use the theme buttons: Dark, Light or System.