Frequently Asked Questions

Is Owl Eyes free to use?

The entire Owl Eyes library, plus the ability to annotate, reply to annotations, and save texts for later is 100% free. We also offer an additional paid-subscription service as an Owl Eyes Reader Member.

What is an Owl Eyes Reader Member?

In addition to our free library, we offer a paid subscription service for readers who wish to access our in-line expert annotations. This membership offers annotations and analyses for over 200 texts.

How do I cancel my membership?

You can cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Simply click the icon at the top-right of your screen, select “Account Settings,” and click “Cancel subscription.”

How do I read a text?

Browse the Owl Eyes library, click on any book you like, and click Start Reading. It’s that easy! Create a free account to save your progress and add books to your shelves. Once you’re logged in, you can take as many breaks from a text as you like and we'll save your place—simply return to that title and click Continue Reading to pick up right where you left off.

How do I annotate a text?

(Visit our library for a comprehensive walkthrough)

View annotations: click on any highlighted passage to reveal its annotations and quiz questions at the bottom of your screen. To hide the highlights, annotations, and quiz questions, simply click on the highlighted passage again, or click the ‘X’ in the corner of the quiz questions and annotations screen.

Filter content on Owl Eyes begin by clicking theAnnotation Filterbutton in the upper right-hand corner of the reading pane. Here you can filter between Highlights, Annotations, and Quiz Questions with the Annotation, , andQuiz Questionbuttons and choose whether you would like to see everyone’s annotations, just your own, or hide annotations all together. You can also sort by tags such as Imagery, Metaphor, or even Facts about the text!

Skip from chapter to chapter: chose a book in your library and make a selection from the Table of Contents using theTable of Contentsbutton.

Search keywords or phrases: click theSearchbutton and type in any keyword or phrase to browse through multiple related passages. Then, click ‘context’ to jump directly to a passage of interest.

How do I add a book to my shelves?

If you want to save a book for later, click on the book in the library and click the Add to Your Books button. These books will appear in the My Books section on the left-hand side of your screen.

How do I download a book?

To download the full PDF of any book in our library for FREE, simply log in, click on a book title from the library, and click the “Download Full Text” button. This will begin a free PDF download of the entire text, but please note that annotations will not be available in this PDF—for now!

How to Make Annotations Visible to Others

In the General Reading View:

By default, all annotations made are private to you, but you can also choose to make your annotations visible to the world! To make your annotation visible to others, simply check the submit box when writing your annotation to send it to the Owl Eyes editors for a quick review. Approved annotations add analysis and insight to the text, and they will be publicly visible to all users. We welcome your contributions!