Frequently asked questions

Just two things: the Chrome extension (free from the Chrome Web Store) and an Anthropic API key for AI judging. You can sign up for an API key at console.anthropic.com — add $5–$10 of credits to start, which covers 30–100+ trials depending on sketch complexity.

No account with SoloARV is required. Your API key is stored only on your device and is never sent anywhere except directly to Anthropic when you submit a drawing for judging.

After installing SoloARV, right-click the toolbar icon and choose Options (or click the ⚙ gear icon inside the extension). Under Anthropic API key, paste your key (it starts with sk-ant-api03-…) and click Test connection. You should see a green "Connection OK" message within a few seconds.

To get a key: sign up at console.anthropic.com, add billing credits, and create an API key. The key is only used for judging — SoloARV never contacts any other server.

Each judging request sends two target photographs, your sketch, and your notes to Claude. The typical cost is $0.05–$0.15 per trial, depending on image sizes and note length. A $10 credit top-up comfortably covers 70–200 trials.

You manage your credits directly at console.anthropic.com. SoloARV has no visibility into your billing and never charges you for API usage.

The best questions are ones that resolve clearly to one of exactly two outcomes with no ambiguity. Examples: "Will BTC close above $X at 4 PM?" / "Will Team A win or lose Saturday's match?" / "Will I be offered the job or not?"

Avoid questions with more than two outcomes, vague resolutions ("Will things go well?"), or questions where you have a very strong emotional stake in the answer — emotional attachment can contaminate the session.

Not in the current version. SoloARV uses its built-in curated pool of 800 photographs because they've been selected for visual diversity — the key requirement for good judging. Custom photo support may be added in a future update.

Either works. The canvas is convenient for quick sessions. If you prefer to sketch on paper first (many viewers do), photograph or scan it and upload it using the Upload a sketch button.

If you upload a hand-drawn sketch, use a dark pen, marker, or Sharpie on white paper. Pencil and light lines often don't have enough contrast for Claude to read clearly, which can hurt judging accuracy.

There's no timer. Most viewers spend 5–15 minutes on the tasking session. Go with your first impression — extended analysis tends to introduce conscious reasoning that can override the intuitive signal. Submit when you feel you have a meaningful sketch and some notes, not when the drawing looks "good."

Sensory and emotional impressions work best: colors, shapes, textures, scale (large/small), natural or man-made, indoor or outdoor, feelings evoked, movement or stillness. Example: "rounded shape, blue-green color, reflective surface, feels expansive, outdoors, peaceful."

Don't try to interpret what the target is — describe the raw sensations. Analytical overlay ("I think this is a lake") is less useful to the judge than raw descriptors ("smooth, blue, horizontal, calm").

SoloARV sends Claude three images — your sketch, Target A, and Target B — plus your written notes. Claude is asked to evaluate which target image better matches the sketch and notes, and to score the match strength from 1 (weak) to 3 (strong).

Claude receives no information about which target corresponds to which outcome. It's a purely visual and descriptive matching task. The AI's reasoning is hidden from the Results screen (so you can't use it to second-guess your wager) and is only revealed on the Feedback screen, after you've recorded the actual outcome.

The direction code is a compact summary of the prediction: the first letter is the initial of the predicted outcome label (e.g. "U" for "Up"), and the number is the AI's match score (1 = weak, 2 = moderate, 3 = strong). So U-3 means "Predicted Up with strong correspondence" and D-1 means "Predicted Down with weak correspondence."

A score of 1 is generally a signal to skip or reduce any wager. A score of 3 means the sketch matched one photo clearly.

After the real-world event has resolved and you know the actual outcome. SoloARV keeps the trial waiting for you — just re-open it from the Chrome toolbar. On the Feedback screen, select the actual outcome to reveal the winning image and score your trial as HIT or MISS.

Yes — there's a Cancel trial button on every active screen. If you cancel before submitting your sketch for judging, the trial doesn't count toward your free limit. If you cancel after judging has started, the trial counts as used (since the API call was made).

Your sketch is sent to Anthropic's API — and only Anthropic — when you press Submit my drawing for judging. It goes nowhere else. The SoloARV authors never receive your sketches, notes, or any other data. There is no SoloARV server.

See the full Privacy Policy for details.

Everything — trial history, API key, settings, the encrypted image mapping — is stored in chrome.storage.local on your device. It never leaves your browser except for the judging request. You can export individual trial records as JSON from the Feedback screen, and wipe everything from Settings → Clear all stored trial data.

Every install comes with 10 complete free trials. After your 10th trial is completed, the extension prompts you to subscribe to Pro to continue. Your saved trial history and statistics remain accessible even after the free limit is reached.

Pro is a subscription ($9.99/month or $99/year, renewing automatically) that unlocks unlimited trials. Everything else — the photo pool, AI judging, voice prompts, trial history, JSON export, and all future updates — is identical between Free and Pro.

After subscribing you'll receive a confirmation email with your license key. Open SoloARV, click the ⚙ gear icon, scroll to Pro license, paste the key, and click Activate. The paywall disappears immediately. Your subscription renews automatically on whichever billing cycle you chose (monthly or annual) — you can cancel anytime from the customer portal linked in your confirmation email.

Yes. Enter your license key in Settings → Pro license on each Chrome profile you want to use. There's no device limit on a single subscription.