You can download the entire family of a document you are viewing in the document viewer. Specifically, you can:
Download the original native version of the document and its family members in their native format.
Download the original PDF version of the document and its family members in PDF format.
Download a specific produced version of the document and its family members.
To download the family of a document, click the download icon in the toolbar to open download options. Select the Include Family checkbox and choose a document version (native, PDF, or produced). A progress indicator will appear briefly, followed by a link to download the .zip file. Save and unzip the file to access the downloaded family.
This feature downloads the Document Family (e.g., an email and its attachments). To download an entire email thread, use the Conversation view or the Mass Action export. The ZIP file organizes documents into folders named by their DISCO Document ID. Each folder contains the requested version (Native, PDF, or Produced) and any related text files. For very large families (e.g., thousands of attachments), use Mass Action > Export from the search results page instead of the document viewer to ensure a stable download.
Note: To view the download icon, your user role must include Download permission. If the icon is missing, contact your Workspace Admin.
Example: download the original document and its family members in native format
Example: Download the original PDF and its related documents in PDF format
Example: Download a specific produced version of the document and its family members
Note: DISCO downloads the complete family of a document, even if family members do not meet your selection criteria. Consider the following scenarios:
If any family member of a produced document lacks the selected Bates prefix, the ZIP file includes the original PDF version for those members.
If any family member of a produced document appears multiple times with the selected Bates prefix, the ZIP file includes all such produced versions.
If any family member lacks an original PDF version (e.g., due to corruption or processing errors), the ZIP file includes a slipsheet placeholder and the original native version for those members.
This feature applies to both Active Review and Early Case Assessment (ECA) Review databases.
FAQ
Q: Why don't I see the download icon in the toolbar?
A: The download icon appears only for users with Download permissions in their user role. If the icon is missing, contact your Workspace Admin to verify your permissions.
Q: What is the difference between a "Family" and a "Conversation" download?
A: Family: Includes the "parent" (e.g., an email) and its "children" (e.g., direct attachments like a PowerPoint or PDF). Conversation: Includes every email in a thread, regardless of direct parent/attachment status. To download a full thread, use the Conversation tab in the viewer or perform a Mass Action > Export.
Q: I selected a "Produced" version, but some files in the ZIP are PDFs without Bates stamps. Why?
A: If a family member was never produced under the selected Bates prefix, DISCO provides the original PDF to keep the family complete.
Q: How are the files organized once I unzip the folder?
A: The ZIP file is organized by DISCO Document ID. Each document in the family has its own folder containing the requested file format (Native, PDF, or Produced) and its associated text/OCR file.
Q: Can I download a family if one of the files is corrupted?
A: Yes. If an original PDF cannot be generated due to processing error or corruption, DISCO includes a slipsheet placeholder in the ZIP and provides the original native file to preserve the data.
Q: Is there a limit to how many attachments I can download this way?
A: While no hard "count" limit exists, downloading very large families (e.g., ZIP files with thousands of items) can cause browser timeouts. For large sets, use Mass Action > Export from the search results page.
Q: Does this work in Early Case Assessment (ECA) databases?
A: Yes. This feature works fully in both Active Review and ECA databases.