How many screenshots should you submit?

People ask about limits because they are worried about two opposite failures: submitting so much that nobody reads it, and submitting so little that it looks selective. The answer to both is the same, and it is about ranges rather than counts.

Pick continuous ranges around the events that matter, present them in order, number every page, and give an index. A hundred numbered pages with an index is easier to use than twenty unnumbered ones.

Steps

1. List the events that matter. Write down each event or exchange you need to show, with its date. This list becomes your ranges and later your index page.
2. Turn events into date ranges. For each event, capture a continuous range that starts before it and ends after it, rather than the single message itself.
3. Merge overlapping ranges. If two ranges are close together, merge them into one continuous capture. Gaps between chosen ranges invite questions about what is in between.
4. Build one exhibit per conversation. Keep each thread in its own document with its own cover page, even if that produces several exhibits.
5. Add an index page. List each event with its date and page number, so the volume becomes navigable rather than intimidating.

What to include

• Continuous date ranges rather than isolated messages.
• Every included range listed on the cover page.
• An index of events with page numbers.
• Page numbers with a total on every page.
• One exhibit per conversation.

Common mistakes

• Submitting individual messages with no surrounding days.
• Merging several conversations into one long file.
• Cutting a range at the point where the conversation turns against you.
• Presenting hundreds of pages with no index.
• Assuming fewer pages is always better.

What the PDF should contain

• Cover page listing every included date range.
• Index of events by page number.
• Continuous, chronological message pages.
• Page numbers with a total.
• Redaction log and hash appendix.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a limit on how many screenshots I can submit?

There is no universal limit, and any page limits come from the rules of the specific forum. Check the rules for your matter; what you control is that the exhibit is continuous, numbered, and indexed.

Is it better to submit fewer pages?

Not if the cuts create gaps. A longer continuous exhibit with an index is easier to defend than a short selection of individual messages.

Can I summarise instead of including everything?

Put any summary on a separate page and keep the message pages as captured. A summary is not a substitute for the underlying range.

Should each conversation be its own exhibit?

Yes. One thread per document with its own cover page and numbering keeps references unambiguous.

How do I make a long exhibit readable?

Add an index page listing each event with its date and page number, and keep the page numbering continuous with a total.

Summary

• Choose continuous ranges, not individual messages.
• State every included range on the cover page and index the events.
• Volume is manageable with numbering; selection is what draws challenges.

ThreadProof helps you format and organise documents. Nothing here is legal advice, and ThreadProof makes no representation about how any document will be treated by any court, agency, or other body. Rules differ by place and by matter. Questions: abe.mainlinesites@gmail.com.