# Humanizer Pasted Text Mode vs File Mode: Key Differences Explained

> Discover the key differences between Humanizer's pasted text mode and file mode. Understand when to use each for optimal text rewriting and analysis.

- Repository: [Siqi Chen/humanizer](https://github.com/blader/humanizer)
- Tags: comparison
- Published: 2026-09-13

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**Humanizer’s pasted text mode returns the full editing workflow including drafts and pattern analysis, while file mode silently updates the source file with only the final rewritten text and returns a brief summary.**

The `blader/humanizer` repository provides an AI-text humanization tool that accepts input through two distinct methods. Understanding the difference between Humanizer's pasted text mode and file mode is essential for choosing the right workflow for your content editing needs. Each mode handles the editing pipeline differently and returns different artifacts to the user.

## Understanding the Two Input Modes in Humanizer

Humanizer processes AI-generated text through a consistent editing pipeline, but the interface and output format depend entirely on which input method you select. These behaviors are formally defined in the skill’s metadata according to the source code.

### Pasted Text Mode (Default)

In **pasted text mode**, you provide raw text directly in the prompt interface. Humanizer processes the entire input immediately, generating a draft rewrite, listing any remaining AI-writing patterns detected, and finally returning the fully edited version.

This mode returns three distinct artifacts:
- The **draft** rewrite (intermediate version)
- A **list of remaining patterns** that still appear AI-generated
- The **final** polished text

Pasted text mode is interactive and designed for manual review of the editing process.

### File Mode

In **file mode**, you supply a file path (e.g., [`mydoc.md`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/mydoc.md)) rather than raw text. Humanizer reads the file from disk, runs the identical full editing pipeline internally, but **writes only the final rewritten text back to the original file**.

Unlike pasted text mode, file mode:
- Omits the draft and pattern list from the console output
- Updates the source file silently with the cleaned content
- Returns only a brief summary of changes (e.g., "3 AI-writing patterns removed")

This mode is non-interactive and optimized for batch processing and direct file modification.

## How Humanizer Processes Each Mode

The distinct behaviors for each mode are implemented across several configuration and documentation files in the repository.

According to [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 48-51, the mode handling logic explicitly defines how input types determine output formats. The [`agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/agents/openai.yaml) file supplies the default prompt templates for OpenAI-compatible agents, which includes the conditional logic for distinguishing between interactive text-pasting and file-based processing.

The [`README.md`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/README.md) provides installation and usage instructions that reference both modes, ensuring users understand which files are read and written during file mode operations.

## Practical Usage Examples

### Using Pasted Text Mode Interactively

When you paste text directly into the Humanizer interface, you receive the complete editing workflow:

```markdown
Humanizer:
  Input: |
    It's not just about the UI; it's a whole experience.
  Output:
    Draft: It is not only about the UI; rather, it constitutes an entire experience.
    Remaining patterns: Semicolon overuse; vague pronoun references
    Final: The UI provides a complete experience.

```

This mode allows you to review the transformation steps and identify which AI patterns Humanizer detected before finalizing the text.

### Using File Mode for Batch Processing

When processing files directly from the command line, Humanizer operates silently on the filesystem:

```bash

# User invokes Humanizer with a file name

humanizer mydoc.md

# Humanizer reads mydoc.md, rewrites it, and saves only the final version.

# The console shows a short summary:

# "File updated: 3 AI‑writing patterns removed."

```

In this workflow, [`mydoc.md`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/mydoc.md) is overwritten with the humanized text, and the intermediate draft never appears in the terminal output.

## Summary

- **Pasted text mode** is the default interactive method that returns the complete editing pipeline: draft, pattern analysis, and final text.
- **File mode** accepts a filename argument, processes the content internally, and writes only the final result back to the source file.
- **SKILL.md** lines 48-51 define the formal specifications for both modes in the repository metadata.
- **File mode** omits draft and pattern artifacts from the console, providing only a brief change summary.
- **agents/openai.yaml** contains the prompt logic that handles mode detection for AI agents.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the default mode when running Humanizer?

**Pasted text mode is the default behavior** when you provide raw text input directly to Humanizer. You must explicitly specify a file path to trigger file mode.

### Does file mode in Humanizer create backup files?

No, according to the source implementation, file mode writes the final rewritten text directly back to the original file without creating backup copies. The source file is updated in place with only the cleaned content.

### Can I see the draft output when using file mode?

No, file mode intentionally suppresses the draft and pattern list from the console output. If you need to review the intermediate editing steps, you must use pasted text mode instead.

### Where are the mode behaviors defined in the source code?

The mode behaviors are defined in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/SKILL.md) at lines 48-51, which contains the skill’s metadata describing both input methods. The actual prompt handling logic resides in [`agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/agents/openai.yaml), while usage documentation appears in [`README.md`](https://github.com/blader/humanizer/blob/main/README.md).