Frequently asked questions.
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What jurisdictions does Embargo cover?
Embargo covers 10 jurisdictions: the United States (BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN, Federal Register / EAR rules and BIS notices), the European Union (Official Journal dual-use regulation), the United Kingdom (ECJU export control notices and OFSI financial sanctions), the Netherlands (MOCIT advanced lithography equipment controls), Japan (METI FEFTA semiconductor equipment rules), Germany (BAFA export control circulars), the United Nations (Security Council Consolidated List), Canada (SEMA sanctions), Australia (DFAT sanctions), and Switzerland (SECO sanctions). All 10 are included in every plan.
How quickly do alerts arrive after a regulatory update is published?
Our pipelines run on hourly or daily schedules depending on the source. For the Federal Register and BIS Entity List, alerts typically reach your inbox within four hours of publication. For sources that publish less frequently (EU OJ, UK ECJU), the latency is within the same business day.
What does an alert actually contain?
Each alert includes: the jurisdiction and alert type (Urgent / Monitor / FYI), an AI-generated plain-English summary of what changed and why it matters, an 'Action Required' directive where applicable, a direct link to the primary source document, and structured metadata (effective date, ECCN impact, affected entities, etc.) extracted from the original text.
Does Embargo provide legal advice?
No. Embargo is a regulatory intelligence and monitoring tool. We surface, structure, and summarise what regulators publish — we do not interpret its applicability to your specific products, transactions, or business relationships. For legal interpretation, consult qualified export control counsel.
How is Embargo different from manually monitoring the Federal Register?
Manual monitoring requires checking multiple government websites on a regular cadence, reading dense legal PDFs, and translating regulatory language into actionable tasks — across 10 jurisdictions simultaneously. Embargo automates every step of that process: fetching, parsing, structuring, summarising, and alerting. We pull directly from primary sources, not third-party aggregators, so there is no additional lag.
Can I filter alerts by jurisdiction or keyword?
Yes. The dashboard includes jurisdiction filtering, full-text search, and a keyword watchlist. Watchlist keywords highlight matching alerts and can be used to filter your inbox to only what's relevant to your product lines or customers.
Does Embargo integrate with Slack?
Yes. You can configure a Slack incoming webhook URL in your dashboard settings. Embargo will post new alerts to your chosen channel automatically.
How does bulk CSV screening work?
Upload a CSV file containing up to 500 entity names (one per row) from the Screening tab in your dashboard. Embargo runs each name against all 10 jurisdictions' databases and returns a result file with risk scores, match details, and source citations. Results are typically ready within 60 seconds for a 500-name file. Each screened name counts against your monthly screening limit.
What are compliance certificates?
A compliance certificate is a timestamped PDF record generated for any entity you screen. It documents that a screening was performed, the result (clean / match / watchlist hit), the jurisdictions checked, and the date. Compliance certificates are useful for demonstrating due diligence in an audit or enforcement inquiry. They are available on all paid plans.
What is the watchlist monitoring dashboard?
The watchlist dashboard lets you save a list of counterparties you want to monitor on an ongoing basis — suppliers, customers, joint venture partners, or any entity you have repeated transactions with. Embargo re-screens every watchlist entry against new jurisdiction updates automatically. When a match is detected, you receive an instant alert via email and Slack. You can add entities to your watchlist from any entity profile page.
Can I filter by ECCN code?
Yes. On the Team and Enterprise plans, entity profiles include ECCN tags derived from jurisdiction entries and product category signals. You can filter the entity database by ECCN code — for example, searching for all entities tagged 3B001 (semiconductor manufacturing equipment) or 4A003 (advanced computing). This is useful for quickly assessing exposure when a new BIS rule targets a specific ECCN range.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Embargo has a permanent free tier that includes 25 entity screenings per month at no cost — no payment card required. It's designed for individuals who screen counterparties occasionally and want to evaluate the platform before committing. The 25 screenings reset on the first of each month.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — all paid plans include a 14-day free trial with full feature access. No payment card required to start. If you cancel before day 14 you are not charged. The free trial is separate from the permanent free tier — it gives you access to the full plan (unlimited screenings, Slack integration, team seats) for 14 days.
How do I cancel my trial or subscription?
Go to Settings in your dashboard and click 'Manage billing'. This opens the Stripe billing portal where you can cancel your plan in two clicks. Your access continues until the end of the current period — trial or billing cycle — and your card is not charged if you cancel before the trial ends. You will also receive a reminder email 3 days before your trial expires.
What does the Team plan cost?
The Team plan is $599/month billed monthly, or $499/month billed annually. It covers up to 5 users and all jurisdictions we monitor. The Solo plan starts at $199/month for individual compliance professionals.
Can I add more than 5 users?
The Team plan supports up to 5 users under a single organisation. If you need more seats, the Enterprise plan has unlimited users. Contact sales@getembargo.com.
Do you offer refunds?
We do not offer refunds for partial billing periods on digital subscriptions. If you cancel, your access continues until the end of the current billing period. See our Terms of Service for the full policy.
Can I switch between monthly and annual billing?
Yes. To switch your existing subscription, contact billing@getembargo.com and we will apply the change at your next renewal date.
How is my data stored and secured?
All data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+). Our infrastructure runs on Vercel (application hosting) and Supabase (database), both of which hold SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. Authentication is handled by Clerk (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA).
Where is data stored geographically?
Our primary database is hosted in the United States (us-east-1 region on Supabase). If you have specific data residency requirements, contact us to discuss Enterprise options.
Does Embargo use AI to process my data?
Embargo uses Claude by Anthropic to summarise regulatory source text — publicly available government documents. Your account data, user activity, and watchlist keywords are never sent to AI models.
Is there a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) available?
Yes. If you require a signed DPA for your procurement process, email hello@getembargo.com and we will provide one.
What does the Enterprise plan include?
Enterprise adds: unlimited users, API access for custom integrations, custom jurisdiction add-ons (beyond the standard seven), dedicated customer success, custom digest cadence, and SSO/SCIM provisioning.
Do you support SSO?
Yes — SSO (SAML/OIDC) and SCIM provisioning are available on the Enterprise plan. Contact sales@getembargo.com to discuss your identity provider.
Can we get a custom contract or order form?
Yes. Enterprise customers can procure Embargo via a custom order form, master services agreement, or vendor onboarding process. Contact sales@getembargo.com.