How Long Does a Decode Take and What Affects Processing Time

One of the most common questions before ordering a decode is: how long will it take? It's a fair question. You've found your ancestor's service record, you've decided you want it decoded, and now you want to know when you'll have the finished documents in your hands.

The short answer is that processing time varies depending on the record itself. Not all records are the same length or complexity, and those differences directly affect how long the decode takes. Here's what influences the timeframe and what to expect.

What affects processing time

Several factors determine how long a decode takes. Some are about the record itself. Others are about what's on it.

Record length

The most obvious factor is how many pages the record contains. A straightforward WWII service record might be 8 to 12 pages. A complex WWI record - particularly for someone who served for the full duration of the war, was wounded multiple times, or had disciplinary entries - can run to 25 or 30 pages or more. Every page needs to be extracted, deciphered, and cross-referenced against historical sources.

A grandmother's AWAS record from 1942-1945, for example, might be relatively concise: enlistment, training, postings, discharge. A great-uncle's AIF record from 1915-1919, covering Gallipoli and the Western Front with multiple hospital admissions and unit transfers, will take significantly longer.

Handwriting legibility

WWI records were written by hand in pen and ink, and the quality of the handwriting varies enormously. Some clerks wrote in a clear, consistent hand. Others produced entries that are genuinely difficult to read, even for experienced researchers. Records where the handwriting is faded, smudged, or damaged require more time at the extraction layer of the decode process.

WWII records are generally typed rather than handwritten, which makes them faster to extract. But even typed records can have legibility issues - carbon copies, faded typewriter ribbons, and poor-quality scans all add time.

Complexity of service

A person who enlisted, trained, served with one unit in one theatre, and was discharged at the end of the war has a straightforward record. A person who transferred between units multiple times, was wounded, hospitalised, evacuated, returned to duty, promoted, reverted, posted to a different theatre, and finally discharged on medical grounds has a much more complex one.

Each of those events requires its own research and contextualisation. A wound on a specific date needs to be mapped against what the unit was doing that day. A transfer to a new unit needs to be explained in terms of the operational context. Medical entries need to be interpreted in the language of the period. The more events on the record, the more research each one requires.

Conflict and service branch

WWI Army records tend to take the longest - they're the most detailed, the most handwritten, and they cover a conflict with extensive surviving unit war diaries that allow deep contextualisation. WWII records are generally faster because they're more standardised. Navy and RAAF records use different administrative conventions and abbreviations from Army records, which doesn't necessarily make them faster or slower, but the decode process adapts to each service's specific record format.

What to expect

When you submit a record, you'll receive an estimated processing timeframe. This estimate accounts for the factors above - record length, legibility, and complexity - based on an initial assessment of the file you've uploaded.

The decode is a five-layer process: extraction, deciphering, research, contextualisation, and narrative. Each layer takes time because each one is doing something different. The extraction layer reads the record. The deciphering layer converts the abbreviations. The research layer maps dates and units to real events. The contextualisation layer explains what those events meant. And the narrative layer assembles everything into a story a family can read.

Skipping layers would make it faster, but the result would be a translation rather than a decode - and the difference between those two things is the entire point of the service.

Tips for faster processing

The single most helpful thing you can do is upload the complete record. If you've downloaded it from the National Archives, make sure you have all the pages, not just the first few. A complete record allows the decode to work through the full sequence of service without gaps.

If you have any additional context - a family story about which unit they served with, a medal inscription, a photo with a unit patch visible - that can help confirm details on entries that are difficult to read. It's not required, but it can speed up the extraction layer when handwriting is ambiguous.

Good scan quality also helps. If you're scanning a physical document yourself, use the highest resolution your scanner supports and ensure the pages are flat and evenly lit.

What you receive at the end

Regardless of how long the processing takes, every decode produces two documents: the line-by-line Excel spreadsheet and the contextualised Word narrative. For a detailed look at what's in each document, see what you get when you decode a war record.

The cost is $59 AUD per record, flat fee, regardless of complexity or processing time. A 30-page WWI record with difficult handwriting costs the same as a 10-page WWII record with clean type. You're paying for the finished product, not the hours.

Frequently asked questions

Does a longer record cost more?

No. The decode is a flat fee of $59 AUD per record, regardless of length or complexity. A 30-page record costs the same as a 10-page record.

Can I get a rush or priority decode?

If you need a decode completed before a specific date - for example, before Anzac Day or a family reunion - note the deadline when you submit the record. Where possible, time- sensitive requests are prioritised.

What if the handwriting on my record is really bad?

Records with difficult handwriting are common and are one of the main reasons people use the service. The decode will work through the legible entries and note any passages that are genuinely unreadable rather than guessing. The service delivery standard is that 80% of a record's content successfully decoded constitutes delivery as described. For tips on reading handwriting yourself, see the handwriting guide.

Do WWII records take less time than WWI records?

Generally, yes. WWII records tend to be shorter, more standardised, and typed rather than handwritten, which makes the extraction layer faster. However, a complex WWII record with many postings and medical entries can still take significant time at the research and contextualisation layers.

Will I get updates during processing?

You'll receive confirmation when your record is submitted and notification when the decode is complete and ready to download. If any issues arise during processing - for example, if the uploaded file is incomplete or unreadable - you'll be contacted before the decode proceeds.