You can find info on line for dosage. Basically take till you feel it. I find it is a discomfort, some say till it burns a bit. I take before a meal or during. It is to help digest your food until your stomach can begin producing enough acid to digest all on its own. HCL is also a trigger to open the valves. If you do not have enough acid, the valves stay closed which is why your food just sits and ferments (bloating) instead of emptying into the rest of the digestive tract. This can all affect absorption of key nutrients. I find the tabs with pepsin work better than just plain. The other symptom of low acid is acid reflux due to what I just stated. Food fermenting and while there is some acid, there is not enough so it sits and can cause reflux.