Template settings control how your inspections are conducted and how reports are formatted. These powerful configuration options allow you to customize the inspection workflow and report output to match your specific needs and client requirements.

Overview

Template settings provide control over:

Observation Features: Severity ratings and summary generation
Report Formatting: Cover pages, table of contents, and layout
Workflow Options: Required completions and data collection
Advanced Features: AI-powered enhancements and customizations
Quality Assurance: Consistency and professional presentation

Accessing Template Settings

In Template Editor

Open Templates: Navigate to the Templates section
Select Template: Choose your active template or any template to edit
Template Settings: Find the "Template Settings" section (collapsible)
Configure Options: Adjust settings using toggle switches and options

During Report Editing

Edit Mode: While editing a report, access template settings
Per-Report Customization: Modify settings for specific inspections
Template Updates: Changes can update the template or apply to current report only
Real-time Preview: See changes immediately in report preview

Industry

The Industry dropdown sits at the top of the Template Settings panel and controls which professional vocabulary the template uses.

Options:

Home Inspection (default): Standard residential and commercial inspection workflow.
Marine Survey: Switches AI assistance, AI Template Wizard placeholders, and the report's cover bar, second-page identifier block, and running page header to marine-survey vocabulary. Inspections that use the template show a single Vessel Identifier field on Inspection Details in place of Property Address.

Notes:

Industry is a per-template setting. Changing it on one template does not affect any other template, inspection, or organization.
Templates created before this setting was added behave as Home Inspection by default; no migration is required.
When the active template is set to Marine Survey, residential-only entry points (Spectora import, TREC mode, wind-mit / fixed-PDF templates) are hidden in the editor.
The Form PDF (form template) capability is available for every Industry, including Marine Survey.

Observation Settings

Enable Severity

Controls whether observations include severity ratings.

When Enabled:

Severity Levels: Low, Medium, High severity options for observations
Visual Indicators: Color-coded severity in reports
Priority Classification: Helps prioritize inspection findings
Client Communication: Clear importance levels for issues

When Disabled:

Simplified Workflow: Focus on observation content without severity classification
Streamlined Reports: Cleaner presentation without severity indicators
Faster Entry: Reduced steps when creating observations

Best Practices:

Use Severity When:
Clients expect priority classification of issues
Inspections involve safety or critical system concerns
Team needs consistent priority frameworks
Reports require professional severity indicators

Skip Severity When:
Simple informational inspections
Clients prefer simplified reports
Focus is on documentation rather than prioritization

Enable Observation Summary

Creates an automatic summary section with references to all observations.

Summary Features:

Automated Generation: AI creates comprehensive summary of all findings
Reference Links: Each summary item links to detailed observation
Executive Overview: High-level view of inspection results
Professional Presentation: Polished summary for client review

Summary Configuration:

Summary Category: Designate which category contains the summary
Auto-Population: Summary updates automatically as observations are added
Customizable Content: Edit summary content while maintaining references
Report Integration: Summary appears prominently in final reports

When to Use:

Ideal For:
Complex inspections with many observations
Executive summary requirements
Professional commercial inspections
Client preference for overview sections

Skip For:
Simple inspections with few findings
Clients who prefer detailed-only reports
Time-sensitive inspections
Templates focused on specific systems only

Report Sections

Report Sections are an optional grouping that sits above categories. When the feature is on, related categories appear under a shared section heading in the inspection editor, the preview, the table of contents, and the generated PDF. When the feature is off, every template behaves exactly as before — a flat list of categories with no section heading.

Turning Report Sections On

Open Template Settings: Expand the Template Settings panel inside the template editor.
Enable Report Sections: Toggle the Report Sections option on. This unlocks the section controls inside the main template editor.
Add Sections in the Editor: Sections themselves are added, renamed, ordered, and deleted in the main template editor alongside categories — not from the settings panel. See the Creating and Editing Templates guide (Report Sections) for the editor workflow.

What Sections Affect

Inspection completion and preview: Each section appears as a heading bar above its categories.
Table of Contents (web): Sections appear as navigable entries that jump straight to that section.
PDF report: Heading hierarchy shifts so the section sits at the top level, the category sits one level below it, and the subcategory carries a stronger emphasis at row depth.
Observations and notes: How inspectors record findings does not change. Observations and notes still attach to categories. A section is only a presentation grouping.

Turning Report Sections Off

Toggling Report Sections off in Template Settings hides section controls in the editor and reverts the template to a flat list of categories at every surface (editor, completion, preview, TOC, PDF). The categories themselves and their content are preserved.

Backwards Compatibility

Templates created before Report Sections shipped continue to render as a flat list of categories with no migration needed. The feature only changes behavior when an author turns it on.

Report Format Settings

Enable Cover Page

Controls whether reports include a professional cover page.

Cover Page Contents:

Inspection Information: Date, type, and scope of inspection
Property Details: Address, client information, and property data
Inspector Information: Credentials, contact details, and company info
Cover Photo: Primary property image when available
Professional Branding: Company logo and professional presentation

Cover Page Benefits:

Professional Appearance: Polished, business-ready presentation
Client Confidence: Establishes credibility and professionalism
Information Summary: Quick reference for key inspection details
Brand Recognition: Consistent company presentation

When to Enable:

Use Cover Page For:
Client-facing reports requiring professional presentation
Commercial inspections and formal assessments
Reports that will be distributed to multiple parties
Situations requiring company branding and credibility

When to Disable:

Skip Cover Page For:
Internal reports or quick assessments
Situations prioritizing brevity over presentation
Digital-only reports where cover pages aren't needed
Template testing or development work

Enable Table of Contents

Controls whether reports include a detailed table of contents.

Table of Contents Features:

Section Navigation: Lists all categories and subcategories
Page References: Shows page numbers for easy navigation
Hierarchical Structure: Clear organization of report content
Quick Access: Jump to specific sections efficiently

Navigation Benefits:

User Experience: Easier navigation for readers
Professional Standards: Meets formal report requirements
Large Report Management: Essential for comprehensive inspections
Reference Tool: Helps locate specific information quickly

When to Include:

Include TOC For:
Comprehensive inspections with many categories
Formal reports requiring navigation aids
Reports that will be referenced repeatedly
Professional commercial or complex residential inspections

When to Exclude:

Skip TOC For:
Simple inspections with few categories
Single-system or focused inspections
Informal or internal documentation
Situations prioritizing brevity

Advanced Settings Configuration

Settings Editor Interface

The Template Settings Editor provides:

Collapsible Interface: Expand/collapse settings section as needed
Toggle Switches: Simple on/off controls for each setting
Descriptive Text: Clear explanations for each option
Real-time Updates: Changes apply immediately
Visual Feedback: Clear indication of current settings

Settings Categories

Industry

Home Inspection (default) or Marine Survey — controls the AI's professional vocabulary, the Inspection Details vessel/address field, and the PDF identifier blocks.

Observation Settings

Enable Severity: Severity rating system for observations
Enable Observation Summary: Automated summary generation
Summary Category Selection: Choose category for summary placement

Report Format Settings

Report Sections: Optional grouping that places a heading above selected categories in the editor, preview, TOC, and PDF. Off by default.
Enable Cover Page: Professional cover page inclusion
Enable Table of Contents: Navigation and section listing
Report Layout Options: Additional formatting controls

Backwards Compatibility

Templates created before settings were introduced automatically receive default values:

Enable Severity: false (disabled by default)
Enable Observation Summary: false (disabled by default)
Enable Cover Page: true (enabled for professional appearance)
Enable Table of Contents: true (enabled for navigation)

Settings Impact on Workflow

During Inspections

Settings affect the inspection process:

Severity Enabled:

Additional Step: Select severity level for each observation
Visual Indicators: Color-coding in observation interface
Required Selection: Must choose severity before saving observations

Summary Enabled:

Automatic Updates: Summary section updates as observations are added
Review Process: Summary can be edited and refined
Progress Tracking: Summary completion affects overall inspection progress

During Report Generation

Settings control report appearance:

Cover Page Enabled:

Additional Page: Cover page appears as first page
Formatting Impact: Affects page numbering and overall layout
Content Requirements: Requires property and inspector information

Table of Contents Enabled:

Navigation Page: TOC appears after cover page (if enabled)
Page Numbering: Affects overall page count and numbering
Section References: Links to actual content sections

Best Practices

Settings Selection Strategy

Assessment Questions:
What type of inspections will use this template?
What are client expectations for report format?
How complex are typical inspections?
What level of professionalism is required?

Professional Services

Recommended Settings:
Enable Cover Page: Yes (professional presentation)
Enable Table of Contents: Yes (easy navigation)
Enable Severity: Yes (clear prioritization)
Enable Summary: Consider for complex inspections

Simple/Informal Inspections

Streamlined Settings:
Enable Cover Page: Optional (consider client needs)
Enable Table of Contents: Optional (based on complexity)
Enable Severity: Optional (may simplify workflow)
Enable Summary: Typically not needed

Commercial Inspections

Business-Focused Settings:
Enable Cover Page: Yes (business presentation)
Enable Table of Contents: Yes (document navigation)
Enable Severity: Yes (risk prioritization)
Enable Summary: Yes (executive overview)

Settings Customization

Per-Template Configuration

Default Settings: Each template has its own settings
Template Switching: Settings change with template selection
Consistent Workflow: Settings ensure consistent output for template type
Easy Modification: Change settings anytime during template editing

Per-Report Customization

Report-Specific: Modify settings for individual inspections
Template Preservation: Changes can be applied to current report only
Flexibility: Adapt to specific client or situation requirements
Override Options: Temporary modifications without changing template

Team Standardization

Organization Templates: Consistent settings across team templates
Training Materials: Document preferred settings for team use
Quality Control: Standardized settings ensure consistent output
Best Practice Sharing: Share successful setting combinations

Troubleshooting Settings

Common Issues

Settings Not Saving

Problem: Template settings don't persist after changes
Solutions:
Ensure you have template editing permissions
Check internet connectivity for cloud sync
Verify you're editing the correct template
Try refreshing the template editor

Report Format Issues

Problem: Report doesn't reflect setting changes
Solutions:
Regenerate report after changing settings
Check if changes were saved to template
Verify settings are enabled in template used for inspection
Clear app cache if formatting appears incorrect

Missing Settings

Problem: Expected settings options not visible
Solutions:
Expand the Template Settings section (collapsible interface)
Check if template supports all settings (backwards compatibility)
Verify app version supports all setting options
Update template if using older version

Performance Considerations

Cover Page Generation: May add slight processing time to reports
Table of Contents: Requires additional processing for large reports
Summary Generation: AI summary creation takes additional time
Settings Sync: Changes sync across devices automatically

Advanced Configuration

Summary Category Management

Category Selection: Choose which category contains observation summary
Auto-Detection: System can suggest appropriate summary placement
Custom Categories: Create dedicated summary categories
Content Management: Edit summary content while preserving automation

Future Enhancements

Custom Formatting: Additional report layout options
Branding Controls: Enhanced logo and company presentation
Client-Specific Settings: Different settings for different client types
Advanced Summary: More sophisticated summary generation options

Integration Features

Template Import: Settings preserved during template imports
Export Compatibility: Settings included in template exports
Team Sharing: Settings transfer when sharing templates
Version Control: Settings changes tracked in template history

Getting Help

Settings Support: Contact support for assistance with complex configuration requirements
Template Documentation: Reference template editing guides for detailed instructions
Best Practices: Follow recommended settings for your inspection type
Updates: Stay informed about new settings and configuration options

Template settings provide powerful control over your inspection workflow and report presentation. Take time to understand each option and configure settings that best serve your clients and business requirements.

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Template Management Overview