By the end of this article you'll be able to build an inspection template from scratch in Visibuild, add required fields, arrange your Visis, set assignees and reviewers, and publish it to your project.

Three ways to create a template in Visibuild

Before you start, it's worth knowing which creation method suits your situation best.

Build from scratch — you're in the right place. Use this when you're building a new template with no existing document to work from, or when you want full control over the structure from the start.
Import from your company library — if your company already has approved templates built, import them directly into your project and publish them. See How to import and publish templates on a project.
Generate from a file — if you have an existing ITP or checklist in PDF, Excel, or Word format, VisiAI can draft the template for you automatically. See How to generate templates from files using VisiAI.

Video guide

The video below provides a step-by-step demonstration of building and editing a template directly in the Visibuild web app.

If videos aren't your thing, the step-by-step guide is below.

Step-by-step guide

To start, navigate to Project setup > Templates and click + New template in the top right corner.

Creating Visis under your inspection checklist

Hit the Add + button to begin building out your template.
This lets you create an Inspection or a Task.
When a task is created, you have the option to add a required field.

Creating required fields in a task

Required fields are mandatory fields that prompt the assignee to provide information before they can close a task. There are always three standard actions you can take on any task regardless of required fields: close it, mark it N/A, or mark it Can't Close.

To add a required field, you must write a title for it, otherwise the Save or Publish button will be disabled.

The eight required field types are:

Checkbox — requires a confirmation click to close the field.
Short Answer — requires a text or number value (e.g. 40mPa).
Attachment — requires a PDF, image, or other file.
Multi-Choice — requires a choice from a list you define at template level.
Date — requires a date picked from a calendar.
Number — requires a numeric input, useful for pressure test readings and similar.
Geolocation — records where the user was located when they closed the task.
Document — requires a document from your document library. Note: the document must already exist in the library before it can be attached here.

You can also set Hold Points and Witness Points on tasks. These mark a task as skipped if subsequent tasks are completed before it, and remove the ability to mark it as N/A. See Understanding hold points and witness points for more detail.

Arranging Visis

Use the Up and Down arrows to move tasks and inspections into the right order. The Move to button lets you move Visis in and out of a parent inspection, giving you full control over the structure.

Setting an assignee, reviewer, or viewer

Assignee — the individual or company responsible for closing out the task. If assigned to a company, any member of that company can complete it.
Reviewer — asked to review the Visi once all tasks are closed and it's submitted for review. You can add multiple reviewers to create a sequential multi-step review chain. When set in the template, this applies automatically to every Visi created from it.
Viewer — gives a company read-only visibility of the inspection. Useful for sharing with subcontractors, clients, or consultants. The project owner always has visibility of everything by default.

Save as draft or publish

If you're not ready to publish, click Save changes to store your progress as a draft. Team members with admin permission can pick up from where you left off.

Remember to click Publish before your template can be used to create inspections on the project.

Tips for building an effective checklist

Keep titles succinct and easy to read.
Order tasks to match the actual on-site workflow. Rough-in always happens before fit-off, and your checklist should reflect that.
Use required fields for the most important tasks only. Not every task needs one.
Keep text blocks short. The checklist will mostly be completed on mobile in the field.
Use child inspections to group all checks relevant to a single element in one place. This makes it easy to track progress on site and assign each inspection to the relevant trade.