> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.1nspect.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Option Lists

# Option Lists

Option Lists (route `/option-lists`) is the **dropdown library**. Whenever a template field has a fixed set of choices — Foundation Type, Cladding Type, Roof Covering, HVAC System, Parties Present — that field is backed by an Option List. Build them once here; reuse across every template.

This article documents the list view, the create/edit dialogs, and how option lists are referenced from templates.

***

## When you use it

* **First-week setup** — create option lists for every informational field your templates need
* **Adding a new field type** — define the option list before adding the field to a template
* **Updating choices** — adding a new "Hardie Board" cladding option, removing an obsolete one
* **Multi-language support** — duplicate an option list with translated values (advanced)

After initial setup, option lists rarely change. The dropdown values are stable for most inspection businesses.

***

## Screen layout

\[SCREENSHOT: option-lists-page.png — desktop, the Option Lists page showing a search bar, a grid or list of existing option lists, and a + Create Option List action.]

| Element                  | Purpose                                                                      |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Search field**         | Substring match on option list name. Placeholder: *"Search option lists..."* |
| **Option list grid**     | Each list as a card showing name, type, count of options                     |
| **+ Create Option List** | Opens the create dialog                                                      |
| **Empty state**          | *"No option lists yet — Create your first option list to get started"*       |

Each option list card displays:

* Name
* Description (if any)
* Type (Single Select / Multi-Select)
* Number of options
* Per-card actions: **Edit / Duplicate / Delete**

***

## Create Option List dialog

Click **+ Create Option List** to open a modal:

\[SCREENSHOT: option-list-create.png — desktop, the Create Option List dialog with fields for Name, Description, Type, and an option-values editor.]

| Field       | Required | Notes                                                                                    |
| ----------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**    | ✅        | Plain text — e.g. *"General Conditions"*, *"Foundation Type"*                            |
| Description | —        | Optional internal context                                                                |
| **Type**    | ✅        | **Single Select** — one option per response; **Multi-Select** — multiple options allowed |
| **Options** | ✅        | The list of dropdown values, one per row. Add / Reorder / Delete inline                  |

Each option in the options editor has:

* **Value** — the stored/internal value
* **Label** (optional) — the display text; defaults to the value if blank
* **Display order** — drag-and-drop to reorder

For TREC compliance, common option lists include:

| Option list       | Type   | Common values                                                                           |
| ----------------- | ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Foundation Type   | Single | Slab · Pier and Beam · Crawl Space · Basement                                           |
| Exterior Cladding | Single | Brick Veneer · Stone · Wood · Hardie Board · Stucco · Vinyl · Metal                     |
| Roof Covering     | Single | Composition Shingle · Metal · Tile · Slate · Flat (TPO/EPDM) · Wood Shake               |
| HVAC System Type  | Single | Central Forced Air · Heat Pump · Mini-Split · Window Unit · Boiler · Radiant            |
| Water Heater Type | Single | Tank (Gas) · Tank (Electric) · Tankless (Gas) · Tankless (Electric) · Heat Pump · Solar |
| Parties Present   | Multi  | Client · Co-client · Realtor · Seller · Builder · Insurance · Other                     |

After save, the option list is immediately available as a dropdown source for any field in any template.

***

## Edit Option List dialog

The Edit dialog is identical to Create but pre-fills with the current values. Save commits changes.

### What changes when you edit

* **Adding new options** — immediately available; existing inspection records are unaffected
* **Removing options** — existing records that selected the removed option keep their selection (the legacy value is preserved); but the option no longer appears as a choice in new selections
* **Reordering** — affects display order in new selections only

### Implications of editing

Edits **do not** retroactively update existing inspection records. If you remove "Asbestos Shingle" from the Roof Covering list, the historical inspections that selected that option still display "Asbestos Shingle" — only new inspections lose access to it.

If you want to migrate historical records (e.g. all Asbestos Shingle → Wood Shake), this requires a manual data migration via support or a database script. UI-driven bulk editing of historical records is not currently supported.

***

## Duplicating an option list

Click **Duplicate** on a card to create a copy with `(Copy)` appended. Edit the duplicate to make a variant — useful for regional dialects (e.g. UK English variants for international markets) or test versions.

***

## Deleting an option list

The **Delete** action prompts confirmation. Deleting an option list:

* Removes it from the dropdown source list
* Does **not** affect template fields that reference it — those fields now show as orphaned drop-downs
* Does **not** affect historical inspection data

> **Prefer renaming to deletion.** Rename to `"ARCHIVED — Foundation Type"` and move it to the bottom. Template fields still resolve; the dropdown still works; you can revive it later if needed.

***

## How templates reference option lists

When you build a template field in [Template Editor](/1nspect/admin-operator/templates/template-editor) or [Schema Upload & Review](/1nspect/admin-operator/templates/schema-upload-and-review), informational fields can reference an Option List by name. Once referenced, the field renders as a dropdown on mobile (and in the web Order Wizard) with the configured options.

If the referenced option list is deleted, the field falls back to free-text entry. This is by design — the inspection can still proceed even if option lists drift.

***

## What this page does NOT do

* **It does not configure narrative templates.** That's [Narrative Collections](/1nspect/admin-operator/intelligence-hub/narrative-collections).
* **It does not edit fields directly on a template.** Those edits happen in [Template Editor](/1nspect/admin-operator/templates/template-editor).
* **It does not import options from CSV** in the current UI. Bulk import is a planned enhancement.

***

## Related articles

* [Intelligence Hub Overview](/1nspect/admin-operator/intelligence-hub/overview)
* [Templates Overview](/1nspect/admin-operator/templates/overview) — where option lists are referenced
* [Template Editor](/1nspect/admin-operator/templates/template-editor) — where you reference option lists in template fields
* [Schema Upload & Review](/1nspect/admin-operator/templates/schema-upload-and-review) — AI extraction can detect dropdown fields suitable for option lists