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Communications & Workflow

1nSpecT’s communications system sends the right email to the right person at the right time — automatically. Every email is tied to an inspection event (booking confirmed, contract signed, report published, etc.) and fires according to your configured workflow.

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How the Workflow Engine Works

The workflow engine listens for trigger events on inspection records. When a trigger fires, it evaluates all enabled workflow steps that match that trigger and executes them — immediately or on a scheduled delay. The key principle: You configure the steps once. The engine runs them for every inspection automatically.

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Trigger Events

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Configuring Workflow Steps

Go to Settings → Communications → Workflow to manage your steps.

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Creating a Step

1. Click + Add Step
2. Choose the Trigger from the dropdown
3. Set the Offset — when to send relative to the trigger:
   • 0 = immediately when trigger fires
   • +2h = 2 hours after trigger
   • -48h = 48 hours before scheduled date (used with inspection.reminder)
   • +7d = 7 days after trigger
4. Choose Recipients — who receives this email:
   • Client (primary)
   • Co-client
   • Buyer’s Agent / Realtor
   • Assigned Inspector
5. Select the Email Template to send
6. Optionally add a Condition (e.g. only fire if contract is not yet signed)
7. Set Service Types — * for all services, or limit to specific service types
8. Toggle Enabled and save

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Visual Timeline

The workflow settings page shows all your steps arranged as a visual timeline relative to the inspection date. This lets you see exactly when every email fires from a client’s perspective before you book a single job.

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Recommended Workflow Setup

For a standard residential inspection, configure these steps as a minimum:

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Email Templates

Go to Settings → Communications → Templates to create and manage email templates.

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Template Variables

Use these placeholders in your templates — they are replaced with real inspection data when the email sends: Client: $ClientFirstName $ClientLastName $ClientNames $Client2FirstName Property & Inspection: $InspectionAddress $InspectionDate $InspectionTime Inspector & Company: $InspectorName $InspectorLicense $CompanyName $CompanyLogo Fees: $InspectionFee $BaseFee $ServiceFee $InspectionFeeTable Links: $ContractLink — client portal signing link $ReportLink — client report download link $AgentReportLink — agent-specific report link $PortalLink — realtor portal magic link Payment handles: $VenmoHandle $ZelleContact $CashAppHandle

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Template Editor

The template editor is a rich text editor (TipTap) supporting:

• Bold, italic, underline formatting
• Headings and bullet lists
• Tables
• Images (company logo recommended in header)
• Variable token insertion via the { } dropdown

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From Address & Reply-To

Emails send from your configured sender address (set in Settings → Email). Configure the Reply-To to your business email so client replies come to you directly, not to a no-reply address.

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Report Delivery — Client vs. Agent

1nSpecT separates report delivery into two distinct emails: Client delivery (report.published → Client recipient):

• Full PDF report attached
• Repair request instructions
• All deficiency details visible

Agent delivery (report.published → Buyer’s Agent recipient):

• Summary-only view (linked to Realtor Portal)
• Does not include pricing, inspector contact, or repair request
• Magic link to the branded Realtor Portal (valid 90 days)

This separation protects the client’s relationship with the inspector and prevents the agent from forwarding the full report to the seller before the buyer has reviewed it.

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Contract Reminder Automation

The workflow engine handles contract reminder loops automatically. If a client has not signed their contract and the inspection is within 48 hours:

• A contract reminder email fires automatically every 4 hours
• Stops as soon as contractSignedAt is set on the inspection record
• Configure this as a workflow step with trigger contract.sent, offset +4h, condition contractSignedAt == null

This closes the most common pre-inspection liability gap — jobs completed without a signed agreement.

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Service-Type Extensions

The base workflow applies to all inspections. Service types can ADD or SUPPRESS individual steps without rebuilding the entire workflow. Example: New Construction Final inspections should send an 11-month warranty reminder. Instead of a separate workflow for New Construction, add one step:

• Trigger: inspection.completed
• Offset: +11mo
• Service Types: New Construction
• Template: Warranty Reminder

All other steps (booking confirmation, contract, reminders, report delivery) inherit from the base workflow automatically.

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Suppressing Automation

For manually imported orders (migrated from another system) where you don’t want automated emails to fire, set skipWorkflow: true on the inspection record. This suppresses all workflow automation for that specific inspection. Access this from the order detail page → More Options → Skip Automated Communications.