Inspections follow a pattern: identify the site, work through a checklist, capture evidence for anything that fails, and sign off. This article covers how to build that pattern in the Form Builder.
How an inspection form is structured
Most inspection forms have 4 parts. Building them in this order keeps the form manageable.
Part | What it captures | Typical fields |
|---|---|---|
Site details | Where and when the inspection happened | Location / GPS, Date/Time, Text, Option List |
Checklist | The pass or fail result for each item | Yes/No/NA |
Evidence | Proof and detail for anything that failed | Multi Photo, Long Text |
Sign-off | Who completed it and their confirmation | Acknowledgment, Signature |
The checklist is the core. Yes/No/NA is the right field type, because not applicable is a real answer during an inspection, distinct from no.
An inspection form on the canvas with General Information, Checklist Items, Photos, and Sign-Off sections
Start the form
In the portal, go to Forms > My Forms.
Select New Form > Form, then select Form Builder.
Choose how to start.
Have a paper or PDF form? Select Upload PDF or Excel or Take a photo, and FastField builds the form from the document
Describe your form: Select Describe your form, describe the inspection and the checklist items you need, then select the send icon
Start from scratch: Select Open blank builder and add the fields yourself
For example, you can describe the inspection like this:
Create a site safety inspection for field technicians. Include a section for site details with location, inspection date, and inspector name. Add a safety checklist with Yes/No/NA items for fire extinguishers accessible, exits clear, PPE in use, first aid kit stocked, and signage visible. Add photos and notes for any failures, then an acknowledgment and inspector signature.
FastField drafts the form and opens it in the Form Builder. Refine it from there.
Note
FastField saves the new form as a draft as soon as you start it. Users don't see it until you publish it.
Build the checklist
Each checklist item is a Yes/No/NA field with the item as its label. Phrase every item so Yes always means the good outcome. Mixed wording is the fastest way to get unreliable inspection data.
Select Add Fields in the side bar.
Under Yes/No, select Yes/No/NA.
In Field Settings, enter the checklist item in Field Label.
The Add Fields tab with Yes/No/NA under Yes/No, next to the Checklist Items section on the canvas
Tip
To add many items at once, ask the Assistant. Learn more in Build the form with the Assistant.
Make the important fields required
A required field can't be left blank, so a technician can't submit a half-finished inspection.
Select the field on the canvas.
In Field Settings, on the General tab, turn on Required Field.
Field Settings for a Yes/No/NA field, with the Required Field setting
Tip
To make several fields required at once, select their checkboxes, then select Bulk Edit in the canvas toolbar.
Tip
To mark fields as required, or turn on GPS or timestamp capture, without opening field settings, select Settings in the Form Builder toolbar and turn on Show Quick Settings Icons.
Make the checklist items and the signature required. Leave the notes and photo fields optional, then use skip logic to require them only when an item fails.
Ask for evidence when something fails
Instead of a photo field that's always visible and often ignored, use skip logic. Photo and notes fields then appear only when a check fails.
Select a checklist field on the canvas.
In Field Settings, select the Behavior tab, then select Field Rules.
The Behavior tab of Field Settings for a Yes/No/NA field, with Field Rules
Select Add Rule.
Set the rule, for example: when the field Equals No, perform Show on the matching photo and notes fields, and otherwise perform Hide.
Repeat for each check that needs evidence.
For rules that depend on more than one field, select Settings in the bottom toolbar, then select Advanced Form Rules.
Record a variable number of findings
An inspector might log 2 findings on one site and 9 on another. Put the finding fields in a repeating section or a subform, so the inspector can add an entry for each finding.
Learn more about repeating sections and subforms.
Reuse your site list
If you inspect the same sites repeatedly, don't have technicians type the site name. Use a list, a Lookup List, or a Data Table so they choose from a saved set. That removes typos and makes filtering submissions by site reliable.
For assets labeled with barcodes or QR codes, a scan can fill in the asset details. Learn more about how to set up a barcode scanner with QR codes.
Add sign-off
Close the inspection with 2 fields:
An Acknowledgment field the inspector must check to confirm the inspection is complete
A Signature field to capture their signature
A Sign-Off section with an overall result, comments, and 2 Signature fields
Validate, publish, and test
Select Validation in the side bar, and fix any errors it lists.
Select Save Draft, then select Publish.
Open the form in the FastField mobile app and run a real inspection through it. Confirm the skip logic works on a failed check.
Tip
To test before you publish, use Preview on my device in the Preview tab. Learn more about the form preview.
After users submit inspections, use Global Workflow to send them where they need to go, by email, forwarding, or third-party integrations. Select Workflow in the bottom toolbar to set it up.
Build the form with the Assistant
The Assistant can add whole sections of checklist items, make fields required, and set up skip logic.
Select Assistant in the side bar.
Describe the change, for example Add a Yes/No/NA checklist for ladders, scaffolding, and guardrails, and make each item required or Show the photo field when Exits clear is No.
Send the message.
To get ideas for missing items, select the Assistant icon in a section header, then select Suggest Fields.
The Assistant menu for the Checklist Items section, with Suggest Fields, Suggest Improvements, Configure Rules, and quick actions
Note
Assistant changes aren't saved until you select Save Draft.
If your inspection is too large or complex to build yourself, our forms team can build it for you. Learn more about how to request a form quote.