Video overview

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This site is a comprehensive collection of training documents—from the basics of getting started to understanding the power of modifiers—to help you get the most out of your new inspection software.

Remember, we also host monthly Scriber Meetups to go over best practices and answer questions. You can see our meetup schedule here, or just keep an eye out for our next email.

If you haven’t yet downloaded ScribeWare, now is a great time to get started! You can download the software for free here.

Getting Started

We've put together some helpful guides for you to get setup with our product quickly and easily.

The Home Page and Creating a New Report

The Desktop

This is where you control your whole software system. The desktop will serve as your mothership, from billing information to customizing templates and narrative libraries, to sending out agreements.

Templates and libraries customized on the desktop can be used on the mobile device for use in the field.

The Mobile App

The mobile device works both online and offline. You can gather data and write a complete report, and it will synchronize automatically when you're online.

• Keyword searching

• Authoring new comments

• Saving Narratives and giving them blue labels

• Importing Narratives

• Favorites

• Most Common

• Text replacement

To use this feature, find the three dots at the upper right of any section. Hit the three does, to copy a section or chapter, rename a section or chapter, or hide a chapter or section. Note this will work even when offline.

This is a similar video but updated and shows also saving media from the ScribeWare app back onto your mobile device's gallery.

This is different than the editor on desktop. We built this to be a little less robust than the desktop photo editor. We figured that speed was the real priority for this. One thing this version does better than the desktop version is writing words directly onto photos. Have a look!

Please note that mobile publishing is only supported with a monthly or annual subscription and is not available on the à la carte subscription.

This feature is great for quickly building a list of summary items you wish to review with your client

This feature is great when you want to move quickly on-site and simply organize your photos into working categories that match your chapters.

It is super easy to add Photo Buckets into your template to quickly place CYA photos for your client. It is also super easy to hide CYA photos that are just meant to protect the home inspector and are not intended for the report. Hiding will NOT delete the photos; just get them out of your way for report writing. Have a look!

Inspector-Only Notes for Fast Comments and to Hide Critical Information

This is the Mullet Feature: Business in the front and party in the back.

Use this feature to build knowledge into your templates, such as codes or installation requirements that you just want for the inspector and not for the client or the finished report. This shows you how it works - the video below will show you how to build them into your template.

Building Inspector Only Notes In Your Template

This video shows how to build out a logic tree.

The videos here will focus on how these work and why we have them. To learn how to build gunnysacks, see The Belly of The Beast

Video #1 Shows a nice overview of a basic gunnysack style narrative and how it can be used to manage the workflow of old windows in an older building

Video #2 shows using a large gunnysack for a deck. This is a great example of improving workflow to handle multiple defects on the same system

Let's say you own a home inspection company as well as a different pest control company and sewer scope company. We can handle that for you!

Once you update your desktop, see if an update is available on mobile. Open the mobile app and go to the three dots at the top of the home screen, then settings, then check for updates.

In our default commercial template and interNACHI template, we use this feature to creat mobile friendly, fast templates. It is used in the Narrative report template to create separation, keeping background information separate from the report information in the Full Report. Have a look!

Controls here can help you determine

• Who can edit templates

• Who can edit library entries

• Who can see reports by other inspectors

Connecting Narratives to Descriptive Fields

Connecting Descriptive Narratives to Descriptive Fields

This is a great way to insert relevant CYA and background information to your report and report template for fast, automated workflow.

This video goes over three main concepts

1. Blank sections of chapters do not print in a finished report

2. You can copy chapters and sections and rename them as needed to fit a specific job

3. You can adjust your boilerplate on the fly to suit a specific job.

• Preview and Publish a Report

• Copy Report, which will copy all the data in a report to a new report

• Review Required Fields

Baisc Mobile App Navigation

This video shows how to grab narratives from a library category in another template.

This video shows editing and using a large gunnysack for decks

This video helps you understand the difference between library comments and the template.

This video helps you understand when to Save Template and when NOT to.

In this video, we show using the keyword linking to connect a descriptive narrative to a check box.

SYNC STATUS: This second video shows sync status. This is a great place to see if your media has left the mobile device and has synced with the cloud. If your media has not synced with the desktop, this is the FIRST place to check.

Submit Feedback on the Mobile Application

On the mobile application, simply pinch the screen and a submit feedback box will open.

Agreements can be emailed through ScribeWare directly to your clients and they can be executed by your clients online. They will be stored with your inspection report.

This video shows how to get your agreements set up in the Contract Editor

This next video shows how to merge media from your computer into ScribeWare. This is perfect for sewer scopes and drone media that are imported from a memory card.

This video shows several examples of how boilerplate can be adjusted and customized.

This video below expands on the one above and ALSO shows how you can use the library category feature to keep your links between data fields and library comments.

***🚩These are template changes, so be sure you are working in your temple and hit save template when done to keep these for the next time.

#1 Shows connecting a narrative to a check box using the Keyword Connection

#2 Shows linking a narrative to a check box using Suggested Observations.

The only difference between this version and the one above is that we are using the Suggested Observations method for linking.

#3. Linking a narrative to an inspector-only note so that the check box stays hidden but the narrative displays in the report.

Either the Keyword Connection or the Suggested Observation method will work with this method.

🗝️ In this instance, the check box will stay hidden in the finished report, but the narrative will display. This is a great way to build in quick shortcuts to commonly used narratives without cluttering your report with check boxes.

#4 Modifying a Narrative to Fit a Number of Different Check Box Deficiencies

Inspector only notes allow Scribers to have check boxes built into their template that do not show in the printed report. This creates super flexible templates where you can accomplish two primary goals.

1. Create short cuts to narratives that you use all the time. This is especially effective for dialing in ScribeWare for mobile.

2. Create notes for your inspectors that have codes and other background information you may not wish to display in the report but which will help you do your job more effectively.

Video #1 Shows Using Inspector Only Notes for Creating Quick Access To Your Narratives. This is Fantastical For Mobile.

Video #2 Shows Using Inspector Only Notes to Build Hidden Information Into Your Template to Help Your Inspectors

Overview

ScribeWare syncs your reports and media (photos, videos, documents) with the cloud so that all of your devices stay up to date. The sync settings let you control when and under what conditions that syncing happens — useful for managing cellular data usage and battery life.

All of these settings are found in the app under Settings > Data Syncing Rules.

The Sync Status Screen

The Sync Status screen gives you a real-time view of everything ScribeWare is currently transferring. You can reach it by tapping the sync activity icon in the app. It shows three sections:

• Devices — the devices connected to your account and their current upload/download speeds

• Uploading Files — files queued or actively uploading to the cloud, with a progress bar and estimated time remaining

• Downloads — files being downloaded from the cloud to your device, with progress and estimated time remaining

The Sync Now Button

Each device listed in the Devices section has a Sync Now button. Tapping it forces an immediate upload attempt for all files currently in the upload queue — bypassing the normal polling interval the app uses to check for work.

When is this useful?

ScribeWare automatically syncs in the background while open, but it checks for work on a regular timer. If you've just added photos or made changes and want them uploaded immediately without waiting for the next automatic check, tapping Sync Now kicks it off right away.

What it does and doesn't do:

• It triggers an immediate upload of any files waiting in the queue — it does not change or override your sync settings.

• If sync is currently blocked (e.g. you're on cellular with "Require WiFi for ALL syncing" enabled, or you have sync set to Never), tapping Sync Now will still not upload — the underlying restriction is still in place. The button will show a loading indicator while the sync attempt is in progress and automatically clears once complete.

• It only affects uploads (files going from your device to the cloud). Downloads happen separately and are not triggered by this button.

Report Display Range

Setting: How many days of reports do you want to see when you first open the app?

This controls how many days worth of reports ScribeWare loads on the home screen each time the app opens. For example, if set to 3 (the default), the app shows reports scheduled within 3 days before and after today's date.

Effect on behavior:

• Loading reports: A larger number means more reports are fetched on startup, which takes longer. If your home screen feels slow to load, try reducing this number. If you frequently work on older or future-dated reports, increase it.

• Publishing & syncing: No effect. This setting only controls which reports are displayed on the home screen, not how they sync.

Data Syncing Rules

Keep Device Awake Until Sync Is Complete

Setting: Keep phone/tablet awake until sync is complete

When checked, ScribeWare will prevent your device screen from turning off while it's the active foreground app and still has media (photos, videos, documents) waiting to upload to the cloud.

Effect on behavior:

• Uploading media: Keeps the upload running at full speed by preventing the device from sleeping mid-transfer.

• Battery: Uses more battery since the screen stays on. When you need to conserve battery, leave this unchecked — uploads will still complete whenever the app is open, just potentially more slowly.

• Override: Manually turning off your screen or switching to another app will override this setting regardless.

Always Show Image Sync Status

Setting: Always show image sync status

When checked, every photo and video in a report will display a small icon indicating whether it has been synced to the cloud or is still waiting to upload.

Effect on behavior:

• Loading reports / viewing media: Purely visual — adds sync status indicators to all images so you can quickly see which ones haven't uploaded yet.

• No effect on how or when syncing actually happens.

Sync Rules by Report Type

ScribeWare has separate sync rules for Single-Inspector reports (reports with only one inspector) and Multi-Inspector reports (reports where multiple inspectors are collaborating). This lets you set stricter data-saving rules for solo reports while keeping multi-inspector reports syncing more aggressively (since other inspectors may be waiting for your changes).

Each report type has the same set of options, described below.

Sync Override: Always / Sometimes / Never

Setting: [Single/Multi]-Inspector reports should sync with the cloud... Options: Always | Sometimes | Never

This is the top-level switch for whether a report type syncs at all.

Effect on behavior:

• Always: Reports, media, and all data sync as soon as an internet connection is available, regardless of WiFi or battery status.

• Sometimes: The WiFi and power checkboxes below become active and determine when sync is allowed.

• Never: ScribeWare will not upload new photos/changes or download updates from other inspectors for this report type. Use this if you want full manual control or need to conserve data.

Important for Multi-Inspector reports: If set to Never, you will not receive updates from other inspectors working on the same report, and they will not receive yours, until you change this setting back.

Require WiFi for Media Syncing

Setting: Require WiFi for media syncing

When checked, photos, videos, and documents will only upload/download over a WiFi connection. Report data (text, annotations, report structure) can still sync over cellular data.

Effect on behavior:

• Loading reports: Photos and videos from other inspectors will not download over cellular — you may see placeholder icons until you connect to WiFi.

• Publishing: You can still publish a report over cellular, but if photos haven't been uploaded yet, the publish may be incomplete or fail.

• Uploading media: New photos you take will queue up and wait until a WiFi connection is available before uploading.

Require WiFi for ALL Syncing

Setting: Require WiFi for ALL syncing

When checked, nothing syncs over cellular — neither media nor report data.

Effect on behavior:

• Loading reports: No new reports or updates from other inspectors will appear until you're on WiFi.

• Publishing: Publishing is blocked on cellular. You will see an error message if you attempt to publish without WiFi.

• Uploading media: All uploads are paused until WiFi is available.

Note: Checking Require WiFi for ALL Syncing automatically includes media, so the "Require WiFi for media syncing" option is greyed out — it's already covered.

Require Plug-in Power for Media Syncing

Setting: Require plug-in power for media syncing (conserves battery)

When checked, photos, videos, and documents will only upload while your device is plugged in and charging. Report data (text, annotations) can still sync on battery.

Effect on behavior:

• Loading reports: Photos from other inspectors will not download unless plugged in.

• Publishing: You can publish a report on battery, but media must already be uploaded (or you must be charging) for a complete publish.

• Uploading media: New photos queue up and wait until you plug in your device.

How Settings Combine

The WiFi and power settings work together. For example, if you enable both Require WiFi for media syncing and Require plug-in power for media syncing, media will only upload when you're both on WiFi and charging.

The Always / Sometimes / Never override takes priority over everything else:

• Always overrides all WiFi and power requirements — syncing happens regardless.

• Never overrides all WiFi and power requirements — syncing is completely paused.

• Sometimes means the WiFi and power checkboxes are what determine whether sync happens.

Quick Reference