Fields & Sections

Fields are the building blocks of every template. Pasco Cloud provides 14 field types covering everything from simple text inputs to GPS coordinates and signature capture — giving you the flexibility to digitise any paper form your team currently uses.

Field Types

Short Text

A single-line text input for brief responses — names, reference numbers, short descriptions. Use this for any field where a sentence or two is enough.

Long Text

A multi-line text area for longer responses — detailed observations, instructions, additional comments. The input expands to accommodate the response.

Number

A numeric input with optional minimum and maximum values. Use for quantities, measurements, counts, and any field where the response should be a number.

Multiple Choice

A selection field with configurable options. Can display as a dropdown or radio buttons. Includes built-in presets for common choices:

• Yes / No / N/A — the most common inspection response
• Good / Fair / Poor — condition assessment
• Pass / Fail / N/A — compliance checking

You can also create custom option sets for any selection you need.

Flagged Responses

Any option in a multiple choice field can be marked as flagged. When a user selects a flagged response (e.g. "Fail"), it can automatically trigger issue creation — turning an inspection finding into a tracked defect without any extra steps.

ℹ️ Did you know?

Flagged responses are a powerful way to connect inspections with issue tracking. When an inspector selects "Fail" on a flagged field, the platform can create an issue automatically — ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Learn more in Issues Overview.

Checkbox

A simple yes/no toggle. Use for acknowledgements, confirmations, and binary choices where a full multiple choice field is unnecessary.

Date/Time

A date and time picker with three modes:

• Date only — select a calendar date
• Time only — select a time
• Date and time — select both

Use for inspection dates, scheduled times, deadlines, and timestamps.

Person

A name entry field for recording who was present or responsible. Use for inspector names, witness names, responsible parties, and anyone who should be recorded on the report.

Site

A site or location name entry. Use for recording the site name, building name, floor, room, or any location identifier relevant to the inspection.

Document Number

A reference number entry field. Use for linking to external documents — purchase order numbers, drawing references, permit numbers, and other document identifiers.

Instruction

A read-only text block shown to the user but not captured as a response. Use for displaying guidance, safety reminders, step-by-step instructions, or any information the person filling in the report needs to see.

Media

A photo upload field with optional image annotation. On the web app, photos can be annotated using the built-in image editor (Pintura) to add arrows, text, highlights, and markups. On mobile, the pro image editor provides the same capabilities.

Use for site photos, defect documentation, progress photos, and any visual evidence that supports the inspection.

Signature

A freehand signature capture field. The person filling in the report draws their signature directly on screen (touch or mouse). Signatures are saved as images and embedded in the PDF report.

Use for sign-off fields, witnessed-by confirmations, and any point where a signature is required.

Location/GPS

A GPS coordinate capture field with map preview. On mobile, the device's GPS sensor captures the exact location. On the web, you can enter coordinates manually or use the map picker.

Use for recording where an inspection was conducted, marking defect locations, and any field where geographic context matters.

Slider

A numeric range slider for rating scales and assessments. Configure the minimum and maximum values to create scales like 1–5 or 0–100.

Field Configuration

Every field has a set of configuration options available in the builder's right panel:

Required / Optional

Mark a field as required to ensure it must be filled in before the report can be submitted. Optional fields can be left blank.

Help Text

Add explanatory text below the field label to guide the person filling in the report. Use help text for instructions, examples, or clarification about what information is expected.

Conditional Logic

Show, hide, or require a field based on the value of another field. This lets you create smart forms that adapt based on responses:

• Show if — only display this field when a condition is met
• Hide if — hide this field when a condition is met
• Require if — make this field required when a condition is met

Available operators: equals, not equals, contains, greater than, less than, is empty, is not empty.

💡 Tip

Use conditional logic to keep forms focused. For example, only show a "Describe the defect" long text field when the inspector selects "Fail" on the status field. This keeps the form clean for passing items while capturing detail where it matters.

Field Images

Attach reference images to a field to provide visual context. For example, attach a diagram showing where to take a measurement, or a photo of what a correctly installed component should look like.

Section Types

Sections are containers that hold fields. Each section uses one of three layouts:

Form Layout

The standard layout. Fields stack vertically with their labels, and each field takes the full width of the section. Use this for most form content.

Supports all field types.

Table Layout

Fields become columns in a table. Rows are repeatable — the person filling in the report can add as many rows as they need. This is ideal for:

• Hazard registers (item, risk, control, status)
• Inspection checklists (item, condition, action required)
• Material lists (description, quantity, unit)
• Defect logs (location, description, severity, photo)

Supports 8 field types: short text, long text, number, multiple choice, checkbox, date/time, person, and media.

⚠️ Watch out!

Table sections support a subset of field types — specifically, field types that work well in a compact column format. Signature, GPS, slider, instruction, site, and document number fields are not available in table sections. Use a form section for those field types.

Letter Layout

A prose-based layout where field placeholders are embedded inline within text. The builder lets you write paragraphs of text and insert field tokens that will be replaced with actual values when the report is filled in.

This layout is designed for contractual correspondence — progress claims, variations, extensions of time, superintendent's instructions, and other documents that need structured data within a formal letter format.

Structuring Your Template

A well-structured template is easier to fill in and produces a cleaner PDF. Here are some guidelines:

• Use pages to separate major sections — "Site Details" on page 1, "Inspection Items" on page 2, "Sign-off" on page 3
• Group related fields in sections — keep contact details together, inspection items together, and sign-off fields together
• Use table sections for repeating data — if the same set of fields repeats for multiple items, a table section is cleaner than multiple form sections
• Add instructions — use instruction fields to guide your team through the form
• Keep it focused — only include fields that provide value. A shorter, focused form gets completed more consistently than a lengthy one.

What's Next?

• Learn how sharing and visibility controls who can access your templates
• Follow the tutorial to build your first template and put these concepts into practice
• Explore how completed reports handle files, signatures, and images