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Add Items to a Checklist

Once you've created the checklist template, open it to add the actual tasks the technician will record on site. Each item belongs to one checklist and captures one piece of evidence — a checkbox, a reading, a free-text note, or a photo.

This page covers adding, editing, reordering, and deleting items. None of this affects work orders that already have the checklist attached — those keep their original snapshot.

Before you start​

  • The checklist exists. If not, create it first.
  • You have the checklists.edit permission.

Add an item​

  1. Open the checklist

    Select Checklists in the top navigation, then select the row you want to edit.

  2. Open the new-item form

    Select the green Add Item button on the Checklist Items card.

  3. Name the task

    • Item Name — what the technician should do, in imperative form. Keep it short enough to scan: Check refrigerant pressure (high side), not The technician should now use a manifold gauge to check the high-side refrigerant pressure.

  4. (Optional) Add a description

    • Description — extra context, acceptable ranges, safety warnings. Up to 5000 characters. Appears under the item name on the work order.

  5. Pick the result type

    • Result Type — what evidence the technician records when they tap Complete.

      Result TypeWhat the technician seesUse when
      NoneJust a Complete button.Simple "did you do it?" steps with no measurement.
      Pass / FailTwo buttons: Pass and Fail.Visual inspections, leak tests, anything binary.
      TextFree-text box.Notes, serial numbers, model numbers, observations.
      NumericNumber input.Pressures, temperatures, voltages, runtimes.
      PhotoA Mark Complete button. If the item is also Required Item, server-side validation rejects completion until at least one photo is attached. Optional photo items can be completed with no photo.Before/after shots, evidence of damage, nameplate captures.

  6. Set the order

    • Sort Order — lower numbers appear first. Defaults to a value that puts the new item at the bottom of the list. You can also reorder later by editing the number on each item.

  7. Mark it required (or not)

    • Required Item — required items hard-block the work order from being completed or sent for approval until they're done. Optional items can be skipped. Users with checklists.bypass_required_items can override the block; the override is logged.

  8. (Optional, compliance only) Mark it as a strict refrigerant obligation

    • Strict refrigerant (EPA) obligation — this checkbox only appears when the Compliance feature is enabled in Settings. Tick it for items that capture an EPA Section 608 obligation (leak inspection, repair verification, etc.). To complete the item, the tech must add a refrigerant charge line on the same work order linked to this checklist row, or a user with checklists.override_strict_refrigerant_checklist must apply a compliance override. See Checklist gating in the EPA flow for the full rules.

  9. (Optional) Set a minimum frequency

    • Max Frequency (days) — the minimum number of days that must pass before this item can be re-completed on a different work order for the same unit. Allowed range: 1–3650. Useful for items like Annual coil clean (set to 300 so it can't be marked done twice in a year). Leave blank for no limit.

  10. (Optional) Link to external docs

    • Help Documentation URL — link to a section of the OEM manual or a how-to video for this specific step. Appears next to the item.

  11. Save

    Select the green Add Item button at the bottom of the modal.

The item is added to the list. Add the rest of the items the same way.

Edit an item​

  1. On the checklist's detail page, select the pencil icon next to the item.
  2. Change the fields you need to change.
  3. Select the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the modal.

Edits don't propagate to work orders that already have this checklist attached — those use the snapshot taken at attach time.

Reorder items​

Items render in ascending Sort Order. To move one, edit the item and change its Sort Order number — lower numbers appear first.

A common pattern is to space starting values out (10, 20, 30, 40…) so that inserting an item between two existing ones is just a matter of picking a number in between (15, 25). The new order is reflected the next time the checklist is attached to a work order. Existing work orders keep their original snapshot.

Delete an item​

  1. Select the trash icon next to the item.
  2. Confirm the prompt.

The item is removed from the template. Existing work orders are unaffected.

What happens next​

  • Once the checklist has at least one active item and is assigned to a device model or unit, it'll start auto-attaching to new work orders that match the type.
  • Office staff can also attach it manually to any work order.

Troubleshooting​

Required items still aren't blocking work order completion.

Three things to check:

  • The item's Required Item box is checked.
  • The work order is being completed by a user who doesn't have the checklists.bypass_required_items permission. Admins can bypass.
  • The work order has the latest snapshot. If the checklist was attached before you marked the item required, detach and re-attach the checklist on that work order.
A photo-required item shows Complete but won't actually mark complete.

The technician needs to upload at least one photo first. Tapping Complete on a required photo item with no photos posts the form and the page reloads with "This item requires at least one photo before completion." Have them tap the camera button on that row, take or upload a photo, then tap Complete again.

A frequency-restricted item shows a warning but can't be completed.

By design — the item was completed on another work order for the same unit fewer than its Max Frequency (days) ago. The warning shows when it was last done. If you genuinely need to override, only users with checklists.override_frequency see an enabled Complete button.