How uploading reports affects work order status

This article explains how adding and completing reports on a work order can change the order’s status and trigger automated actions (such as “report ready” emails or integrations).

What “complete” means for a work order

When we say a work order is complete in this context, we mean that at least one report has been completed (not just added). The system then marks the order as published and may run any actions you’ve set up to run when the first report is completed (for example, “send email when first report is completed”).

The system does not check whether the inspection has already happened or the inspection date. It only looks at whether a report has been marked completed. So if a report is marked completed before the inspection, the order can still be treated as complete and those actions can still run.

Adding a report (upload or link) does not change status by itself

When you add a report to a work order—for example by uploading a file or adding a link in a required report block—the report is created in a pending state.

• The work order does not move to “complete” just because you added a report.

• Actions that are set to run at first report completion do not run when you only add a report.

So uploading a file or saving a link into a required report slot, by itself, does not change the order’s completion status or trigger those automations.

When the work order does move to complete

The order is treated as complete (and “first report completed” actions can run) when any report on that order is completed. That can happen when:

1. Someone marks a report as completed in the work order (for example, using the option to mark the report complete in the reports section), or

2. A Spectora report is added and it is already published in Spectora, so the system creates it as completed.

As soon as the first report on that order becomes completed:

• The system will (after a short delay—see below) set the work order to published.

• Any action flows set to run at first report completion will run (e.g. “report ready” email to the client or agent, or integration updates).

If you mark a report as completed before the inspection (for example, a pre-inspection document like a bill tax report), the same logic applies: the order will be marked complete and “first report completed” actions will run. There is no check that the inspection has already occurred.

Delay before actions run

After a report is marked completed (or added as already published), the system waits a short time (about 10 minutes) before it runs the “first report completed” check and triggers the related actions. This allows multiple report updates to be processed together and helps avoid duplicate or premature notifications.

First report vs additional reports

• The first time any report on a work order is completed, the system treats that as first report completed. It sets the order to published and runs any actions tied to “first report completion.”

• When additional reports are completed later, the system runs actions tied to additional report completed (if you have any). It does not treat the order as “first report completed” again.

So only the first completion on that order triggers the “first report completed” behavior.

Practical tips

• Pre-inspection documents (e.g. bill tax): If you add a report to a required report block before the inspection and do not want the order to be marked complete or “report ready” emails/integrations to run yet, leave that report in pending. Do not mark it as completed until you actually want the order to be treated as complete (for example, after the main inspection report is done).

• When you do want “report ready” to go out: Mark the appropriate report as completed (or add the published Spectora report) when the report is actually ready for the client. After the delay, the order will be set to published and your “first report completed” actions will run.

• Multiple reports: The first completed report triggers “first report completed.” Any further reports you complete trigger “additional report completed” actions only, not “first report completed” again.