> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/customers-and-work/customers/import-records-from-inspection-reports.md).

# Import records from inspection reports

Use inspection reports or work-request documents to add or enrich customer records without creating jobs or visits. A file containing several sites or events is separated for extraction and combined into one review. Essential prepares customers, properties, contacts, equipment, recurring-service dates, and service completions for you to review first.

> **Where to find it:** Open Essential Assistant (EA) from any authenticated page and add the reports to your conversation.

## Add the reports

1. Add one report or thousands. You can add everything at once or add smaller groups across multiple messages; EA keeps them together in one open intake batch.
2. Each file starts uploading as soon as you add it. The batch shows aggregate progress while Essential uploads and registers every file. Exact duplicate files are kept once, and the file count reflects that after upload.
3. If files fail, select **Retry failed** to try them again or **Remove failed files** to continue with the successfully uploaded files. These controls remain available before processing starts, including on a held batch. Essential never silently leaves a failed file out.
4. Tell EA what you want in natural language, such as “Import these reports as customer records.” You can include any instructions EA should use when interpreting them.
5. When you submit the instruction, the full selected batch is fixed. Processing waits until every selected file is uploaded and registered. If a file still fails, retry it or explicitly remove it; the batch does not start with only a partial set.
6. While EA starts the intake, its reply bubble shows a percentage ring. After intake starts, the persistent batch card shows processing progress. You can stop the reply without stopping File Intake; EA still posts the review link when the background work finishes.
7. Wait while Essential reads the reports and maps their equipment to your configured asset types and attributes. When processing finishes, EA adds a link to the existing records review.

Your unsent batch is restored when you reopen the conversation, even before you have sent a message. If the file list cannot load, select **Retry loading files**; **Cancel** remains available for an unsent collecting batch. Expand **View files** to review the filenames and remove any file before processing starts. After a refresh, your browser may no longer have the original files needed to retry an interrupted upload. Remove those files from the list and add them again when ready.

Supported report files include PDFs; PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP, HEIC/HEIF, and TIFF images; TXT, Markdown, HTML, and XML text; and DOC, DOCX, PPT, and PPTX Office documents. Each file must be 350 MB or smaller and should stand on its own as one report or work-order-like document.

If a batch includes structured data such as CSV, TSV, JSON, XLS, XLSX, MDB, or ACCDB—or any unsupported file—the entire batch requires the heavy data path. EA tells you to contact Essential support instead of processing only the document files. Customer lists, accounting exports, joined spreadsheets, and other cross-file data work use that support path.

An attachment does not start onboarding by itself. If your message is a question or is unrelated to importing data, EA answers it normally and leaves the files available. You can clarify in a later message that the earlier attachment should be onboarded; EA reuses the already uploaded file and does not ask you to upload it again.

Deficiency sections and deficiency lists are ignored. This workflow does not create jobs, visits, or scheduled-work records.

## Review the records

The review separates customers, properties, contacts, asset groups, and assets so you can correct extracted values before saving. When editing a **Property** assignment, type in **Search properties** to narrow the available sites by name, then select the property. Check each contact’s linked properties; an existing contact can be reused at another site belonging to the same customer. If you exclude a property but want to keep its contact, reselect the contact row to retain it as a customer contact.

If a report cannot be processed, the review names it as failed instead of presenting empty records from that report. Check any failed reports before confirming the import.

* **New** records will be created.
* **Matched** (customers and properties) means Essential found one confident existing match; **Suggested** means one or more possible matches to choose from. Confirm a match or explicitly keep the row as new — a confirmed row then shows **Confirmed**. Contacts and asset groups that are already on file show **Existing** instead.
* **Matched · enrich** (assets) means the record already exists but has blank fields the report can fill; **Matched · complete** means the report's information is already present, so re-adding the same report is safe.
* **Needs attention** identifies a report value that disagrees with a non-empty database value or a report cadence that disagrees with the recurring-service cadence.
* **Blocked** means a report scoped to one customer appears to name a property owned by another customer. Exclude the row or explicitly keep it as new; Essential will not move it to the selected customer.

Use the existing-record selector to confirm a suggestion, change a matched customer or property, or revert a row to new. When you confirm or change a customer, Essential refreshes the records beneath it. Properties with one exact full-name or address match for that customer are matched automatically, while a matching property owned by another customer is blocked for review. Keeping the customer as new leaves existing-property suggestions available for confirmation. Editing extracted names and addresses alone does not refresh matching.

When an asset value disagrees, Essential keeps the existing database value unless you edit the cell. A report value automatically fills an empty database field without creating a conflict.

Each service keeps its own evidenced completion date. An annual report can include separate annual-inspection, internal-exam, and hydrostatic-test dates, including different dates for individual assets. Review and correct these in the named **last service** columns. The **Report date** is source context; it does not fill missing service dates. Manufacture dates and next-due dates do not become service completions. When several reports contain history for one asset, Essential keeps the latest evidenced date separately for each service.

The recurring-service template determines cadence. A report's Monthly or Annual selection never changes an existing recurring service. Only an evidenced completed-service date advances the recurring service, and only when it is newer than the saved date. An ETA, due date, or requested appointment does not record completed service. Quantity summaries and blank inspection rows do not create individual assets.

Opening and editing the review does not write customer data. Select **Add records** only after the review is correct; that confirmation is when Essential creates or updates records. If every report is already represented, Essential makes no changes.

For a long review, select the floating **Save draft** button whenever you want a checkpoint. This saves your current review edits without creating or updating customer records. The saved draft is restored when you reopen or refresh the review. **Add records** remains the separate final confirmation that applies the reviewed changes.

Properties that require no changes still show as **Matched** (or **Confirmed**, once you confirm them), and assets that require no changes show **Matched · complete**; both remain visible in their review sheets.

## If the review cannot be prepared

EA reports **Import not completed** rather than saying the records are ready. Your uploaded files and extracted results remain saved. Use the review link in the error message to try opening the review again. When it opens successfully, EA updates the import to ready without reading your files again. No customer records are created until you confirm the review.

## Review custom fields

Your business’s configured custom fields appear on the sheet for their record type. Asset-group fields apply only to their configured equipment types. Required fields have a red asterisk; correct the marked cells before confirming. Choices come from the field’s configured options.

Existing values remain in place until you edit them. Select **View source facts** to inspect printed facts, including values that differ from an existing record or do not have a configured destination. A purchase-order reference becomes writable only when your business has an applicable custom field for it. Importing never creates field definitions or choices.

Keep store and building identifiers in the full property name, such as **Cabelas #0507**. Equipment headings remain source evidence; they are not a separate editable group name.

If a field no longer applies to a row, open **View source facts** and select **Keep as evidence**. This preserves the value in the draft and removes its assignment from that row.

Custom-field edits are included in saved drafts and support undo and redo. If a field’s configuration or an existing value changes while you review, reload and check the affected field before confirming again. An error prevents the import from partially applying.

## If an import is too large

If Essential cannot finish checking an import or says it is too large to review, split the files into smaller imports and try again. No customer records or jobs are created by that failed check.

If checking a later edit fails, your previous review remains available. Retry the changes before confirming the import.

## Related guides

* [What the customer page shows](/customers-and-work/customers/what-the-customer-page-shows.md)
* [See a property's equipment and asset groups](/customers-and-work/properties/see-a-propertys-equipment-and-asset-groups.md)
* [Set up recurring services on an asset group](/field-operations/assets/set-up-recurring-services-on-an-asset-group.md)


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