> 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/field-operations/inspection-reports/download-or-email-an-inspection-report.md).

# Download or email an inspection report

**Download PDF** creates a PDF from the report's saved content. On a draft, Essential always opens a confirmation explaining that the draft may have missing fields, still allows the download, and saves unsaved form edits first. A pending asset reorder must be saved separately before downloading. On a long draft the download continues in the background behind a **Generating PDF** window — you can close it and keep editing while it works (see [While your report's PDF is generating](/field-operations/inspection-reports/while-your-report-pdf-is-generating.md)).

On a submitted report, Download PDF is disabled while the page has unsaved edits or a pending reorder. Publish those changes first. Each submitted-report download then re-renders the stored PDF from the report's current saved content, so the downloaded file matches the saved report.

Essential has two separate ways to share a submitted inspection report:

* **Send Report** emails that inspection report directly. Open a submitted report and choose **Send Report** from the "..." menu. If the report belongs to a Job, you can also use its Job task's Inspection Reports section. Select an existing contact, add a contact, or enter an email address. This path re-renders the PDF first and does not republish the inspection report.
* **Send Job Summary** publishes a no-login recap link that can include every submitted inspection report from the selected visits with visit details, deficiencies, photos, the work acknowledgment, and other job information. This path uses the report PDF artifacts that are already stored; it does not refresh those PDFs before sending. If a saved report changed since its PDF was generated, download that submitted report before opening and sending the Job Summary.

Sharing actions appear only on a submitted report with no unsaved page changes. The two actions are enabled separately. **Send Report** and the **Publish and Email Inspection Report** step require inspection-report write access and **Email inspection reports** to be on in Settings -> Work Management -> Tasks -> Task Documents. **Send Job Summary** requires inspection-report write access and **Enable Job Summaries** to be on in Settings -> Customer Experience -> Job Summaries. Turning on one does not turn on the other. If an action is missing, publish or discard pending changes first, then ask an administrator to review your access and enabled features.

You can also email the report while publishing it through the **Publish and Email Inspection Report** step. Choose recipients and **Publish and send**, or choose **Publish without emailing** to finish the report without sending it.

> **Where to find it:** On an open submitted report, use "..." -> Send Report; if it belongs to a Job and Job Summaries are enabled, the same menu also offers Send Job Summary. You can also use the Job task: Inspection Reports -> report menu -> Send Report, or Quick Actions -> Send Job Summary.

## Related guides

* [What the inspection report page shows](/field-operations/inspection-reports/what-the-inspection-report-page-shows.md)
* [While your report's PDF is generating](/field-operations/inspection-reports/while-your-report-pdf-is-generating.md)
* [Send a Job Summary](/customers-and-work/jobs/send-a-job-summary.md)
* [Task Documents: send and attach supporting documents](/administration/settings/task-documents-send-and-attach-supporting-documents.md)
* [Set up Job Summaries](/administration/settings/set-up-job-summaries.md)
* [Answer a question on many inspection assets at once](/field-operations/inspection-reports/answer-a-question-on-many-inspection-assets-at-once.md)
* [Feature availability and setup](/getting-started/getting-started/feature-availability-and-setup.md)


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