> 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/save-a-draft-and-publish-an-inspection-report.md). # Save a draft and publish an inspection report An inspection report is a Draft while you fill it out. Save Draft saves your answers without finishing it (enabled once you have unsaved changes). When it's ready, Publish finalizes it - shown as Save and Publish when you have unsaved changes to save first. If you try to leave after editing, Essential asks whether you want to discard your unsaved changes. Opening a report and leaving without making any edits does not show this warning. While you edit in the web app, Essential also keeps a backup of your unsaved changes in your browser. If the connection drops, the tab crashes, or you close the page before you click Save Draft, open the report again in the same browser and Essential asks **Restore unsaved changes?** with the time of the backup. **Restore changes** puts those edits back into the report as unsaved changes, so review them and click Save Draft; **Discard backup** throws them away. The prompt appears only when the backup is newer than what is saved on the report, and the backup is removed as soon as a save succeeds. It is specific to the browser and sign-in that made the edits, so it cannot recover edits made on another computer or in the mobile app. The browser backup is updated after you pause editing for about a second. If Essential says it could not update your report, contact support for assistance. A failed backup does not discard backups of your other reports. Essential may calculate service-related values automatically when a submitted report opens. This does not count as your edit and does not show a discard warning. When those calculated values make the on-screen report newer than its published data, **Publish** becomes available and **Download PDF** stays unavailable until you publish, so a newly generated PDF cannot disagree with the preview. Publishing moves the report to Submitted: it records the deficiencies (they become follow-up items) and the service completions (which reset the recurring-service schedule), and generates the PDF; it needs the required fields filled in and the asset group active. In the web app, if an older submitted report has required answers missing, you can still correct or update it and publish again. Existing gaps may remain or be filled, but Save and Publish stays disabled if the edit introduces any newly missing required answer. The mobile app retains its complete-report requirement. Publishing itself finishes right away. On a long report the PDF keeps generating for a little while afterwards and Essential shows you its progress - see [While your report's PDF is generating](/field-operations/inspection-reports/while-your-report-pdf-is-generating.md). If your role has inspection-report write access and **Email inspection reports** is on in Settings -> Work Management -> Tasks -> Task Documents, publishing opens a **Publish and Email Inspection Report** step. You can email the report as you publish it with **Publish and send**, or finish without emailing with **Publish without emailing**. The same setting controls **Send Report** after the PDF is generated, and is separate from Job Summaries. If the email step is missing but you need it, ask your administrator to check both your role and that setting. A report you don't want can be removed with Delete: type **DELETE** in the confirmation window to enable the final Delete button. Draft deletion requires inspection-report write access. Submitted deletion is available only in the web app to roles with **Delete Submitted Inspection Report** permission and has important limits; see [Delete an inspection report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/delete-an-inspection-report.md). > **Where to find it:** On the open report, the action bar: Save Draft, then Publish (shown as Save and Publish when there are unsaved changes); Delete removes a draft or, with separate permission, a submitted report ## 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) * [Download or email an inspection report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/download-or-email-an-inspection-report.md) * [Delete an inspection report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/delete-an-inspection-report.md) * [Working with the assets on an inspection report (bulk pass, skip, delete)](/field-operations/inspection-reports/working-with-the-assets-on-an-inspection-report-bulk-pass-skip-delete.md) * [Answer a question on many inspection assets at once](/field-operations/inspection-reports/answer-a-question-on-many-inspection-assets-at-once.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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