> 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/mobile/open-a-visit.md).

# Open a visit in the mobile app

Open a visit to see everything a technician needs on site: scheduled time, customer, property, address, work orders, technician instructions, contacts, property phone number, asset groups, files, property notes, access info, and previous jobs or visits. If the office set an arrival window, the visit leads with the neutral-clock **Arrive between** range and shows the visit's estimated on-site duration below it, labeled **Estimated time for visit** (for example, **2 hours**); exact arrival-window visits do not use the red target or red start-time styling. If the window ends before you clock in, the arrival line turns red and says **Missed** until you arrive.

![Visit details leading with the arrival window](https://3838208579-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Flu1pgNH0CrkCPslG8suQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fb11543a112cf9b167f64e767de8207091577297%2Fmobile-visit-detail-arrival-window.png?alt=media)

## Actions at the top

The top of the visit includes actions for Add Summary or Edit Summary, Create Work Acknowledgment or View Work Acknowledgment, Start Inspection, On My Way, Clock In, and Clock Out — each depends on a mix of your role's permissions and the visit's own state. Add Summary or Edit Summary needs either a clock-in on this visit or an already-existing summary task, not a separate permission by itself. The Work Acknowledgment and inspection actions appear only together with that summary action, so under the same condition; the Work Acknowledgment action also needs Work Acknowledgments turned on for your business, and no separate permission gates it.

If an action is missing but you need it for field work, contact your business's administrator to review your mobile role and permissions.

Clocking in logs the time that you began the visit and unlocks field actions such as Start Inspection. Asset Groups can be opened from the visit if you need to view or update the property's assets — tap a group to see its Assets — though most technicians will update assets through the inspection report flow.

## Property and contact details

Use the map icon to open directions. Tap phone numbers to call. If the visit has multiple contacts, open the contacts row to review the full list.

When an administrator enables **Add and edit contacts** under Settings > Team > Technician App > General, open **Contacts** to see every contact for the customer. You can create a customer contact or edit any contact's details, customer-level roles, and roles for the current property. This does not add or remove contacts on the visit. Without this opt-in setting, the existing visit contacts remain read-only.

When creating a contact, a single-line orange warning stays above the form if a customer contact has a matching name and email or phone. Tap **View** to expand the reasons, then **View existing contact** to inspect a match. **Back to draft** returns with your entries preserved. The **X** hides the warning; **Show checks** restores it. Changing the identity fields or the matching contact's details can show a new finding.

The warning is informational: **Create contact** always saves the contact, whether or not you reviewed it. If checking is unavailable, the notice says so; expand it to retry.

Creating a visit contact requires a connection. If the save cannot reach Essential, your draft stays open so you can try again once you are back online.

Property details, notes, and access info are shared with the back office. Edits made from mobile update the same property record the office sees.

Customer, property, asset group, and job custom fields appear when an administrator sets their visibility to **Back office + technicians**. Job fields are grouped under **Job Details**. Fields with **Allow techs to edit** show an edit icon; changes update the same record the back office sees and can be saved while working offline.

## Parts, Labor & Items

When the office plans items for the job, a **Parts, Labor & Items** card appears below the visit details with the count and each item's planned quantity and name. The same job-wide list appears on every visit, including multi-day work, whether Inventory is on or off. Long lists show the first five rows with **Show all**. Rows added from a quote are tagged **Auto-added**. On the My Visits list, visits with items show the count on the card.

Linked signed quotes also have a separate **Approved scope** reference with the quote number, signed date, work description, and item descriptions and quantities. Each quote keeps its own scope, even if the office edits or clears the planned list. Neither the plan nor approved scope shows pricing.

Planned quantities are not completed or billed quantities. In the Summary step, review the actual job totals and increase them for additional work or parts used. New planned suggestions start at 0 used; quantities already recorded across the job are preserved. With Inventory enabled, recording additional usage of tracked parts deducts stock and consumes the job's reservation.

## Equipment

If your business uses Equipment, an **Equipment** card below **Parts, Labor & Items** lists the shared gear the office added to this visit, such as lifts, ladders, or access keys, with how many of each the visit needs. It appears only when the visit needs equipment. The card is for reference: equipment has no prices, and you don't record using it.

If the app has an older copy of the visit saved from before it carried equipment, the card says **Equipment for this visit couldn't be loaded** instead of hiding it. Pull down to refresh while online to load it.

To check equipment off as you load up for the day, use the **Physical Items** checklist in the **Day** list, which lists equipment under its own heading. See [See your visits in the mobile app](/field-operations/mobile/see-your-visits.md#equipment).

## Files and history

Property files remain with the property across jobs. Job files are only for the current job. The Previous Jobs and Visits section, at the bottom of the visit, lists this job's other visits and the property's other jobs that have recorded visit activity, such as an **On My Way** tap or a clock-in. Tap one to review visit notes, clocked times, job files, services completed, and which technicians performed the work. A past inspection report you have access to appears as a PDF among that job's files.

## Other techs here today

If another crew is scheduled at the same property today, the visit shows an Other techs here today card. Expand it to see their work type, status, and timing.

> **Where to find it:** Mobile app > Visits > tap a visit card

If your role can edit inspection reports but cannot create them, the visit action is labeled **Inspection Reports**. Use it to open reports prepared by the office. You can complete those reports without permission to start a new one.

## Related guides

* [Use On My Way, Clock In, and Clock Out](/field-operations/mobile/on-my-way-clock-in-clock-out.md)
* [Add files, notes, and access info on mobile](/field-operations/mobile/add-files-notes-and-access-info.md)
* [See your visits in the mobile app](/field-operations/mobile/see-your-visits.md)


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