Creating Templates Manually

Starting a New Template

To create a new inspection template from scratch:

1. Navigate to Templates from the main menu.
2. Click the Create Template button and select Blank Template.
3. You will enter the interactive Template Builder editor.

Basic Template Header & Details

At the top of the editor, configure your template's primary details:

1. Template Title: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Daily Forklift Pre-Shift Inspection").
2. Description & Instructions: Provide guidance, policy notes, or instructions for inspectors.
3. Cover Image: (Optional) Upload an image or company logo to represent the template.

Default Overview Questions

When starting a new blank template, Algus automatically populates Page 1 with standard overview fields:

• Document Number: Auto-generated tracking number for completed reports.
• Site: Select the location where the inspection is taking place.
• User (Inspector): Automatically records the logged-in inspector.
• Inspection Location: Specific area, room, or sub-location within the site.
• Inspection Date & Time: Timestamp of when the inspection was conducted.

Organizing Pages & Sections

Templates are structured into Pages (tabs) and Sections (grouped question sets) to keep large inspection forms organized:

• Adding Pages: Click + Add Page to create separate tabs for different inspection phases or areas.
• Adding Sections: Click + Add Section within a page to group related questions together (e.g., "Engine Checks", "Tire Inspection").
• Drag-and-Drop Reordering: Rearrange pages, sections, and questions easily by dragging them to new positions.

Adding Questions & Configurable Options

Click + Add Question to insert elements. Supported Question Types include Choice-Based (Multiple/Single Choice), Text, Number, Rating, Slider, Date & Time, Media/Photo attachment, Signatures, Resource Links, and Calculations.

Question Settings & Controls

For each question, you can configure:

• Required: Force inspectors to answer before completing the inspection.
• Allow Notes: Enable text notes for additional inspector comments.
• Allow Media: Allow inspectors to capture and attach photos or video clips.
• Action Creation: Allow inspectors to create corrective tasks directly from failed answers.
• Scoring: Assign point values to choice options for percentage or score-based audits.

Productivity Features & Shortcuts

• Copy / Paste Questions: Select a question and press Ctrl + C to copy, then Ctrl + V to paste it anywhere in the form.
• Global Defaults: Use global toggles to apply Required, Notes, Media, or Action permissions across all questions simultaneously.
• Scoring Toggle: Enable or disable global scoring for all choice-based questions with one click.

Previewing, Saving & Publishing

• Live Preview: Toggle the Preview tab at any time to test the inspector experience on desktop and mobile layouts.
• Saving Drafts: Algus automatically saves progress as a Draft while you build.
• Publishing: Click Publish in the top right corner when your template is ready. Once published, the template becomes available for conducting inspections.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I toggle "Required" on a question mid-way through an active inspection program?

Any new inspections started after you publish the updated template will enforce the "Required" setting. Inspections that are already in-progress or saved as local drafts on mobile will not retroactively enforce this setting until they are restarted.

Can I copy multiple questions at once using keyboard shortcuts?

Currently, keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V) copy and paste one question at a time. To duplicate larger blocks of questions, we recommend grouping them into a section and utilizing the cloning features.