Inspection templates are the digital forms that guide your Due Diligence walks — they define what your inspectors see, rate, and photograph. Think of them as digital versions of the paper forms you'd otherwise use, pre-loaded with items to rate. When your templates are set up the way your team works, walks move faster and the reports are more accurate.

This article covers how to edit your inspection templates — from adding individual items to configuring outlines for different unit types.

What This Article Covers

• Best practices to know before you edit
• Accessing the Template Editor
• Adding items to a section
• Understanding and configuring Rating Sets
• Adding new sections
• Working with Outlines (floorplan-based configurations)
• Configuring templates for multiple unit types
• Deleting items or sections
• Applying template changes to in-progress walks

Before You Start — Best Practices

• Edit before the walk begins. Template edits only apply to inspections in Scheduled status. Inspections that are in Draft, In Progress, or Complete status will not pick up template changes — so make edits before your walk kicks off (or before a specific unit is started).
• Permissions. Only Administrators and Process Managers can edit template outlines. Other roles can adjust template items and sections but won't have access to outline configuration.
• HappyCo has a recommended template. If you're starting from scratch or want a well-tested baseline, our team has a best-practice template built from thousands of Due Diligence walks — reach out to us if you'd like to use it as a starting point.
• We can help with setup. If you'd like our team to add sections, adjust outlines, or make broader template changes on your behalf, just submit a Service Request when placing your Due Diligence Order (or through your existing order).

Accessing the Template Editor

1. Log into Manage.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Inspection Templates and select the template you'd like to edit.
4. Click Edit Template.

Adding an Item to a Section

1. In the Template Editor, scroll to the bottom of the section where you'd like to add a new item.
2. Click Add New Item.
3. Fill in the following fields:
   • Name — the item name (e.g., "Window").
   • Info — helpful notes that appear as a blue icon next to the item during inspections. For example, next to a "Window" item, the note might read "check for proper sealing."
   • Comments — any text you'd like pre-populated for the inspection item.
4. Configure the item's Rating Set (see the next section for details).

Rating Sets

Rating Sets define how inspectors score each item — Good / Repair / Replace / N/A, Yes / No, and so on. Configuring them correctly is critical for accurate reporting.

Choosing an existing Rating Set

Click Select Another Rating Set to pick from HappyCo's pre-built options. We recommend using an existing Rating Set whenever possible — it ensures a smooth path to a complete Due Diligence condition report.

Creating or customizing a Rating Set

You can create your own Rating Set or customize an existing one. When you do, pay careful attention to these fields:

• Label — the most important field for reporting. For an item to appear in Due Diligence reports, its Rating Set label must be either "Condition" or "Type."
• Shorthand — this can be any text, but if you're using a Radio Rating Set, we recommend descriptive shorthand that matches the ratings themselves (e.g., "Good - Repair - Replace - N/A").
• Grade description — each grade has its own description that appears in reports.
• Grade icon and color — each grade gets a customizable icon and color for at-a-glance visual clarity.
• Require Photo — as a data-quality safeguard, the Repair and Replace grades default to requiring a photo when selected. That means inspectors will need to take a photo and add a note before continuing, so anyone reviewing knows the extent of the damage.

When you're happy with the Rating Set, click the Checkmark to lock it in.

Adding a New Section

1. Click Add New Section.
2. To copy an existing section as a starting point, click the Checkmark next to the section you want to duplicate.
3. Give the new section a name at the top of the screen.
4. Add items to the section using the steps in the Adding an Item section above.
5. Click Save and Exit.
6. Add the new section to your Outlines (see the next section) — required for the section to appear during walks.

Important: New sections must be added to your Template Outlines to appear during Due Diligence walks. If you'd like our team to handle this for you, submit a Service Request.

Working with Outlines

Outlines tell the HappyCo system how your template applies to units with different floorplans. For example, a 2x1 outline shows two Bedroom sections and one Bathroom section — telling the system to pre-insert two Bedroom sections for any unit assigned to that floorplan.

Adding a new section to your Outlines

After adding a new section, you'll need to add it to any outline that should include it:

1. Click Configure Outlines on the right side of the screen.
2. Add the new section to every outline that should include it.
3. To rearrange the order of sections within an outline, click and drag them into the layout you want.
4. Click Save.

Important: You must add new sections to all applicable outlines for them to appear during the unit walk. If you need help configuring outlines, submit a Service Request.

Deleting an Item or Section

To delete an item: click the checkbox next to the item, then click the Trash icon.

To delete a section: click on the section header, then click the Trash icon.

Warning: Deleting a section automatically removes it from any outlines it's part of. Double-check that this is what you want before deleting.

Applying Changes to In-Progress Inspections

Once your template edits are saved:

• Scheduled inspections will automatically pick up the changes.
• Draft, In Progress, and Completed inspections will not be updated.
• On the mobile app: to apply template changes on a device that's already loaded the inspection list, pull down on the inspection list to sync the latest template — do this before starting the walk.

Need Help?

The Due Diligence team is happy to assist:

• Submit a Service Request
• Email us at dd@happy.co
• For emergency, day-of support, give us a call at 447-427-7926 x2

Hours of operation: M–F, 7 AM – 5 PM PST