Build an inspection template

Inspection templates are the checklists your technicians run on a job. You build your own templates in Workshop Settings with sections, items, and the response each item should take. A template is turned into a live inspection at capture time, so editing a template shapes every inspection that runs against it next.

Your workshop, your checklists

Openhood does not hardcode inspections. Each organisation builds its own templates, because workshops have very different checklist needs.

Sections and items

A template is organised as sections, and each section holds items. Use the template builder to add sections, add items under them, and drag to reorder both. The builder shows a running count of the items you have authored so you can see how big the checklist is.

Open Workshop Settings and go to your inspection templates.
Create a template, then add sections to group related checks.
Add items under each section and choose the response type for each one.
Set severity options where an item should be triaged by the advisor.
Drag sections and items into the order a technician should work them, then save.

Choosing a response type

Each item declares how it should be answered, so the data means something downstream:

Categorical, for a pick from severity-style options.
Numeric with a unit, for values like tread depth in mm, tyre pressure in psi, odometer in km, or fuel level as a percentage.
Text, for a short written note.
Boolean, for a yes or no check.
Media, where a photo or video is the evidence.

A unit matters because a plain "score" cannot tell tread depth from pressure. The unit also gives the voice assistant and the report the context they need.

Importing a template from a paper form

If you already run a paper checklist, you can import it. Upload a PDF or a photo of the form and Openhood drafts a template for you to review. Photos taken on an iPhone in HEIC format are converted automatically before parsing.

Always review the imported draft

Import produces a typed draft for you to check, not a finished template. Review the sections, items, and response types before saving.

The phone preview

On a wide desktop screen, the builder shows a read-only preview of the template as it will look on a technician's phone. Clicking a section in the preview selects it in the builder, and clicking a row expands the matching item. The preview never creates an inspection, saves results, uploads media, runs voice, or submits anything. It is there so you can author against the workflow a technician will actually use.

Saving safely