Setting Up and Managing Your Record Types
How do I create a new Record Type?
Navigate to Records Management in the sidebar and create a new Record Type. You'll land on a "Choose How to Get Started" page with two options:
Start from a predefined template — Pick from 16 ready-made templates covering the most common safety record types:
Hazard Reports, Incidents, Near Misses, Job Safety Analyses, Safety Observations, Equipment Inspections, Safety Audits, Risk Assessments, Corrective Action Plans, Environmental Spills, Waste Management, Toolbox Talks, Permit to Work, Training Records, Vehicle Inspections, and Emergency Drills.
Each template pre-populates the record type with suggested fields as a starting point. All fields are fully editable after creation — you can rename them, change their type, mark them as required, or delete them entirely. You can also create multiple record types from the same template within a single workspace.
Start Custom — Build your own from scratch — Opens the Create New Record Type - Custom form where you define the name, choose an icon, and add fields from scratch. Custom record types must be built from scratch; there is no functionality to copy or duplicate an existing record type. The maximum number of custom record types per workspace is 50.
AI Agent Instructions
Every Record Type has an optional AI Agent Instructions field — a permanent text field that sits alongside the Record Type name and icon in the setup form. It is not a custom field and cannot be removed.
Use this field to give SoterAI specific context about the purpose of this Record Type and how records of this type should be handled. For example:
- “This record type is for near-miss incidents in a construction environment. Always prompt for a root cause and suggest a corrective action.”
- “Records of this type are used for regulatory audits. Extract any dates and reference numbers mentioned and populate the relevant fields.”
The instructions you write here are applied automatically every time SoterAI processes a record of this type — including when creating records via AI chat and when generating Actions from records. You can update the instructions at any time by editing the Record Type.
What custom field types are supported?
When adding a field, click + Add Field to open the Add New Field modal. Select a Field Type from the dropdown. The following types are available:
- Text — single line of text
- Text Area — multi-line text (up to 10,000 characters)
- Number
- Date
- DateTime — date with optional time, stored with timezone
- Dropdown — select one option from a list
- Multi-select — select multiple options from a list
- Location — one of your workspace site locations
- File — file upload (documents, images, etc.)
- Checkbox — Yes/No or True/False
- Email — valid email address
- URL — website URL or web link
- Repeating Section — a group of fields that can be repeated multiple times (e.g., violations, findings) — see below
Each field has a Field Label (up to 200 characters), an optional Description to help users and SoterAI understand the field (up to 2,000 characters), and a Required field checkbox.
Reordering fields
Once you've added multiple fields to your Record Type, you can reorder them by dragging and dropping. Grab the drag handle on the left side of any field row and drop it at the desired position — there's no limit to how far you can move a field in a single action. This works both when creating a new Record Type and when editing an existing one.
What is a Repeating Section?
A Repeating Section is a special field type that lets you define a group of fields once in your Record Type and then add that group as many times as needed within a single record.
For example, an inspection record could have a "Violation" repeating section — with fields for Item Number, Priority, Description, Photo Evidence, and Corrective Action. When filling in the record, the user adds as many violation entries as needed, each with its own complete set of fields.
How to add a Repeating Section:
- Go to Records Management in the sidebar and create a new Record Type
- On the "Choose How to Get Started" page, click Start Custom — Build your own from scratch
- On the Create New Record Type - Custom page, click + Add Field
- In the Add New Field modal, open the Field Type dropdown
- Scroll to the bottom of the list — Repeating Section is the last option, described as "A group of fields that can be repeated multiple times (e.g., violations, findings)"
- Select it — the modal expands to show a Repeating Section Configuration section
Configuring the Repeating Section:
Once selected, fill in the three configuration fields:
- Item Label — the name for each individual instance of this section (e.g., "Violation" or "Finding"). Numbers auto-increment automatically — so entries will appear as "Violation 1", "Violation 2", etc.
- Add Button Label — the label for the button users will click to add a new instance (e.g., "Add Violation" or "Add Finding")
- Nested Fields — click + Add Nested Field to add the fields that belong inside each instance of this section. Nested fields support all standard field types.
Once you have configured the section and added nested fields, click + Add Field to save it to your Record Type.
How are existing records affected when the Record Type schema changes?
Changes to a Record Type schema — such as adding or removing fields — do not affect existing historical records. The system maintains only the single, most current schema with no versioning.
- If a field is removed, the data is retained in historical records but will not be displayed when viewing that entry.
- If a field is added (even if marked as required), historical records will render without it. The required field rule is only enforced when an existing record is opened and edited.
How is a record’s status determined?
The Status field is a calculated field — it is set automatically based on the state of actions associated with the record and cannot be edited manually.
| Status | When it appears |
|---|---|
| Recorded | No actions exist for this record, or all associated actions are complete |
| In Progress | Some associated actions exist and are being worked on |
| Needs Attention | Associated actions are incomplete or overdue |
Exporting a record to PDF
Once a record has been saved, it can be exported as a PDF. Open the record and click the Export to PDF button in the upper-right corner of the record page. The exported PDF reflects the full record details as currently displayed.
Can records be deleted?
Records are not permanently deleted. The system uses an Archive function instead. Archived records are hidden from default views but retained in the system. Permissions for archiving are role-based — any user with the appropriate role can archive any record in their workspace.
If a record needs to be unarchived, contact technical support at help@soteranalytics.com.
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