When a project is linked to Procore, you can pre-set default values for the most common Procore observation fields. These defaults are applied automatically every time you create an action item on that project, so your team only has to fill in what's actually different — not the same Type, Trade, and Assignee every single time. This article shows you exactly where to find the default fields settings, what each one does, and how to set them up correctly.
Why Set Defaults?
Without defaults, every action item starts with empty Procore fields and your team has to fill them in one by one. With defaults configured per project, the same fields auto-populate every time and creating a new observation drops from a couple of minutes to a few seconds.
Defaults are most useful when:
- You're working on the same project for an extended period
- Multiple inspectors are creating observations for the same project and you want consistency
- Certain fields almost never change for a project (like Type or Trade)
- You want to enforce a project standard so observations always have the right Type
Where to Find the Defaults Settings
Procore default fields live inside the project edit form. To open them:
- Sign in to nSpec at inspect-app.nspec.app
- Open the Projects screen from the sidebar
- Find the project you want to configure and click the Edit (pencil) icon, or click the project and choose Edit Project
- The project edit form opens with general project info at the top
- Below the standard project fields you will see the Procore section, which only appears if your project is linked to a Procore project
Why don't I see the Procore section? The Procore default fields only appear when (1) your tenant is configured as Procore, (2) the project is linked to a Procore project, and (3) your role has the Procore permission. If you do not see the section, contact your administrator to verify your role and that the project is linked.
Required Default Field
Procore-linked projects have one mandatory default field. You cannot save the project until this is filled in.
Procore Default Type
- What it is: The category your action items will use when they are created as Procore observations (for example, Safety, Quality, Commissioning).
- Where the options come from: The Procore project itself. nSpec pulls the available types directly from Procore so the dropdown always matches what your Procore admin configured.
- What happens if you skip it: You can't. Saving the project is blocked until a default type is selected.
- Example: Quality
Optional Procore Defaults
Below the required Procore Default Type, click the Optional Procore Defaults toggle to expand the rest of the default fields. None of the fields in this section are required — leave anything blank that varies too much from observation to observation.
| Field | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Procore Assignee | Default person responsible for any new action item created on this project | Pulled from the Procore project's assignee list |
| Procore Trade | Default trade or contractor responsible for the work | Pulled from the Procore company's trade list |
| Due Days | Number of days from creation to the observation's due date. If you enter 10 on March 1st, the action item's due date will be set to March 11th. |
Free-text number entry |
| Location | Default location (building, level, area) for new observations | Pulled from the Procore project's location hierarchy |
| Specification | Default specification section to associate with new observations | Pulled from the Procore project's specification sections |
Defaults are starting points, not locks. Inspectors can always change any of these values when they create an individual action item. If a particular observation has a different trade or assignee, just override the value in the action item form.
Setting Your Defaults
- Open the project edit form (see Where to Find the Defaults Settings above)
- Scroll to the Procore section and select a value for Procore Default Type
- Click the Optional Procore Defaults toggle to expand the additional fields
- Set values for any optional fields that are consistent across most of your observations on this project. Leave the rest blank.
- Click Save at the bottom of the form
- To verify, create a new action item on this project and confirm the default fields are pre-populated
Best Practices
- Set the most consistent fields first. Type and Trade rarely change within a single project, so those are usually safe to set as defaults.
- Leave the variable fields blank. If your team works across many locations or assigns observations to different people, leaving Location and Assignee blank avoids the wrong value getting saved by accident.
- Update defaults when the project phase changes. What works for foundation work (concrete trade, structural type) doesn't fit interior finishes. Review defaults when the project moves to a new phase.
-
Use Due Days for consistent turnaround. If your team has a standard "fix within 7 days" policy, set Due Days to
7and the date will always be calculated correctly. - Document your team's defaults. If you have multiple inspectors and multiple projects, keep a brief reference of which defaults you use for which project type so onboarding is faster.
Troubleshooting
I don't see the Procore section in the project edit form
Problem: The Procore Default Type and Optional Procore Defaults fields are not visible.
Solutions:
- Confirm the project is actually linked to a Procore project. Open the form and look for the Procore Project dropdown — if it shows "None", the project is not linked yet.
- Confirm your tenant is configured as Procore. If you're not sure, ask your administrator.
- Confirm your role has the Procore permission. Without it, the entire Procore section is hidden.
- Check that the client this project belongs to has a Procore Company ID set up. See Managing NSPEC-X Clients.
The dropdowns are empty
Problem: Type, Trade, Assignee, Location, or Specification dropdowns are empty even though the project is linked.
Solutions:
- The Procore project may not have any of those values configured yet. Open the project in Procore and verify it has assignees, trades, locations, and specifications configured.
- If your Procore session expired, log out of nSpec and log back in to refresh your Procore connection.
- If you just connected Procore for the first time, give the page a moment to load — the data is fetched from Procore on the first visit and may take a few seconds.
Defaults are not being applied to new action items
Problem: You set defaults but new action items still come up empty.
Solutions:
- Confirm you actually clicked Save on the project edit form, not just closed it.
- Refresh the page to make sure you have the latest project data.
- Verify you're creating the action item on the same project where you set the defaults.
- If the project was edited by another teammate after you set defaults, your changes may have been overwritten. Open the project edit form and re-check.
Next Steps
- Creating Procore Observations — full walkthrough of action item creation with the defaults you just set
- What is NSPEC-X — overview of how nSpec and Procore work together
- Managing NSPEC-X Clients — how to set up the client and Company ID that links to Procore
- Troubleshooting Sync Issues — what to do when something does not sync as expected
Need help? Contact our support team at support@nxtconstruction.ai
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