Creating Procore Observations

In NSPEC-X, every action item you create on a Procore-linked project syncs to Procore as an observation. This article walks you through creating an action item, filling in the Procore fields, confirming the sync, and resolving conflicts when both nSpec and Procore have edits to the same item.

Before You Begin

You will need:

• An nSpec account on a tenant configured for Procore
• A successful Procore login (the first time you sign in to nSpec, you will be redirected to a Procore login screen — see What is NSPEC-X for the full flow)
• A project that is linked to a Procore project (see What is NSPEC-X)
• Permission in Procore to create observations on that project

Tip: Set up Procore default fields on your project before you start creating action items. Defaults pre-populate Type, Trade, Assignee, and other fields automatically so you only have to fill in what's different. See Setting Up Procore Default Fields.

Step 1: Open an Inspection

1. Sign in to nSpec at inspect-app.nspec.app
2. Open the Projects screen and choose a Procore-linked project
3. Select an existing inspection or create a new one
4. Open the Action Items tab inside the inspection

Step 2: Add a New Action Item

1. On the Action Items tab, click Add (the plus icon)
2. The Add Action Item modal opens. Because the project is linked to Procore, the modal includes Procore-specific fields you would not see on a standard project.

Step 3: Fill In the Action Item

The action item form has standard nSpec fields plus Procore fields. Most Procore fields are optional, but one is required.

Required

• Title — A short, descriptive name for the observation. Example: Missing fire caulking at penetration
• Procore Type — The Procore observation category (Safety, Quality, Commissioning, etc.). This is required for any action item on a Procore-linked project — you cannot save without it. If your project has a default type set, this will be pre-filled.

Additional Procore Fields

Click the Additional Procore Fields section to expand the optional Procore-specific fields. The dropdowns are populated directly from your Procore project.

• Location — Building, level, or area from the Procore project's location hierarchy
• Assignee — Person responsible for resolving the observation
• Trade — Responsible trade or contractor

Standard nSpec Fields

Fill out the standard fields the same way you would on any project:

• Description of the issue
• Photos to document what you found
• Status, priority, and any internal notes

Photos attached to the action item are uploaded to Procore along with the observation, so there is no separate photo sync step.

Step 4: Save and Confirm Sync

Procore-linked projects use an explicit sync confirmation. This is intentional — it makes sure you never accidentally push something to Procore that you weren't ready to share.

1. When the action item is filled in, click Save
2. A confirmation dialog titled Synchronize Procore appears with the question "Do you want to synchronize the action item to Procore?"
3. Click Save to confirm — the action item is saved in nSpec and immediately pushed to Procore as an observation
4. If you click Cancel, you go back to the form without saving

Why the extra confirmation? nSpec wants you to know every time you push data to Procore. This avoids accidental syncs of draft observations and gives you a clear last chance to cancel.

Reading the Sync Status

After an action item is saved, the card in the Action Items tab shows a small sync icon — or no icon at all if everything is in sync. There are four states (synced, orange alert, gray alert, and document icon), each with a different meaning. See Understanding Action Item Sync States for the full visual guide and what to do in each state.

Resolving Procore Conflicts

If someone changed the observation in Procore while you were editing it in nSpec, nSpec detects the conflict on save and opens the Procore Changes Detected dialog. The dialog lists every changed field and gives you three choices — Override Changes, Save without sync, or Cancel. See Resolving Procore Conflicts for the full decision guide and a description of what each choice does.

Tips for Smooth Syncing

• Set up project defaults first — pre-populating Type, Trade, and Assignee per project saves time and reduces missed required fields. See Default Fields Setup.
• Avoid editing the same observation in both systems — if you and a teammate are working in nSpec and Procore on the same item, you'll trigger conflict dialogs. Coordinate ahead of time.
• Check the action item card icon before leaving the inspection — a quick glance tells you whether everything synced.
• Use offline mode mindfully — Procore sync is disabled in offline mode. Action items you create offline will sync when you reconnect, but you won't see the Procore confirmation dialog until then.
• Resolve out-of-sync items quickly — the longer you wait, the more likely there are additional changes in Procore that complicate the conflict.

Troubleshooting

I don't see any Procore fields on the action item form

Problem: The Procore Type and Additional Procore Fields section are not visible.

Solutions:

• Verify the project is linked to a Procore project (see Default Fields Setup)
• Confirm you're not in offline mode — Procore fields are disabled when offline
• Check that the client this project belongs to has a Procore Company ID configured
• Confirm your nSpec role has the Procore permission

I can't save the action item — it says Type is required

Problem: Trying to save shows the error "Type is required for Procore projects".

Solutions:

• Procore-linked projects require a Procore Type on every action item. Select a Type from the dropdown and save again.
• If the Type dropdown is empty, the Procore project may not have any types configured. Ask your Procore admin to add types to the project.
• To avoid this every time, set a default type on the project — see Default Fields Setup.

Procore sync failed after I confirmed

Problem: You clicked Save in the Synchronize Procore dialog but got an error message.

Solutions:

• If the error mentions authentication, your Procore session expired. nSpec will prompt you to log in to Procore again — click yes and retry.
• Check your internet connection — Procore sync requires being online
• Verify you have permission to create observations in this Procore project. See Procore Permissions Guide.
• The action item is still saved in nSpec — only the sync failed. You can re-try the sync later by opening and re-saving the action item.

The Procore Changes Detected dialog keeps appearing

Problem: Every time you save the same action item, the conflict dialog appears.

Solutions:

• Someone else may be editing the observation in Procore at the same time. Coordinate with your team to avoid simultaneous edits.
• If you used Save without sync, your local changes are still pending and Procore is unchanged — every time you re-open the action item, the conflict will reappear until you either Override Changes or accept the Procore values.
• Close the inspection, refresh the page, and re-open it to make sure you have the latest Procore data.

Next Steps

• What is NSPEC-X — overview of how Procore integration works
• Setting Up Procore Default Fields — pre-populate fields per project to speed up data entry
• Managing NSPEC-X Clients — work with multiple Procore companies
• Troubleshooting Sync Issues — full guide to sync indicators, conflict states, and how to resolve them

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