> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hiveinspect.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reports, PDFs and AI Report Tools: Hive Inspect FAQ

> Answers to common Hive Inspect report questions: PDFs that did not update, Context Layer, Repair Estimator, re-inspections, Spanish reports and sample reports.

Real questions inspectors asked our support team, with the answers. Tap a question to open it; each one has its own link you can share.

## AI report tools

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I turn on the Hive Context Layer for my reports?" id="turn-on-hive-context-layer">
    Context Layer is on by default for every company, like all the other Hive AI tools. You choose which templates use it:

    1. Go to **Templates**, open the template and click **Template Tools**.
    2. Click **Context Layer**, turn on **On by default for new inspections** and save. Every new inspection from that template now starts with Context Layer.

    The template setting only applies to new inspections. For a report that already exists, open it in the Web Editor, click the three dots for **Report Tools**, open **Hive Context Layer**, turn on **Show Context Layer on this report** and click **Save**. Use the same switch to turn it off for one report, for example when an agent or client prefers the report without it, then publish again.

    Context Layer adds a box labeled **Hive Context — AI Market Insight** to each defect. It shows how common the defect is nationally and in the property's state, plus a short ease-of-repair note. The data comes from an AI model Hive built in-house. See [Hive Context Layer](/whats-new/aug-16-2026#hive-context-layer) or the [Context Layer guide in your dashboard](https://dashboard.hiveinspect.com/dashboard/docs/context-layer).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What AI features does Hive have for writing comments?" id="ai-features-for-comments">
    Hive has three AI tools for comments. They are part of Hive AI and listed under **Business Tools → Hive AI**.

    * **Comment Assist:** type a few words, pick a length and Hive writes the comment name and description. In the Web Editor, click **Add Comment**, then **Generate using Hive Comment Assist**. It also works in the template editor.
    * **Comment Merge:** combines up to three related defect comments into one. Open the defect summary from the three dots in the Web Editor, or the same view in the mobile app, and tap **Merge comments**.
    * **Smart Add:** in the mobile app, describe what you found and Smart Add finds the closest comment in your report, or drafts a new one with Comment Assist.

    You control the wording in the **Comment Copilot Prompt** box under **Business Tools → Hive AI**. It applies to everyone in your company. All three are on by default for every company. If you don't see one, update the app or refresh the page, then ask in the chat bubble in your dashboard. See [Comment Assist](/how-tos/comment-assist#how-to-write-a-comment-with-comment-assist), [Comment Merge](/how-tos/comment-merge#how-to-merge-comments) and [Smart Add](/how-tos/smart-add#how-to-add-a-comment-with-smart-add).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I use the Repair Estimator, and can I add it to reports I already did?" id="use-repair-estimator">
    Yes. The Hive Repair Estimator turns the defects in a report into a separate, Hive-branded PDF with AI-projected repair costs grouped by contractor trade.

    1. Go to **Templates**, open the template and click **Template Tools**.
    2. Click **Hive Repair Estimator**, turn on **Generate automatically for new inspections** and choose who is emailed under **Share the estimate**. Click **Save**.
    3. For a report that already exists, open it in the Web Editor, click the three dots for **Report Tools**, open **Hive Repair Estimator**, turn on **Generate a repair estimate for this report** and click **Save**.

    Click **Generate now** in the same box to preview the estimate. Generating a preview never emails anyone. The estimate is emailed 15 minutes after you publish. For a report you already published, publish it again to send the estimate.

    The prices are AI-generated and can't be edited. To show your own prices, use [Cost to Cure](/how-tos/cost-to-cure#cost-to-cure-or-the-repair-estimator) instead. See [Send a repair estimate](/how-tos/repair-estimator#turn-it-on-for-a-template).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why don't I see the Context Layer in my report preview or while editing?" id="context-layer-not-in-preview">
    Context Layer is only generated when you publish the report or generate its PDF. It does not appear in the editor or in the preview before that.

    To check it before your client sees it, open the report in the Web Editor, click **PDF** at the top right and click **View PDF**. Once the PDF is ready, refresh the preview. Context Layer shows in both the digital report and the PDF.

    If it still isn't there, the report was probably created before you turned Context Layer on for the template. Turn it on for that report in **Report Tools → Hive Context Layer**, then generate the PDF or publish again. See the [Context Layer guide in your dashboard](https://dashboard.hiveinspect.com/dashboard/docs/context-layer).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## PDFs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why didn't my PDF update after I edited the report?" id="pdf-not-updated-after-edit">
    The digital report updates as soon as your changes save, but the PDF is a separate file. Get a fresh one from the **PDF** button.

    1. Open the report in the Web Editor.
    2. Click **PDF** at the top right.
    3. Click **View PDF**. If the report changed since the last PDF, Hive generates a new one first. This usually takes under a minute, longer for large reports.

    Always open the PDF again from the **PDF** button. Refreshing a PDF tab you already had open shows the old file. You don't need to unpublish. Publishing generates the PDF automatically, and edits to a published report update the digital report right away and the PDF shortly after. See [Smarter PDF regeneration](/whats-new/aug-30-2026#smarter-pdf-regeneration).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I send a report in Spanish or French?" id="spanish-french-report">
    Yes, as a translated PDF. The digital report stays in English.

    1. Open the report in the Web Editor and click **PDF** at the top right.
    2. Click **For more languages, click here**.
    3. Click **Generate** on Spanish or French and complete the payment. It is a one-time charge per translated PDF, currently \$15, shown before you pay.

    The translated PDF is added next to the English one, and your client can pick the language when they open the PDF. Add any translation disclaimer to the report introduction text before you generate it. In the mobile app, you can generate the Spanish PDF from the inspection's report list. Regular reports can be translated into Spanish or French. TREC reports can be translated into Spanish. Other special forms, such as Florida insurance forms and NPMA-33, are English only.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why doesn't my wind mitigation, 4-point, NPMA-33 or TREC form look right?" id="special-form-pdf-looks-wrong">
    Special forms print onto the official PDF, so the web preview does not show the form. Click **PDF** in the Web Editor and click **View PDF** to see the real form before you publish.

    * Import the form from **Template Hub**. Don't import insurance forms from other inspection software.
    * Don't add, delete or reorder sections and subsections in these templates. They map one-to-one onto the form. Leave items you don't need blank.
    * On TREC reports, fill in the ratings for each section. A section without ratings may not appear on the TREC PDF.

    See [Use certified templates](/templates/certified-templates#guide-to-using-special-pdfs-in-template-hub).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Re-inspections and report copies

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I create a re-inspection report?" id="create-reinspection-report">
    Start from the original report, not from a new inspection or an earlier re-inspection.

    1. Open the original report in the Web Editor.
    2. Click the three dots for **Report Tools**, then **Generate Reinspection** under **Order Management**.
    3. Choose **Select specific recommendations** and check the defects to recheck, or choose **Include all recommendations**.
    4. Choose **Create new inspection order** to book the visit with its own date, time and service, or **Add to existing inspection**.
    5. Pick your re-inspection service. You don't need to add a template.

    The client, agent and address carry over. Mark each item **Resolved**, **Unresolved** or **Unsatisfactory**, and add notes and photos on the web or in the mobile app. You can also add new items. Re-inspections need a report written in Hive, so imported PDFs from other software can't be used. See [Create a re-inspection](/how-tos/re-inspections#create-the-re-inspection).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I copy a report to another inspection?" id="copy-report-to-inspection">
    Use **Copy Report To...** in the Web Editor. This also fixes a report written on the wrong inspection.

    1. Create or find the inspection you want to copy to.
    2. Open the original report in the Web Editor.
    3. Click the three dots for **Report Tools**, then **Copy Report To...**, and pick the inspection.

    A full copy is added to that inspection as a separate report. It doesn't merge with a report that is already there. If you copied it off the wrong inspection, check the copy, then remove the report from the wrong one. To recheck defects from an earlier report, use **Generate Reinspection** instead. See [Create a re-inspection](/how-tos/re-inspections#create-the-re-inspection).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Writing and customizing reports

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where do I customize how my reports look?" id="customize-report-look">
    Most options are in **Business Tools → Report Customization**. The page has three tabs.

    * **Both Formats:** category names, the **Comment Type Header for Defects/ Deficiencies**, the defect summary and its placement, **Show Section Status Grid in Reports** and **Section-Level Field Grouping**.
    * **Digital Report:** banner design, charts, **Single-Column Field Layout (Desktop)**, **Adaptive Layout for Information & Limitations** and the subtle color background for information and limitation comments.
    * **PDF Report:** cover page design, **Table of Contents Page**, **Clickable Section Tabs**, **Compact PDF**, **Photos per row in the PDF** and logo watermarks.

    Some options are per template, under **Templates → Template Tools**. These include **Show Defect categories in the summary**, **Show Defects Count by Category** and **Category Names**. Template settings apply to new reports. To change one existing report, use **Report Tools** in the Web Editor. Open the [Report Customization page](https://dashboard.hiveinspect.com/dashboard/business-tools/report-customization).

    Changes on Report Customization don't rebuild PDFs you already made. To update one, open the report in the Web Editor, click **PDF**, then **Regenerate**. In the mobile app, tap the three dots on the report and choose **Regenerate PDF**. **View PDF** alone keeps the old file.

    Every setting is explained, with screenshots, in [Customize Your Reports](/how-tos/report-customization) and [Template Tools and Report Tools](/how-tos/template-and-report-tools).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does pasted text look broken in my report or PDF?" id="pasted-text-formatting-broken">
    Text copied from Word, email or other software often carries hidden formatting. That formatting causes odd line breaks, double spacing or missing spaces, especially in the PDF.

    1. Select the text in the editor.
    2. Click the eraser button (**Clear Formatting**) in the text toolbar.
    3. Reapply bold or italics with the Hive toolbar.
    4. Get a fresh PDF from the **PDF** button.

    If it still looks wrong, delete the text and retype it. To avoid it, paste into a plain-text editor first. Fix the comment in your template too, so new reports don't repeat it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can't I publish my report? It says there are flagged comments." id="flagged-comments-block-publishing">
    Flagged comments block publishing until you unflag them. Flags are an inspector-only reminder to review an item, and clients never see them.

    Find the comments with a red flag. The flagged-items view in the Web Editor (**Report Tools → Flagged Comments**) and in the mobile app lists them in one place. Review each one, unflag it and publish. Flags don't clear when you answer the item, so remove them yourself. If you flag comments in a template, every new report from it starts with those comments flagged. See [Flag comments in your template](/whats-new/aug-23-2026#flag-comments-directly-in-your-template).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do my custom fields show up in the client's report?" id="custom-fields-in-client-report">
    Only where you put the placeholder. A custom field appears in a report, agreement or email only if you insert its placeholder, such as `{{{custom_roof_permit}}}`, in that text. A field you use for internal notes, like a lockbox code, stays private.

    See [Use custom fields as placeholders](/how-tos/custom-inspection-fields#use-custom-fields-as-placeholders).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change a custom field after the report is published?" id="edit-custom-field-after-publishing">
    Yes. Change the value on the inspection, in the web dashboard or the mobile app. The digital report shows the new value the next time it opens.

    The PDF is a saved file, so it keeps the old value until it is generated again. That happens after your next edit to the report. Emails that already went out and agreements that are already signed don't change.

    See [Use custom fields as placeholders](/how-tos/custom-inspection-fields#use-custom-fields-as-placeholders).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Managing reports on an inspection

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I attach a third-party PDF, such as radon or lab results, to an inspection?" id="attach-third-party-pdf">
    Upload it under **Additional Reports** on the inspection order page.

    1. Open the inspection and scroll to **Additional Reports**.
    2. Click **Add Report**, give it a name and drop in the PDF.

    Your client sees it in the portal next to your Hive reports. To notify them, create an automation with the **Additional Report Added** event. You can't insert a PDF inside a Hive report. See [Attach third-party reports](/how-tos/adding-additional-reports#how-to-add-additional-reports-to-inspections-in-hive).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does my inspection show reports as Published before I've written anything?" id="reports-published-no-template">
    It means there is nothing left to publish, not that anything was sent. When an inspection has no report attached, the **Reports** step on the order page shows **Published**.

    Add a template to the inspection and the step goes back to **Pending**. It turns **Published** again only when every report on the inspection is published. For a job you deliver outside Hive, such as a lab result, leave the template off and upload the PDF under **Additional Reports**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I create a sample report for my website?" id="create-sample-report">
    Make it from a report you wrote in Hive. Hive removes the client and agent details and the address for you.

    1. Open the report in the Web Editor.
    2. Click the three dots for **Report Tools**, then **Create Sample Report**.
    3. Enter a name and click **Create Sample Report**. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
    4. Go to **Business Tools → Sample Reports** and click **Copy Link** to share it or put it on your website.

    You can't make a sample from an imported PDF from other software. Many inspectors rewrite one old report in Hive for this. See [Create sample reports](/how-tos/creating-sample-reports#creating-a-sample-report-from-existing-inspection-reports).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I remove an extra report, or get back one I deleted?" id="remove-or-recover-report">
    To remove a report you don't need, go to **Inspections**, click the three dots on the inspection and click **Reports**. Click the **X** on that report and confirm. In the mobile app, tap the three dots on the report in the inspection's report list, choose delete and type `delete` to confirm. This removes the report from that inspection only. Your template is not changed.

    Removing a report and adding the template again gives you a new, blank report. It does not bring back your work. If you removed a report or inspection by mistake, ask in the chat bubble in your dashboard and include the property address and report name. Our team can usually restore it with your work and photos as last saved.

    If you only deleted a section or subsection, click **Undelete Section** at the end of the section list in the Web Editor, or **Undelete Subsection** in the subsection list.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Still stuck?

<div className="hive-rows hive-rows-sm">
  <a className="hive-row" href="https://dashboard.hiveinspect.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
    <span className="hive-row-main">
      <span className="hive-row-title">Ask in the chat bubble</span>
      <span className="hive-row-line">Open your dashboard and use the chat bubble. Our team answers seven days a week</span>
    </span>
  </a>

  <a className="hive-row" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1202950231646461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
    <span className="hive-row-main">
      <span className="hive-row-title">Ask the inspector community</span>
      <span className="hive-row-line">Other inspectors answer in the Facebook group</span>
    </span>
  </a>
</div>


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