GuidesSpec sheets
Notes
Where to write notes, at the project, sheet, or item level, and how each appears in the export.
There are three places to leave notes in Specbook. Each has a specific purpose; mixing them up is the most common cause of "I can't find that note I wrote".
The three places
| Where | Purpose | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Project notes | Free-text general notes about the build. Not category-specific. | Project header / about panel; included in the workbook cover. |
| Decision-maker notes (per sheet) | Context for the whole sheet, who decided what, when. | Top of the sheet; included in the category sheet of the workbook. |
| Item notes (per row) | The "Notes" column, short context about that specific item. | Inline on the row; embedded in the row's notes column in the workbook export. |
When to use each
- Project-wide context ("Customer's preferred trade is XYZ", "Architect prefers all matte black") → project notes.
- Sheet-wide context ("All Plumbing per the Mar 14 spec walk; customer accepted Kohler line") → decision-maker notes on that sheet.
- Per-row context ("Confirmed in stock as of Mar 14") → item notes.
How to write a project note
Open the project.
Click the edit icon next to the project header notes (or open the project edit dialog from the menu).
Type into the notes textarea. It's free-form; line breaks are preserved.
Save.
How to write a decision-maker note on a sheet
Open the sheet.
Expand the Decision-maker notes panel at the top of the sheet.
Type into the textarea, it autosaves on blur.
How to write an item note
In the sheet's table, find the Notes column on the row you want and type. The column is always present (every category has it), and the value autosaves.
In the export
| Note type | Where it lands in the workbook |
|---|---|
| Project notes | Cover / About sheet |
| Decision-maker notes | Top of each category sheet |
| Item notes | The notes column on each row of the category sheet |
Tips
- Keep notes short. The workbook reproduces them verbatim, long paragraphs render awkwardly in Excel cells.
- Use the decision-maker notes for the kind of context the supplier or customer needs to read once at the top of the sheet.
- Use item notes for the kind of detail that only makes sense next to the row it describes.