How Can We Help?
Answers from the COMPLY Help Center, plus a human when you need one
Brittany
🎀Hey there! I'm Brittany, COMPLY's help assistant. The answers below are the same ones I use — search them here, or sign in and just ask me. 💬
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96 answers from the COMPLY Help Center
Brittany & Getting Help
Who is Brittany?
Brittany is the help-desk assistant built into COMPLY. She answers how-to questions about the platform — where a feature lives, what a button does, what has to happen first, which permission you need — using the same Help Center content you can read on the Help & FAQ page. She is not a deal analyzer: she cannot see your deals, documents or figures. For those, ask Finn.
How do I talk to Brittany?
On pages outside a deal (Home, My Projects, Profile, Settings, Help & FAQ) click the purple chat bubble in the bottom-right corner. Inside a deal, Brittany is a tab in the Threads panel: open it with Threads in the sidebar or the Threads button in the bottom-right, then pick the Brittany tab ("Help Center"). Type a question or tap one of the quick questions. She knows which page you are on, so "how do I do that here?" works.
What can Brittany help me with?
Anything about using COMPLY: creating deals and draw packages, uploading and importing documents, the Capital Plan, Schedule of Values, lien waivers, schedule, observations, reports and sharing, approvals, permissions, notifications, account settings and the iPhone app. She explains where to go, step by step, and tells you when something needs a permission or a prerequisite (for example, a draft must be linked to a draw package before AI Review runs). If the Help Center does not cover a question she will say so and point you to support.
Can Brittany see my project data?
No. Brittany only knows which page you are on and the Help Center content. She never reads your deals, documents, budgets, permissions or messages, so she cannot tell you what is missing from a specific deal or what a number means. For questions about a specific deal, use Finn (the AI Deal Analyzer tab in the Threads panel) or open the module itself.
Who is Finn, and how is he different from Brittany?
Finn is the deal financial analyst — the Finn tab in the Threads panel inside a deal. He reads the deal's figures (capital plan, schedule of values, schedule, observations, lien waivers, change orders, checklist) filtered to what you may see, computes totals and comparisons, and cites the version and period behind every number. The Scope chips under the chat pin a draw package, compare two, or focus him on certain modules. He analyses and flags when asked but never recommends funding or approval decisions. He only works where AI is enabled for you (AI Findings → Run analysis). Brittany is the help desk: she explains how the platform works but never sees deal data.
Where is the Help & FAQ page?
Click your avatar in the top-right corner and choose Help & FAQ. The page has a search box, a chip for every category, and an accordion of questions. It is the same content Brittany answers from, so if Brittany did not cover something you can browse for it there. The Help & FAQ page is available on every account; a few Admin Tools topics only appear for platform admins.
How do I contact support?
Email support@comply.capital. You can also go to Settings (avatar menu → Settings) → Support & Account → Contact support, which opens the Contact page, or use the "Still need help?" card at the bottom of the Help & FAQ page. When you write in, include the deal name, the page you were on and what you expected to happen.
Getting Started
How do I sign in?
Go to comply.capital and click Sign In. COMPLY is in a private pilot, so the first screen asks for your Access Code; enter it to continue. Then sign in with Google or with your email and password. Use "Forgot password?" to get a reset link by email. If you see "You were signed out due to inactivity", that is the automatic sign-out after 15 minutes without activity — just sign in again.
How do I create an account?
Either accept an invitation from your company — the link in the email lands you on a "You're in" page — or register yourself: go to the Register page (also behind the pilot Access Code) and enter your name, email, company name, phone and a password, then agree to the Terms and the Platform Disclaimer. Accounts are always created on the web; the iPhone app signs in with the same account.
What is the Platform Disclaimer?
The Platform Disclaimer is a legal acknowledgment shown the first time you sign in. It states that COMPLY is a software tool, that AI-generated analysis is informational and not a guarantee of accuracy, and that financial decisions remain yours. Tick "I have read and agree to the full Platform Disclaimer" to continue; your acceptance is saved to your profile and you will not be asked again unless the disclaimer changes.
Where can I read the full disclaimer, terms and privacy policy?
They are public pages that do not require signing in: comply.capital/legal/disclaimer, /legal/terms, /legal/privacy and /legal/cookies. The footer of the main website links to Privacy, Terms and Cookies, and the first-login dialog links straight to the full disclaimer.
Why do I need a company before I can create a deal?
Every deal is owned by a company, and your access to deals flows through company membership. If you open New Project without one, the dialog says "You need a company first" and offers Create a company and Manage companies. If your team already has a company in COMPLY, do not create a second one: go to Profile → Companies → Request to Join a Company, search for it and click Request to Join; a company admin approves you from Manage Companies → Members.
How do I create a new deal?
On Home, scroll to Your Projects and click New Project (also on My Projects, or press n anywhere). The New Deal dialog asks which company owns the deal if you belong to more than one, then offers Quick Start (a standard deal) or Advanced Setup for deals with several capital stacks, budgets, properties or contractors — that path walks through Capital Stacks, Budgets, Properties, Loan Information, Deal Details, Property Details and Review & Create. You need the company permission Create Deals; without it the button says so.
How do I switch between deals?
Click the deal chip in the top bar (the thumbnail and name of the current deal) to open the project switcher and pick another deal. You can also press ⌘K / Ctrl+K or the search icon ("Search projects") to jump by name, go to Home → Your Projects, or open My Projects (⌘P) for the full list with status tabs. The sidebar no longer lists projects; it lists the modules of the deal you are in.
What does the COMPLY logo do?
The logo in the top-left corner takes you to the main COMPLY website (its tooltip says "Take me to the main site!"). To get back to your work, click your avatar and choose HOME, or use the browser's back button. Inside the app, Home shows your portfolio and Your Projects.
What is in the sidebar, and why are some items dimmed?
The sidebar lists Threads, then the modules of the current deal: Deal Dashboard, Draw Packages, Document Checklist, Budget (which opens the Capital Plan page), Schedule of Values, Lien Waivers, Schedule, Observations, Commentary, Photos & Videos, Documents, Deal Information, Deal Settings and Approvals. Items are dimmed with "select a deal first" until you are in a deal, and dimmed with "blocked" when your access level for that module is Blocked — clicking one opens the Permission Required dialog naming what you need. The button at the bottom collapses or expands the sidebar.
Are there keyboard shortcuts?
Yes, when you are not typing in a field: / or ⌘K (Ctrl+K) opens Search projects, n opens the New Deal dialog, u opens Smart Upload, ⌘P goes to My Projects and ⌘N also starts a new deal. Inside the Brittany chat, Enter sends and Shift+Enter adds a line.
Where do I see all my deals and their status?
My Projects (avatar menu → HOME then Your Projects, or ⌘P) lists every deal you belong to with tabs All, Drafts, In Review, Approved and Action Needed, a search box and the New Project button. Home shows the same deals as cards under Your Projects, with your Portfolio widgets above them. Closed deals are listed separately under Closed deals on Home; close a deal from its Deal Information page.
I just created a deal. What should I do first?
Open the deal (Deal Dashboard). The "Set up" card at the top lists six steps in the suggested order: Deal basics, Capital plan, Schedule of values, Schedule, First draw package and Team. Click a step to read why it matters and use its button to jump there; each step is ticked automatically when the data exists. A typical first week: fill Deal Information, build the Capital Plan (or import a budget through the Document Checklist), upload the first pay application to create the Schedule of Values, then create the first draw package.
Deal Dashboard & AI Findings
What is the Deal Dashboard?
The Deal Dashboard is the landing page of a deal (sidebar → Deal Dashboard). At the top, until the deal is fully set up, sits the "Set up" card with the six Getting Started steps. Below it is your widget board: cards showing the deal's draw packages, checklist, budget and capital, schedule of values, lien waivers, schedule, observations, commentary, media, documents, approvals, change orders, key dates and recent activity. The first time you open a deal you get a starter board (Draw Packages, Document Checklist, Budget + Capital, Schedule of Values, Schedule, Approvals, Recent Activity, Key Dates), limited to the modules you can see. Your arrangement is saved to your account for that deal, so it follows you to any device; each user and each deal has its own board.
What is the "Set up" card on the Deal Dashboard?
It is the deal's Getting Started guide. Six steps run left to right — Deal basics, Capital plan, Schedule of values, Schedule, First draw package, Team — and the panel under the selected step explains why it matters and has one button that takes you there. Steps are ticked automatically when the data exists (you cannot tick them by hand), you can Skip for now and Undo skip, and steps for modules you cannot access are hidden. When everything is in place the card reads "Everything is in place" and collapses.
How do I add, move or resize dashboard widgets?
Click Edit at the top right of the Deal Dashboard. In edit mode use Add Widget to open the catalog (search or filter by category, click a widget to preview it and pick a size), drag widgets to reorder them, and use each widget's controls to remove it or resize it (small, medium, large or full width). "Copy layout from…" replaces this deal's board with a copy of the one you arranged on another deal. Click Done to finish; an undo snackbar appears after a removal. Every change is saved as you make it. The refresh icon re-fetches every widget's data. Widgets that follow a draw package show the board's package (the "Showing" chip, set from the top-bar draw package): a completed package's figures, plus an "In progress" band for the open draw. Each such widget has its own dropdown to pin it to Live or to a specific package instead.
What is the difference between Home and the Deal Dashboard?
Home (avatar menu → HOME) is across all your deals: a Portfolio section of widgets you can edit, plus Your Projects with a card per deal and the New Project button. The Deal Dashboard is inside one deal and shows that deal's setup progress and widgets. Open a deal from Home to reach its dashboard; use the deal chip in the top bar to change deals.
Deal Information
What is on the Deal Information page?
Deal Information (sidebar) holds the deal's master data in collapsible sections: Deal Information (project name, status Active or Closed, city, state, project type, description and the project photo), Property Details, Key Dates, the Deal Structure Map and Info Context. The header has an auto-save toggle and a Save Changes button; Back to Project returns to the dashboard. Editing needs the Manage deal info permission on the Deal Info module; without it the fields are read-only.
How do I close a deal at the end of a project?
On Deal Information set Status to Closed (read-only), or use Close on the deal in Manage Companies → Deals. Closing needs to be a deal admin on the owning company's seat, or a company admin with Manage Deal Assignments. A closed deal is read-only for everyone — no edits, uploads, approvals or comments — but stays fully readable; people can still be added or removed and published reports can still be shared. It moves from Your Projects into Closed deals on Home, and every page shows a Closed banner. You cannot close while an approval workflow is still pending or documents are still being processed. Reopen it from the banner or by setting Status back to Active. Closing replaced archiving.
How do I give another company its own copy of a closed deal?
Close the deal first — copies are made only from a Closed deal. Then an admin of the owning company (Manage Deal Assignments) opens Deal Settings → Users → Closeout copies → Give a copy, picks a company on the deal and chooses what to include. The choices start at, and never go past, what that company's people can see on the deal; tabs, budgets, schedules or properties hidden from all of them are left out, and so are commentary and key dates restricted to other companies and private messages. A partner can also Request a copy, which you approve or decline there. Their admin accepts it, and the copy lands read-only in their deals. It is a full, independent record: later changes on either side never affect the other.
What is the Deal Structure Map?
It is the tree that defines the deal's shape, and it is where every module's tabs come from: Capital Plans contain Capital Stacks and Budgets; Properties contain SOV tabs and Schedule tabs. The Capital Plan, Schedule of Values, Schedule and Observations pages have no "+" button of their own — add a plan, property or tab here and it appears there. You will find it in the Deal Structure Map section of Deal Information; the Advanced Setup path of the New Deal dialog builds the first version of it.
Where do I enter loan information?
Loans are sources in the capital stack. Open Budget in the sidebar (the Capital Plan page), switch the toggle to Sources and click Add Source; open the source to enter Lender Name, Loan Type, Interest Rate, Term, Maturity Date, Amortization, I/O Period, LTV, Origination Fee and Prepayment Penalty. When you create a deal with Advanced Setup, the Loan Information step captures the same details up front. There is no separate loans section on Deal Information.
Draw Packages
What is a draw package?
A draw package is one funding period of the deal — a month, a pay application — bundled with everything that supports it: the capital plan version, the schedule of values (pay app), the construction schedule, the site observations, the lien waivers and a document checklist. Each module keeps its own draft → committed → published lifecycle, and the package is the unit that goes through approval and produces the Draw Package Report. Open it from Draw Packages in the sidebar.
What are the draw package statuses?
A package is Open while you work in it, then Approved once the approval workflow finishes, then Completed when you close it out. Inside a package each module shows its own state — Pending Submission, Submitted, Needs Revision, Approved or Published — and the checklist shows Missing, Collected, Needs Action or Accepted. Edit and Delete are only available while the package is Open. A Completed or Approved package makes its checklist and commentary read-only; Reopen (needs the Complete draw package permission) takes it back.
What documents does a draw package need?
Whatever its Document Checklist asks for. Every package gets a checklist from the template chosen when it was created; the COMPLY default has three categories — Developer Draw Request, GC Application for Payment and Construction Documentation — with items such as the Disbursement Request Form, Draw Request (Excel), Budget / Capital Stack, G702 & G703, Change Order Log, Payment Affidavit, GC/Subcontractor/Vendor Lien Waivers, Contractor's Monthly Progress Report, Updated CPM Schedule, Inspection Reports and Permits. Items are marked Required or Requested. Companies edit their own templates in Manage Companies → Checklist Templates.
Document Checklist & Uploads
How does the Document Checklist work?
Every draw package has its own checklist (sidebar → Document Checklist; the timeline of package pills at the top picks which one you are looking at). Each item is a document the package needs. An item is Awaiting Upload until a file is attached and Collected once one is — those two follow the documents on their own. A reviewer can set Needs Action (something to fix) or Accepted (signed off); choosing Awaiting Upload or Collected again puts it back to automatic. Switch between Grid and List, and filter by Type, Status (All, Awaiting Upload, Collected, Needs Action, Accepted) and Requirement (Required or Requested). Setting a status needs the Edit item status permission.
What is a funnel, and why does it matter which item I upload to?
Each checklist item has a funnel that says which module can import the document filed there: SOV (G702/G703), Cap Stack / Budget, Change Order Register, Schedule, Lien Waiver, General document review (AI review) or No funnel. The Capital Plan, Schedule of Values, Change Order Register, Schedule and Lien Waivers pages do not accept a file directly — their Import button reads the documents waiting on the matching checklist items. So upload a pay application to the G702 & G703 item, a budget to Budget / Capital Stack, a change order log to Change Order Log, and so on; the module's Import button then shows a count badge.
What does Upload Packet do?
Upload Packet takes a whole draw packet — one combined PDF or several PDFs — and sorts it for you. Nothing is physically split: COMPLY reads the pages in the background, works out where each document starts and ends, classifies it and proposes the checklist item it belongs to. The results appear in the Document Intake panel for you to accept. Only PDFs are accepted; Word or Excel files are skipped with "Export Word/Excel to PDF first". The button appears when a draw package is selected, the package is open, and you have the Upload documents permission on a deal where AI is enabled.
Documents
How do I upload documents?
Documents that belong to a draw — pay applications, budgets, lien waivers, schedules, change orders — go to the Document Checklist so the right module can import them. For general, deal-level files use the Documents page (sidebar → Documents): click Upload Document or drag files onto the page. PDFs, Excel, Word and images are accepted; the AI packet sorter (Upload Packet on the checklist) takes PDFs only. Files uploaded anywhere in the deal — checklist, schedule, lien waivers, media, observations — all appear in the Documents vault.
Can I preview documents?
Yes. Click a document, or use Preview on its row, to open it. PDFs and images display inline; other file types download. Download links are short-lived for security — if one has expired, just open the document again from the page. Preview and download re-check your permission on the module the document belongs to.
Capital Plan (Budget & Capital Stack)
What is a capital plan?
A capital plan is the deal's sources and uses as one unit: the capital stack (Sources — loans and equity) and the budget (Uses — the cost line items). Budget in the sidebar opens the Capital Plan page, where a Sources / Uses toggle switches between the two grids. Each tab on the page is one capital plan; hover a tab to see which capital stacks and budgets it contains. Drafts, commits and publishing apply to the whole plan — every stack and budget in it — never to one side alone.
How do I enter loans and equity (the capital stack)?
On the Capital Plan page switch the toggle to Sources. The chips filter Debt, Equity or All. Click Add Source to add a loan or an equity source, then open it to fill in the terms: for debt, Lender Name, Loan Type, Interest Rate, Term (months), Maturity Date, Amortization, I/O Period, LTV, Origination Fee and Prepayment Penalty; for equity, Investor Name, Equity Type, Ownership %, Preferred Return, Profit Split and Return Structure. Sources need the same Create/delete lines and edit permissions as the budget lines.
How do I import a budget or capital plan from PDF or Excel?
First upload the file to the Document Checklist, to an item with the Cap Stack / Budget funnel (for example "Budget / Capital Stack"); the Capital Plan page itself does not accept files. Back on the Capital Plan page the header button reads Import Budget with a count. Click it, pick the document and follow the stages: Reading your file → Extracting the tables → Confirm the columns (tell COMPLY which printed column is which) → Matching to your capital plan → Setting up the plan draft → Importing. A spreadsheet that matches the CSV template imports directly; a PDF is read by AI. Lines land in a plan draft, and the document gets an Imported badge. Needs the Import permission and AI enabled on the deal.
Schedule of Values
What is a Schedule of Values?
A Schedule of Values (SOV) is the contractor's itemised breakdown of the contract: one line per scope of work with its scheduled value, and each period the work in place, stored materials and retainage against it. In COMPLY each SOV tab is one contract on a property, and every draft on its timeline is one pay application (the AIA G702/G703). Draw packages, lien waivers and the draw report all reconcile against it.
How do I upload a pay application to the Schedule of Values?
Upload the pay app PDF (or Excel) to the Document Checklist item with the SOV funnel — "G702 & G703" in the default template. Then open Schedule of Values: the header button reads Import SOV with a count. Click it, choose the document, and COMPLY extracts the line items, values and percentages, asks you to confirm which printed column is which, and writes the lines into a draft (a new pay application) on the timeline. The document gets an Imported badge. The SOV page does not accept files directly. Needs the Import permission and AI enabled on the deal.
How do I record this period's pay application?
Each draft is a pay application. Click + on the timeline: the Create New Draft dialog asks for a Draft Name (default "Pay App n"), the Pay App #, the Period to date and the draw packages to link. In the draft, enter per line This Period (In Place), Stored Materials (Balance) and the retainage columns; totals, % complete and balance to finish compute themselves. Open the draft from the timeline to see its G702 cover sheet, then Commit Version when the application is final. Linking to the draw package is what puts the pay app on that draw's report.
Change Orders
What is a change order, and where do change orders live in COMPLY?
A change order is a documented change to the contract scope or price — added work, removed scope, or a cost adjustment. COMPLY keeps them in two places. The Change Order Register is a dialog on the Schedule of Values page (the Change Order Register button in the header) that records every executed change order for that contract and verifies the SOV's net change. The Change Orders page (reached from the Change Orders dashboard widget or a document's "Manage in Change Orders" link) tracks change orders through Draft, Pending and Approved with their line items. Both need the Manage change orders permission, which belongs to the SOV module.
Do change orders change my SOV or budget numbers automatically?
No. The register documents and verifies change orders; it does not push numbers into the Schedule of Values or the budget. On the SOV, Net Change Order is an input column you enter per line, and This Period Change Order is calculated from how that figure moved since the draft started. The register's total is what reviewers and AI Review compare those entries against. Budget lines likewise change only when you edit them in a Capital Plan draft.
Lien Waivers
How is the Lien Waivers page organised?
Lien Waivers (sidebar) has a tab per SOV contract. Within a tab, waivers are collected into lien waiver packages that sit on the version timeline like drafts (Draft and History; a package is "live" once published). The list groups waiver rows by status with filter chips All, Open, Outstanding, Closed and Vendor; expand a row or open its detail to see the documents. The Lien Waiver Log button opens the master log of every waiver across every package and adds a Missing LW Pkg filter — it needs the View log permission.
How do I add a lien waiver?
Open the tab for the right contract, make sure a draft package is selected, and click Add Waiver (or Add First Lien Waiver on an empty page). Pick the party from the contractor roster, then fill the three slots: Invoice, Conditional Lien Waiver and Unconditional Lien Waiver. Each slot has an Attach document button for the file (it opens at its own pages once attached), plus the Invoice Date or Document Date, Coverage Start and End for the invoice or the Thru Date for a waiver, the Amount, and the draw package chips it belongs to. Adding needs the Submit & Edit Own permission. See "How do I upload a lien waiver manually?" for the attach step.
How do I upload a lien waiver manually, without the importer?
On Lien Waivers, click Add Waiver (or expand an existing waiver), pick the party, and click Attach document on the Invoice, Conditional Lien Waiver or Unconditional Lien Waiver slot. The Attach Lien Waiver Document dialog does the upload for you: under "Add a new document" choose the Draw package and the Checklist item (or "New lien-waiver item…" and name it), then drag the PDF or image in or click Choose file & upload — the file lands on that checklist item and attaches to the slot in one step. Below the divider, "or attach an existing document" lists waivers already on the checklist, searchable by name, party or draw. Pull from Staging brings in a staged file. The file must belong to an open draw package ("No open draw package" means create or reopen one), and uploading needs the Upload documents permission. Then fill the date and amount and save.
What do Open, Outstanding, Closed and Vendor mean?
A waiver is Open while it is still being collected. It becomes Outstanding when its package has been committed, or its draw package is approved or completed, and the unconditional waiver has not arrived yet — money went out without the final release. It is Closed once the unconditional waiver is received. Vendor marks a cost that needs no waiver at all (a materials receipt, for example), set with "requires waiver" off. The status is derived from the documents; you do not set it by hand.
How do I import invoices and lien waivers from the checklist?
Upload the invoices and waivers to a Document Checklist item with the Lien Waiver funnel ("GC/Subcontractor/Vendor Lien Waivers" by default) of an open draw package — Upload Packet splits a combined PDF into its documents, and the import pairs each invoice with its waivers itself. On Lien Waivers, click Import (it shows a count). The "Review invoices and lien waivers" modal walks through them card by card with Back, Not a waiver — skip, Review again and See the full list, then Confirm & Import. If something looks like a waiver already on file you get "Possible duplicate(s)" with Mark already on file, Keep reviewing or Import anyway. Each slot is tagged to the document's draw package as it is filled. Needs the Import permission and AI enabled.
Schedule & Key Dates
How is the Schedule page organised?
Schedule (sidebar) has one tab per property — the tabs come from the schedule tabs under each property in the Deal Structure Map on Deal Information; double-click a tab to rename it. Each tab has its own version timeline (drafts and committed versions), a Schedule Details card with the headline metrics, a Key Dates card and a Milestones card with a List / Gantt toggle. The header carries Upload Schedule / Import Schedule, the commentary bar, AI Review, the Reserve padlock, the auto-save toggle and Save Changes.
How do I get a construction schedule into COMPLY?
Two steps with one button. Upload Schedule sends the schedule file (PDF or export) to the Document Checklist item with the Schedule funnel — "Updated CPM Schedule" by default — and needs the Upload documents permission. The same button then reads Import Schedule with a count: click it, pick the document, and COMPLY extracts the activity table and derives the milestones and their dates into a draft. Importing needs the Import permission and AI enabled on the deal. You can also add milestones by hand.
Why are some key dates on the Schedule read-only?
There are two kinds. Deal key dates are entered on Deal Information → Key Dates and appear on every schedule tab with a badge; they are read-only here. Schedule key dates belong to this property and are editable in the Key Dates card with Add Key Date (needs Manage key dates). Both kinds are deal-level facts, not part of a draft: they do not change when you commit, revert or switch versions. Each shows a status chip — Completed, No date, n days overdue, Today or n days away.
Observations & Site Visits
How do I record a site visit?
Open Observations (sidebar) and pick the property tab. If the property has no report yet you will see "No observation report for this property" with Create New Draft; otherwise use + on the timeline. The Create New Observation Draft dialog asks for a Title (it fills in "Site Visit - date" until you change it), the Site Visit Date (required) and a Time. Fill in the Site Visit Details card, add observations and photos, then commit when the report is final. Creating a draft needs the Draft versions permission. You can also record visits on the iPhone app.
What are the observation categories and statuses?
Each observation has one of 14 categories: Schedule, Safety, Manpower, Quality, Materials on Site, Stored Materials, Progress vs Billing, Site Conditions, Weather Impact, Access / Logistics, Documentation, Permits / Inspections, Change Order Impact and General Comment. Every category except General Comment has four statuses with a colour — for example Quality: Acceptable Quality (green), Minor Deficiency (amber), Major Deficiency (red) and Not Verified (grey) — shown as a band on the card. Extra categories can be attached as flag chips. The iPhone app uses exactly the same list.
Photos & Videos
How do I upload photos to a deal?
Open Photos & Videos (sidebar). Tabs show All Media, Deal-Wide and one per property; pick where the photos belong, then click Upload Photo or drag several files onto the drop zone. Photos taken during a site visit arrive here automatically and carry that report's draw package; direct uploads land under Unassigned when you turn on "Group by draw package". Hover a tile for Set Cover (the deal's cover image) and Delete. Uploading and managing photos needs the Manage media permission.
Can I upload a video?
Not as a file. The Videos section takes links: paste a YouTube or Vimeo URL into "Add YouTube or Vimeo link". To keep a video private, upload it to YouTube with Visibility set to Unlisted, or to Vimeo with "Hide from Vimeo" on, so only people with the link (your lender, for example) can watch it. The Video Guidelines button on the page repeats these steps.
Commentary
What are deficiencies, watch items and comments?
Commentary (sidebar) is the deal's running list of things reviewers noticed. A Deficiency (red) is a problem that must be fixed; a Watch Item (orange) is something to keep an eye on; a Comment (blue) is a note for the record. Items are grouped in that order on the page and appear in the Draw Package Report. Background information about the deal is not commentary — that is Info Context on Deal Information.
How do I add a commentary item?
Click Add Commentary on the Commentary page, or Add comment in the commentary bar at the top of any module (Capital Plan, Schedule of Values, Schedule, Lien Waivers, Observations). Choose the type, write it up, pick who may see it, and save. The item is tied to the current draw package (the top-bar selector) — "A draw package must be linked before adding commentary" — and the package must still be open. Adding needs the Create permission on Commentary.
Versions, Drafts & Editing
How do drafts, committed versions, published versions and LIVE work?
Every financial and schedule module (Capital Plan, Schedule of Values, Schedule, Observations, Lien Waivers) uses the same lifecycle on its version timeline. A Draft is the only editable state. Commit Version freezes it into an immutable snapshot and asks how visible it is: Unpublished (internal only — not visible to portfolio or external stakeholders), Published (visible at portfolio level but does not replace the active version) or Published + Set as LIVE (becomes the version the deal shows to the outside world). The History row shows every version with Draft, Published, Not Published and LIVE pills. Observations and lien waivers have no LIVE tier — their newest published version is current.
Why are Commit, Publish or Set as LIVE greyed out for me?
Those actions are not part of the Write level. Write lets you create drafts and edit lines; Commit version, Publish version and Change live version — like Complete draw package, Record payment, Publish report, Share report, Edit all and Manage visibility — must be granted separately or come with Full Access on the module. Hover the dimmed control for the reason, or click it to see the Permission Required dialog, which names the permission; a Deal Admin grants it in Deal Settings → Users. A draft with no lines also cannot be committed.
Do I need to click Save?
It depends on auto-save. Settings (avatar menu) → Editing Preferences → Auto-save changes sets the default for the whole site; each editing page (Deal Information, Capital Plan, Schedule of Values, Schedule, Document Checklist and others) also has its own auto-save toggle next to Save Changes in the header. With auto-save on, edits are saved as you make them; with it off, click Save Changes before leaving the page. Leaving without saving discards unsaved edits.
It says someone else is editing. What does that mean?
Drafts have a single-editor lock so two people cannot overwrite each other. The lock is taken by the first real edit, not by opening the page, and held while you keep working. If someone else holds it you see "{name} is editing this …" with Request access; clicking it sends them "Someone wants to edit this" with a Keep editing choice, and you get "Request sent". The lock is released when the holder leaves, or silently after 15 minutes without activity (a 30-second countdown warns first). Losing the lock never throws away your edits. "You have this open in another tab" means your own other tab holds it — choose Leave it there or take over.
Why was I signed out?
COMPLY signs you out after 15 minutes without activity; a "still there?" countdown appears one minute before. The sign-in page then says "You were signed out due to inactivity". Saved work is kept, any edit lock you held is released on the same timer, and unsaved edits on a page with auto-save off are lost — so save before stepping away.
Approvals & Workflows
What are approval workflows?
A workflow is the ordered list of review steps a draw package goes through before it is approved. Templates belong to the company (Manage Companies → Workflows); COMPLY seeds three: Standard Draw Approval (Consultant Review → Lender Approval → Final Sign-Off), Simple Approval (Lender Review → Final Approval) and Multi-Party Draw Approval (Consultant → Lender → Sponsor Sign-Off → Final Approval). Each deal applies one template in Deal Settings → Approval Workflow. Approving is assignment-based — only the people assigned to a step can act on it — which keeps the person who submits separate from the people who approve.
How do I submit something for approval?
Only draw packages go through approval. On the Draw Packages page complete the package (the Complete chip lights up once every linked module is committed), then click the Submit chip on its row. The package shows In Review and appears under Pending My Review for the first step's reviewers. Submitting needs the Manage draw packages permission and a workflow applied to the deal. Change orders, budgets and pay applications are not submitted separately — they are approved as part of the package they are linked to.
Draw Package Reports & Sharing
How do I open a draw package report, and what do the chips mean?
Click Report on any row of the Draw Packages page. The toolbar shows the report status (Draft or Final) and, on an open package, a Live chip: "Assembled from the draw package as it stands right now — figures update as you edit it. Completing the package freezes them." Once published, a "Published v2 · name" chip appears, with "stale" added when the package changed after publishing; View in Documents jumps to the stored files. Completed packages open the frozen snapshot taken at completion.
What does Publish do, and what is "Publish again"?
Publish "renders the PDF and stores it in the deal's Documents (Published Reports), then finalizes the report" — two files when documents are attached (Report and Report + Attachments). On an open package it warns that the published figures are the package as it stands right now. Publish again offers two choices: "Create a new version — v3" (v2 stays listed as superseded and links already shared to v2 keep showing v2) or "Republish v2 — replace its files" (existing links now show the new files). You can give a version a name such as "Lender draft" or "Final to bank". Needs the Publish report permission, which is not part of the Write level.
How do I share a report with the lender or someone outside COMPLY?
Click Share (available once a version is published; needs the Share report permission). On the Share tab pick the file (Report or Report + Attachments), add Recipients — deal members are told in COMPLY, any other email address gets a link by email, or leave it empty to just copy a link — an optional Note that appears in the email and on the link page, and a Label such as "Sent to Bank of the West". Links expire in 30 days by default (up to 365, or Never if your company allows it). Options: "Send the email from COMPLY", "Tell the reader when a newer version has been published", a passcode (give it to the reader separately, never in the same message) and a download limit.
What does the person I share with see?
A public page (no COMPLY account needed). If you set a passcode they first see "This report is protected" and enter it. Then a card with the deal name, the report title, period, version and file, who shared it and when, your note, and two buttons: Download PDF and Open in browser. The footer says when the link expires, or that it does not expire but the sender can revoke it. If you published a newer version and turned on the notice, they see "A newer version of this report has been published — ask the sender for an updated link." A revoked or expired link shows "This link is not available".
AI Review & AI Findings
What does AI Review do?
AI Review reconciles the modules of a draw package against each other — for example the pay application against the budget, the change order register, the lien waivers, the schedule and the site observations — and writes up what does not tie out. Start it from the violet AI Review pill in a module header. In the dialog, tick the modules to include ("Anything you leave out is treated as deliberately out of scope and won't be flagged as missing"), choose what to compare against (This draw only, vs Previous draw, vs All draws), a depth (Cursory, Standard, Deep dive) and an optional focus, then Run AI Review. Findings are saved as pending for you to triage.
Why is AI Review greyed out?
Three prerequisites. The draft you are looking at must be linked to a draw package ("Link this draft to a draw package to run an AI review — findings attach to a draw package"). AI must be enabled for you on this deal — the AI Findings permission Run analysis. And because findings are saved as Commentary items, you need Commentary access including the Create permission: "AI findings are Commentary items — you need Commentary access (including permission to add items) to run a review." A module with no draft data yet is shown disabled in the dialog.
Which parts of COMPLY use AI?
Document Intake (Upload Packet) reads and classifies a draw packet; the importers extract pay applications, budgets, change order logs, schedules and lien waivers into drafts; compliance checks review each checklist document; AI Review reconciles modules for a draw; Label Photos captions observation photos; the Draw Package Report drafts its narrative; the risk score summarises deal health; Finn answers questions about a deal's data; and Brittany answers questions about using COMPLY. Every AI result is shown for a person to confirm — nothing is imported, filed or approved without a click. The Platform Disclaimer covers this.
Threads & Messaging
What is the Threads panel?
Threads is COMPLY's messaging. Inside a deal, click Threads in the sidebar or the Threads button in the bottom-right corner (it shows an unread badge) to open the panel. It has three tabs: your own threads (My Threads), Finn (the AI Deal Analyzer) and Brittany (Help Center). The open-in-new icon in the panel header pops Threads out into its own window. The panel needs access to the Threads module; the New Thread button needs Write on it.
Company, Team & Roles
Where do I manage my company?
Click your avatar and choose Manage Companies. If you belong to several companies the header is a switcher, and New Company creates another. The page has eight tabs: Company Info, Members, Permissions, Checklist Templates, Workflows, Deals, Billing and Reports. With no company yet you see "No Companies Yet" and a Create Company button; the dialog asks for the Company Name and the Platform (Lender or Developer / Consultant). Company settings that used to be under Settings now live here.
How do I invite someone to my company?
Manage Companies → Members → Invite opens "Add or Invite a Member": enter the Email Address and pick a Role (Super Admin, Admin or Member). The person gets an email with a join link; if they already have a COMPLY account they are added straight away. People can also find you from Profile → Request to Join a Company; their requests appear in Members with Approve and Reject. Inviting needs the company permission Invite Users; approving needs Approve / Deny Join Requests.
What are company roles, and what can each do?
Super Admin, Admin and Member. Super Admins always have every company permission. What Admins and Members may do is set in Manage Companies → Permissions → Role Defaults: Create Deals, Delete / Archive Deals, Invite Users, Approve / Deny Join Requests, Manage Deal Assignments, Manage Permission Templates, Manage Checklist Templates, View Audit Log, Export Data, Manage Billing and Manage Branding. Company roles govern the company; what someone can do inside a deal is a separate matter (deal roles and module permissions in Deal Settings).
Permissions & Access
How do permissions work?
Access is set per deal and per module. In Deal Settings → Users, each person has a level for every module — Blocked, Read, Write or Full Access — shown as chips for Deal Info, Draw Packages, Doc Checklist, Capital Stack & Budget, SOV, Schedule, Observations, Photos & Videos, Commentary, Lien Waivers, Threads, Users and AI Findings. Under each module are sub-permissions (Commit version, Import, Edit all and so on). A person's deal role picks a permission template as the starting point, and a Deal Admin can override any box. Company roles are separate and only govern the company itself.
What is a Deal Admin, and how is it different from a company Super Admin or a platform admin?
A Deal Admin is a switch on a person's user detail in Deal Settings ("Deal Administrator"). It gives full access to every module on that one deal and ignores their deal role ("Deal Administrators have full access — the Deal Role is not applied while this is on"); Deal Admins are the only ones who see Add Company and Add User. A company Super Admin is a company role (Manage Companies → Members) with every company permission — it does not by itself grant anything inside a deal. A platform admin is COMPLY staff with the Admin area. Even a Deal Admin cannot approve a draw unless assigned to a workflow step.
What happens when I don't have permission for something?
It depends on the level. Blocked hides the module: the sidebar item is dimmed with "blocked", clicking it opens the Permission Required dialog, and the page shows a "Section Blocked" state. Read shows everything as read-only text. With Write but a missing sub-permission, the specific button is dimmed; hovering explains why, and clicking opens Permission Required naming the permission with "Ask your Deal Admin to grant it". Dashboard widgets only show modules you can see.
How do I add someone to a deal?
Go to Deal Settings → Users (only a Deal Admin sees the buttons). Add Company is the preferred way: it gives the company a seat on the deal and its members get access through the seat, with their roles managed in one place. Add User adds one person directly — the dialog "Add a direct user?" explains the trade-off and offers Add company instead. The Add User to Seat dialog takes an email; people already on the deal show an Added chip. The person must already be in COMPLY (invite them to their company first from Manage Companies → Members).
Which actions need Full Access rather than Write?
Write gives the everyday editing permissions. These are switched off at Write and need Full Access or an explicit grant: Commit version, Publish version and Change live version (every versioned module), Complete draw package, Record payment, Publish report and Share report (Draw Packages), Edit all (editing other people's observations, lien waivers or commentary), Manage visibility (Commentary), Manage key dates and Manage deal info (Deal Info), Manage properties and Manage users. View log on Lien Waivers is on at Write. This is why a Write user sees dimmed Commit and Publish buttons.
Notifications
Where do I see my notifications?
Click the bell in the header (its badge counts items needing attention) for the quick list, or open the full Notifications page from it. The page has tabs All, Unread, Approvals, Messages, Team and Alerts, a Needs Action section for invitations, join requests and seat activations, Mark all as read, and per-row View and Delete; select several for bulk Mark read or Delete. Preferences (the gear) opens your notification settings.
How do I change my notification preferences?
Open Notifications → Preferences (or go to Settings → Notifications from the Notifications page; it is not on the main Settings page). Notification preferences has two groups: Email notifications, with Deal activity (draws, documents, approvals) underneath, and In-app notifications, with Mentions and direct messages and Concurrent editing alerts underneath. Changes are saved automatically. Emails go to the address you sign in with.
Account, Security & Settings
How do I update my profile?
Click your avatar in the top-right corner and choose Profile. Basic Information holds your photo (drop an image on the avatar or use the upload and remove buttons), First Name, Last Name and Phone; save with the button below. The Companies card shows your memberships, and Security holds the email and password changes.
How do I change my password or email address?
Profile → Security has two rows, each with a Change button. Change Password asks for your current password, the new one and a confirmation; other devices are signed out and you get a confirmation email. Change Email asks for the new address twice and your current password; a confirmation link goes to the new address and the change takes effect when you click it. If you cannot sign in, use "Forgot password?" on the sign-in page for a reset link.
How do I change the theme, font size or contrast?
Avatar menu → Settings → Accessibility & Display: Theme (Light or Dark), Font Size (four sizes) and a High contrast mode switch. The sun/moon icon in the header ("Switch to dark mode") flips the theme without opening Settings. Settings shows "Settings saved!" when a change is stored.
What is on the Settings page?
Three cards: Accessibility & Display (theme, font size, high contrast), Editing Preferences (the site-wide Auto-save changes default) and Support & Account (Contact support). Notification preferences are reached from the Notifications page, billing from Billing in the avatar menu, and company settings from Manage Companies — the page notes that "Company settings have moved to the Company page".
How do I join a company that already exists in COMPLY?
Profile → Companies → Request to Join a Company: search the company by name and click Request to Join. It appears in your list with a Pending chip until a company admin approves it under Manage Companies → Members, after which you inherit the company's deal seats. Your current memberships and their roles are listed in the same card.
How do I log out?
Click your avatar in the top-right corner and choose Logout at the bottom of the menu. COMPLY also signs you out automatically after 15 minutes without activity. On the iPhone app, Sign out is in Settings.
Is there two-factor authentication?
Not as a self-service setting yet — there is no place in Profile or Settings to enrol a second factor. If you sign in with Google, Google's own two-step verification protects your COMPLY sign-in, which is the recommended option today. Whether an account has multi-factor enabled is visible to COMPLY platform admins for the security score. Changing your password signs out every other device.
Can I sign in with Google, Microsoft or Apple?
On the web: Google, or email and password. On the iPhone app: Google, Microsoft, or email and password. There is no Sign in with Apple. Whichever you use, it is the same account — sign-in methods are matched by email address, and the app's "Forgot or no password yet?" link adds password sign-in to an account that was created with Google.
COMPLY iPhone App
How do I get started with the COMPLY iPhone app?
The COMPLY Site Visits app records site observations from the field. Sign in with Google, Microsoft, or your email and password — the same account as the web (there is no Sign in with Apple, and accounts are created on the web, not in the app). If you signed up with Google and want a password, tap "Forgot or no password yet?": the reset link opens the web page and adds password sign-in. Then pick a deal, a property and a draw package to reach the Site Visit hub with its SOV, Site visits and Plan segments. Connect once on each deal to load your permissions — until then editing is disabled.
How do I record a site visit on my phone?
In the Site visits segment tap New site visit (needs the Draft versions permission). Add observations using the same 14 categories and statuses as the web, take or attach photos, run Label with AI for captions (up to 12 photos per run) and use Tag to SOV line to tie a photo to a line item. The SOV segment shows the lines with search, a toggle between Billed this period and All lines, a totals card (this period, completed to date, % complete) and a note on which pay application it is reading (linked, draft, live or last committed). Everything is saved on the phone first and synced later.
How do photo spots and the guided camera work on the phone?
The Plan segment downloads the property's drawings so they open offline; pinch and pan, double-tap to zoom. Tap a pin for its spot sheet — Take photo here, Use library photo, Rename, Archive — or Add spot and tap the drawing to place a new one (it gets a provisional number until it syncs). The "Visit: … ▾" picker chooses which draft the photos go into. The guided camera ghosts the last photo taken at that spot and shows a heading indicator with turn-left/right hints ("Compass uncertain" when accuracy is low); the shutter never waits for GPS, and denying location never blocks a photo. Filled pins are the spots photographed on this visit ("1 of 3 spots photographed").
Does the app work offline, and how does sync handle conflicts?
Yes — every edit and photo is saved on the phone first and pushed through an outbox when you are online; photos upload in the background as reduced JPEGs (the original stays on the device until you clear it). Sync merges field by field: the server wins on fields you did not touch, your edits win on fields the server did not touch, and a field changed on both sides is shown on the Sync screen for you to choose Keep mine or Use theirs. If the report was committed or deleted on the web while you were offline, you get Copy changes to a new draft or Discard; if something you edited was deleted remotely, Restore it or Discard mine; failed items offer Retry or Discard. Nothing is ever dropped silently.
What can't the iPhone app do yet?
The app is for capturing site visits. You cannot commit or publish an observation report from the phone — finish the visit, sync, and commit on the web. A report cannot be linked to additional draw packages after it is created, deal-wide photos cannot be linked from the app, and then-and-now photo pairs in the report are not built yet. AI photo labelling is limited to 12 photos per run. Everything else — the Capital Plan, SOV editing, checklist, approvals, reports — is web only.
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