Change or reset the template

An inspection is created from a snapshot of the chosen template. This structure (sections, subsections, pre-filled content of Document-type subsections) is then frozen for that specific inspection. Lumos protects your data by avoiding conflicts between later template modifications and an ongoing inspection.

But there are cases where you want to switch an inspection to another template or reset the current structure. This page explains how, why this operation is destructive, and how to restore your data if you triggered it by mistake.

Why the snapshot

Three reasons:

Consistency — while writing a report, the structure does not change under your feet. Your narratives stay where you placed them; subsections keep their fields.
Data safety — modifying the structure of an already-filled report would create inconsistencies (orphan narratives, missing fields, broken references). Lumos prevents this scenario by freezing the structure.
Team — on a team account, an inspector can modify the template for their next inspections without affecting work a colleague has already started.

Future inspections created after a template modification will take the updated snapshot. Existing inspections keep their original snapshot.

When to change or reset

Some legitimate scenarios:

You created the inspection with the wrong template (for example a Pre-purchase template for a new building that requires a Pre-handover template).
You modified the template in Settings significantly and want the ongoing inspection to adopt the new structure.
You want to start over on a poorly started inspection, for example after a test or a demo.

How to proceed

The option lives on the inspection’s General Information page, in the Inspection column, on the Report Template field.

Click this field to open the list of available templates. Select the one you want to use. A Reset button appears.

Resetting or changing the template wipes all inspection data: descriptive fields, narratives, photos attached to narratives, services, tools, people, custom content of Document-type subsections.

The raw photos in the photo gallery are not deleted, but their attachment to sections and narratives disappears.

Since September 2026, the operation is no longer final: Lumos automatically creates a safety snapshot right before the wipe, kept for 90 days. See Restore archived data below.

Before clicking, still take time to:

Save what’s worth saving. If you wrote custom narratives you might reuse, save them in your bank (see Create a custom narrative).
Confirm the right new template. A second reset because of a template error costs double.
Pick the right time. A reset at end of day prevents the inspection from staying empty for long.

After the reset

The inspection restarts blank with the new template snapshot. You start over on structure, but:

The parent project is not affected.
The already-signed service agreement stays attached to the inspection.
The inspection number is preserved.
Photos in the gallery remain available to rebuild narratives.

Restore archived data

Every reset or template change creates a safety snapshot: confirmed narratives, drafts, captures, section responses and photo assignments. Snapshots are kept for 90 days, then deleted automatically.

To restore:

Go back to General Information > Report Template (the same field used to change templates).
At the bottom of the window, the Archived data section lists the available snapshots, with their date and contents (number of narratives, drafts, captures, photos).
Click Restore on the snapshot you want, then confirm.

Restoring merges — it never overwrites:

The snapshot’s narratives, drafts and captures are reinserted into the inspection.
Work done since the reset is fully preserved.
Photos get their original section back, unless you reassigned them in the meantime.

If you changed templates, a narrative whose subsection does not exist in the current template cannot be reinserted. Lumos then shows you the list of these unrestored narratives — they stay in the archive for 90 days. To recover them, switch the inspection back to the original template, then restore again.

If you reset twice in a row, the first snapshot (the one holding your work) is still in the list: rely on the narrative counts to pick the right one.

If you only want to modify the template for future inspections

This is the usual case and there is no risk. Modify the template in Settings > Report Template. Your future inspections will benefit. See Customizing report templates.