AI assistant

How to use the AI assistant chat: ask it anything, give it files to read, and let it look up and change your FSMCore records, with every change waiting for your approval first.

What it is for

The AI assistant is a chat, like the AI chats you may already know. It answers questions, writes emails and texts, gives advice and reads documents, drawings, spreadsheets and photos of handwritten notes.

On top of that it can work in FSMCore for you. It can look up clients, sites, jobs, estimates, invoices and the price list, and it can create and change records: a new client, a draft estimate from your notes, an invoice issued and sent, workers deployed on a job.

Three things to know from the start:

• It uses your company's own AI account. Your company picks an AI provider and pastes its own key in AI setup. Your provider bills your company for what the assistant uses. See AI setup.
• It acts as you. It can do what you may do in FSMCore and nothing more. See What it can and cannot do.
• It never changes anything on its own. Every change is shown on a card first and happens only when you press Approve. See Approval cards.

Who can use it

AI assistant is at the top level of the office menu, not inside a group. It is shown only while the AI assistant switch is on for the company. The switch is on by default. An owner or admin turns it off or on in the company's feature switches, see Features.

A person who is only crew or only accountant does not see the page.

What a supervisor can do

A supervisor can chat, add files, search the web and:

• look up and change clients, sites, client contacts, site contacts, jobs, events, deployments and snags,
• check a VAT number and save company details on a client,
• deploy workers on a job,
• add a snag and change a snag's status,
• see and approve submitted time weeks,
• save files of the chat to a job.

A supervisor cannot archive or restore a client and cannot archive a snag. These stay with owners and admins, as in the rest of FSMCore.

Estimates, invoices, payments, crew invoices, the price list, suppliers, price list categories, tax rates, document numbering, company settings, people and storage are for owners and admins only. When a supervisor asks for one of these the assistant answers: "You do not have permission for this in FSMCore, so the assistant cannot do it for you either. Ask an owner or admin."

Before you start

The chat works once AI setup is complete. Until then the page shows Set up the AI assistant instead of the chat.

• An owner or admin sees: "The assistant uses your company's own AI account. A few short steps in Settings, AI setup:" with the steps:

  1. Choose your AI provider.
  2. Paste an API key from your provider.
  3. Choose a model. It is tested right away.
  4. Optional: Instructions for the AI.

  Under the steps: "An API key is billed by your provider per use. It is separate from a ChatGPT or Claude subscription." The button Open AI setup opens the setup page.

• A supervisor sees: "Ask your owner or admin to set up the AI assistant."

The setup itself is described on the AI setup page. Owners and admins also have a grey AI setup button at the top of the chat page.

The instructions tip

When setup is complete but nobody has written instructions for the AI yet, a blue bar says: "Tip: tell the AI about your company in Instructions for the AI." Owners and admins get the link Add instructions in AI setup beside it. Press the X to dismiss the tip. It is dismissed for you only and does not come back.

Start a chat

When you have no chat yet, the page says:

"Start a chat to ask the assistant anything: questions, writing, advice, looking things up. It can also read documents, drawings and spreadsheets, and build a draft estimate from your notes or photos of handwritten measurements."

"Your chat stays when you leave this page or reload it. Your chats and their files are kept until you delete them. Changes the assistant made stay, and are in the audit log."

Press New chat.

New chat is in three places: at the top of the page, beside Send, and on the bars described under Your chats. It always starts a fresh chat. It never ends or deletes the chat you had open: that chat stays in your list.

Example messages

An empty chat says "Type a message or add files. Or start with an example (click to fill the box):" and offers four examples:

• "Make an estimate for [client]: 40 m² ..."
• "Here is a tender email and documents: summarise our scope, draft an estimate and a reply"
• "Read this photo of my notes and make an estimate"
• "Find the address, tax number and website of [company] and add them to the client"

Clicking one puts the text in the message box. Nothing is sent until you change it to suit and press Send.

Send a message

1. Type in the message box. It says "Type or dictate. Tender documents, drawings, spreadsheets and photos of notes are welcome." A message can be up to 10,000 characters.
2. Add files if you need to, see Add files.
3. Press Send.

On a computer, Enter sends and Shift+Enter starts a new line. The page says so under the buttons: "Enter sends, Shift+Enter starts a new line." On a phone or tablet, Enter makes a new line. Use Send, or Ctrl+Enter or Cmd+Enter with a keyboard.

Your message appears in the chat at once with "Thinking..." under it, and the box clears. Send is greyed out only while files are still uploading. Beside the buttons you then see "Waiting for files to finish uploading". An empty message with no file is not sent.

What you type is kept in your browser for that chat until you send it, so a reload does not lose it. A double click on Send, or the page sending the same message again after a lost connection, stores it once and gets one answer.

The same text sent from a second tab or a second device is a new message of its own. While the assistant is still answering, the second one is refused: "The assistant is still answering. Wait for the reply first." After the reply it is stored and answered as a new message.

Under the box you see three lines:

• "PDF, photos, Excel, CSV and text: up to 20 files per message, 50 MB per file, 150 MB per chat. Uses your company's own AI account." The figure per file can be lower when your server accepts less. The page always shows the real figure.
• "Ask anything. The assistant can also change your FSMCore records, including issuing and sending invoices, after you approve each change."
• "Your chats and their files are kept until you delete them."

Type while the assistant works

The box stays open while the assistant works. It then says "Type your next message. It is sent when the assistant has answered."

A message you send in that time waits in the chat with a dashed border and the line "Waiting: sent when the assistant has answered." It goes by itself when the answer is in. Cancel takes it back into the box.

If an approval card is waiting, the message is held instead. See Send a message while a card waits.

While it works

While the assistant works you see moving dots, what it is doing now and the time since you pressed Send. The steps are:

After 10 seconds the line "Working on it. You can leave this page; the answer will be here and you get a bell when it is ready." appears. After 2 minutes without a new step you also see "Still working (last step 3 min ago)."

While the assistant waits on your AI provider, or goes through your files in smaller parts, the bubble also says "This updates by itself; you do not need to reload." This is while you see "Your AI account allows a limited amount per minute; continuing in 15 s.", "The AI provider is overloaded right now (their side); trying again in 15 s." or "That was too much to read in one go. I will go through the files in parts."

The page updates by itself. You do not need to reload.

Long replies carry on by themselves

A reply runs on the server, not in your browser. It carries on when you leave the page, reload it, close the tab or switch apps. The chat you have open is part of the page address, so a reload opens the same chat again.

Every minute FSMCore also checks for replies that could not finish in one go, or that stopped, and carries them on. You do not have to do anything. If a reply still cannot finish, the chat says so and offers Send again, see Common mistakes.

Bells

When a reply took 60 seconds or longer you may have left the page, so you get a notification on the bell. Only you get it. No email is sent.

Both have the button Open the chat, which opens that chat.

Replies

Replies are laid out with headings, lists, tables and links. A wide table scrolls sideways inside the reply on a phone. Links open in a new tab, so the chat stays open.

When the assistant searched the web, "Sources:" under the reply lists the pages it used, as links.

Every reply has a Copy button. It copies the reply as plain text and shows "Copied" for a moment.

Your chats

Once you have two or more chats, the list Your chats (N) is shown above the chat.

• It holds only your own chats in this company. Nobody else sees them, and you see nobody else's.
• The chat with the newest activity is first. There are 10 chats per page, with Newer, Older and "Page 1 of 3".
• Each row has a tick box, the title, the time of the last activity, a pencil to rename and Delete.
• The chat you have open is highlighted.
• Click a title to open that chat with its messages. Files you had added but not sent yet are shown again.

Marks on a chat

Search chats

Type in Search chats. It finds chats by title, where words can be in any order and small typing mistakes are forgiven. It also finds chats where the typed phrase is in one of your messages or in a reply. When nothing matches you see: No chat matches "...".

Chat titles

A chat is named from the first words of your first message at once. After the first answer, your company's AI model gives it a short title of at most 60 characters. This is one small extra request on your company's AI account. A chat that has a message never shows as "New chat".

Continue or start new

When you come back to a chat after 60 minutes or more, a blue bar asks: Continue "(title)" (last message 17 hours ago), or start a new chat? Press Continue to carry on, or New chat.

Old chats

A chat whose first message is 7 days old or more shows: "This chat is getting old. A new chat gives better answers." with a New chat button. It is only a hint. You can keep using the chat.

Rename a chat

1. In Your chats, press the pencil beside the chat.
2. In the window Rename chat, change Title. It is required and can be up to 120 characters.
3. Press Save.

A title you gave is never replaced by an automatic one.

Delete a chat

There are three ways.

• The chat you have open: press Delete chat at the top of the page. The window Delete "(title)"? says: "Deleting the chat permanently deletes its messages and the files you uploaded. Your other chats stay. Records the assistant created or changed stay as they are, and every change is in the audit log as "via AI assistant"." Press Delete chat. You see "Chat deleted" with "Its messages and files are deleted."
• One chat in the list: press Delete on its row. The window says: "Deleting a chat permanently deletes its messages and the files you uploaded to it. Records the assistant created or changed stay as they are, and every change is in the audit log as "via AI assistant"." Press Delete chat. You see "Chat deleted" with "Their messages and files are deleted."
• Several chats: tick them, then press Delete selected (N). The window "Delete 3 chats?" has the same text. Press Delete chats. You see "3 chats deleted" with "Their messages and files are deleted."

Deleting cannot be undone. The records the assistant created or changed are not touched.

Chats are kept until you delete them

Nothing deletes a chat by itself, however old it is. The assistant cannot delete a chat or its files. Only you delete your own chats.

There is one exception. When an owner or admin presses Remove key in AI setup, every open chat of the company is ended, with its messages and files. See AI setup.

Add files

Press Add files and pick one or more files. Then type your message and press Send. You can also send files with no text.

File types

Anything else is refused: "Unsupported type: .docx. Use PDF, photos, Excel, CSV or text."

File limits

• Up to 20 files per message.
• Up to 50 MB per file, or less when your server accepts less. The line under the box shows the real figure.
• Up to 150 MB of files per chat.

Each file is checked in your browser before it is sent and again on the server. The files of your chats also count in your company's storage. When the company's storage is full, a message with files is refused with "Storage full: clean up in Settings > Storage, or upgrade."

The file list

Each file you picked is listed under the message box with its name, its size and its state:

Retry is shown where trying again can help. The X removes a file from the message.

A sent message shows "2 files attached" under its text.

When files did not upload

A red line says how many: "2 files did not upload: see the red files below. Files with a tick are uploaded."

If you press Send anyway you are asked "2 files did not upload. Send without them?" with Send anyway and Cancel. After Send anyway the message shows "Not sent (did not upload): names", and the assistant is told that those files did not reach it.

Files and a reload

Files that finished uploading but were not sent yet are kept on the chat. They are shown again after a reload or when you come back to the chat. A file that was still uploading when you left shows "(name) did not finish uploading before you left the page. Add it again."

The same file twice

The same file picked twice is sent once, also when the second copy has another name. The second one shows "Same file as (name), skipped."

Large photos

A JPEG or WebP photo larger than 2560 pixels on its long side is made smaller, to 2560 pixels, before it is stored and sent. Other photos are kept as they are.

How files are read

• Photos and PDFs go to your AI provider as they are.
• Excel, CSV and text files are read by FSMCore and sent as text. At most 300,000 characters are read from one file. The rest is cut, and the assistant is told so.
• A file that cannot be opened is refused: ""(name)" could not be read. Check that it opens, or save it as CSV or PDF."

A PDF needs a provider that can read PDFs: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Mistral, xAI or OpenRouter. With another provider a PDF is refused, see Common mistakes.

Large files are read in parts

Every AI model can read only so much at once. When your files are more than that, the assistant goes through them in parts, a PDF by page ranges. You see "Reading part 2 of 5 (Spec.pdf, pages 40 to 108 of 262)". It takes notes from each part and answers from its notes.

At most 24 reading parts are done for one message. What does not fit is listed to the assistant as not read. Send those files again in the next message.

A PDF that is only scanned pictures has no text in it. It can only be read by a provider that reads PDF pages.

Some PDFs cannot be cut into page ranges. The assistant then reads only the text of those pages, and the chat tells you so with a line for each page range: "(file), pages 1 to 100 of 230: this PDF could not be split into page ranges, so only the text on these pages was read. Scanned pages, pictures and drawings on them were not seen. Upload the file in smaller parts (fewer pages per file)." The assistant is told the same, so it does not answer as if it had seen those pages. See Files.

Files in later messages

A file is sent in full once, with the message it came with. Later messages do not send it again, except a photo or PDF that you name again in a message without files, while it fits. The assistant works from its notes and can look into the files of this chat again when it needs to:

• list the files of the chat,
• read part of one: a PDF by pages, a spreadsheet by sheet and rows, a CSV or text file by lines,
• search the text of the files for words.

It reaches only the files of this chat, never those of another chat. A photo has no text to read this way. There is a limit to how much it reads back in one answer. Past that it says more can be read in the next message.

Where the files are kept

Files you add to a chat are kept privately with that chat until you delete the chat. They are not job attachments and nobody on site sees them. Under Settings, Storage, they are counted in the section AI chats. When an owner or admin deletes a chat file there, it leaves the chat at once: the assistant can no longer read it, and the message it came with says "(1 deleted in Storage)". Restoring it from the bin gives it back to the chat.

To keep files after the chat is gone, ask the assistant to save them to a job. See Jobs and crew.

Approval cards

The assistant never writes anything on its own. Looking things up needs no approval. Every change is shown on a card first, and nothing happens until you press Approve.

A card shows:

• "Your approval is needed. Nothing is changed until you approve." when it is the only card.
• A red warning line, when the change is a red one. See Red cards.
• The title, for example "Create a new client: Acme Building" or "Change job Block C fit-out".
• One line per field as "Field: old -> new", for example "Email: old@acme.ie -> new@acme.ie". An empty side is shown as "-".
• Open the PDF, on cards that issue, send or void an estimate or invoice. See Open the PDF.
• Asked: "...", when the assistant passed on what you asked for. This line only helps you see why the card is there. FSMCore does not check it and it changes nothing.
• The buttons Approve and Reject.

Both buttons stop working after the first click, so a double click never does anything twice.

Approve

Press Approve. The change is carried out, and a green line in the chat says what was done, for example "Created client Acme Building". Most lines have an Open link to the record: the estimate, invoice, client, site, job, event, person, tax rate, document numbering or crew invoice, or the Price list, Suppliers, Company settings or the list of crew hours. The assistant replies once every card of that request is answered.

When you approve, the card is built again from the record as it is at that moment. If someone changed or deleted the record after you saw the card, nothing is written. The assistant is told to show you a new card and to say: "This was changed since you saw the card; here is the new card."

On a card for a draft, the number is only a preview: "INV-0042 (the next free number, given on Approve)". The real number is given when you approve.

Reject

Press Reject. Nothing is changed.

When every card is answered and none was approved, the chat shows "Rejected: nothing was changed. The assistant gets your answer with your next message." and is ready for your next message at once. Nothing is sent to your AI provider for this.

Several cards at once

When the assistant asks for several changes in one go, a line above the cards says: "The assistant asks for 3 changes. Each has its own card: approve or reject each one. Nothing is changed until you approve it." With a batch card among them it says: "The assistant asks for 50 changes on 2 cards. Approve or reject each card. Nothing is changed until you approve it."

Answer each card with its own buttons. An approved change is carried out right away while the other cards still wait.

If the assistant asks for exactly the same change twice in one go, there is one card and the change is made once at most.

One card per document

Estimates, invoices, crew invoice approvals and payments are never put together on one card. Each new draft, each change to a draft, each delete, issue, send, void, approval and payment is its own card.

A card for a new draft names the document in its title, for example "Draft invoice: Prep and fit (Athlone), 8 lines, EUR 4,368.50". It lists the client, site and job, every line with its quantity, price and VAT, then the net, VAT and total, and ends with "It stays a draft with no number until you issue it." A card that changes a draft lists the lines added, changed and removed and the totals "After this change".

Send a message while a card waits

A message you send while cards wait is held with the line: "Not sent yet: answer the approval card first, or send it now. Send now leaves the open cards unapproved: nothing is changed for them." You can:

• answer the cards, and the message goes by itself after that,
• press Send now: the open cards are closed without approval and your message is sent,
• press Cancel: the message goes back into the box.

After Send now the chat shows "The approval card was not approved: you sent a new message instead. Nothing was changed for it." With several cards it says "The 3 approval cards were not approved: you sent a new message instead. Nothing was changed for them."

Red cards

A card that does something you cannot easily take back is red, with a red warning line and a red Approve button. Read these with extra care.

Cards for estimates and invoices carry the exact sentence in place of the general one:

• "This issues estimate E-0012. It cannot be undone, only voided."
• "This issues invoice INV-0042. It cannot be undone, only voided."
• "This issues invoice INV-0042 and emails it to accounts@acme.ie. It cannot be undone, only voided."
• "This emails invoice INV-0042 to accounts@acme.ie. An email cannot be called back."
• "This voids invoice INV-0042. It stays on record as void."

Creating a record is never red because of its prices. Changing a record is red with "This changes money" only when an amount that was already filled in changes.

Batch cards

Two or more changes of the same kind in one go are put on one card with a table. The title says what and how many: "Add 48 price list items", "Change 12 clients", "Delete 3 sites".

• Each row is one change. It has a tick box, a number, Item (the record) and a column per field.
• A value that replaces one that is there now is shown as "old -> new" in amber.
• A red change has a red row. The warning above the table says how many: "This changes money: 3 of 48 rows, marked in red." or "This deletes: all 3 rows."
• A line under the title counts the rows: "48 rows. 48 of 48 ticked. Untick a row to leave it out."
• A long table scrolls inside the card. The header stays in view.

All rows start ticked. Untick the rows you do not want. The tick box in the header ticks or unticks all rows.

• Approve N carries out the ticked rows only. The button counts them. Unticked rows are left out, and nothing is changed for them.
• Reject all changes nothing.

Approve needs at least one tick. With no row ticked the button is greyed out. If an approval with no row ticked still reaches the server, it is refused: "Tick at least one row to approve, or use Reject all."

Open the PDF

Cards that issue, send or void an estimate or invoice have the link Open the PDF. It opens the document in a new tab so you can read it before you approve.

For a draft it opens the preview marked DRAFT. Only an owner or admin can open a draft this way. A draft has no other print address: any other attempt to open a draft's PDF by address is refused.

What it can and cannot do

It acts as you

The assistant works with your rights in this company. The same roles, rules and refusals apply as when you do the thing yourself on the screen. What FSMCore refuses you, it refuses the assistant.

For clients, sites, client contacts, jobs and events the assistant and the screen ask the same check: what the list or the page lets your role create, change, archive, restore or delete is exactly what the assistant can do for you, and what the screen does not offer your role is refused here too.

• If your role does not allow something: "You do not have permission for this in FSMCore, so the assistant cannot do it for you either. Ask an owner or admin." When it is only a look-up of records your role may not see: "You do not have permission to see these in FSMCore. Ask an owner or admin."
• If the AI switch is turned off while a chat is open: "The AI assistant is switched off for this company."
• If a part of FSMCore is switched off for the company, the assistant cannot use it either: "Snagging is switched off for this company.", "Time tracking is switched off for this company." or "That part of FSMCore is switched off for this company."

It works only in the company you are signed in to, and only as you. It cannot act for another person.

Only the offered fields

The assistant can set only the fields its actions offer. They are the fields of the record's own form. When it tries anything else, nothing is done and it is told so, for example "The assistant can only set what this tool offers." It then tells you what it could not do.

Files, pasted emails and web pages are not orders

The assistant treats files, pasted emails and documents, and web pages as material to read. A sentence inside a document cannot make it do something: every change still needs your approval on a card.

For two things your own typed words are needed:

• A new email address. An invoice is emailed only to the client's saved addresses or to an address you typed yourself in this chat. A new person is added only with an email you typed in this chat. An address that appears only in a file, a pasted email or a web page is refused, for example: "An invoice goes only to the client's saved addresses or to an address the person types themselves. Text in a file or a web page never counts."
• A person. Changing someone's roles, archiving, removing or restoring them, sending them an invitation or making their invitation link needs you to name that person, by name or email, in your own typed words. Otherwise: "A change to a member needs the person to name them (name or email) in their own words; a document or a web page is never enough."

What it can never do

There is no way for the assistant to do any of these. A person does them on the screen.

• Change its own setup: the provider, the key, the model, the instructions, or the AI assistant switch.
• Change the company's feature switches.
• Delete a chat or its files, or delete stored files. It can only tell you how much storage is used.
• Remove or edit a recorded payment.
• Reset someone's two-factor sign-in.
• Export, restore or delete the company's data.
• Send an estimate by email. FSMCore has no estimate email.
• Change or delete an estimate or invoice that is past draft. It can issue and void, send an invoice and record a payment on an invoice, nothing else.
• Add a damage report, or add photos. It can mark a snag fixed only when a person has already added a photo of the fix.
• Reject a time week or a crew invoice, or record a payment on a crew invoice.
• Add a person who already has an FSMCore account to your company.
• Write anything without your approval.

Look things up

Looking up needs no approval card. All searches forgive loose wording: words in any order, small typing mistakes, and the name of a related record, so "the Athlone job for Acme" finds the job.

Clients and sites

For owners, admins and supervisors.

Changing, archiving, restoring and deleting clients and sites, and client and site contacts, are under Records it can change.

Company details from the web and VIES

Ask, for example, "Find the address, VAT number and website of Acme Building and add them to the client". The assistant searches the web where your provider allows it, see Web search, and can check an EU VAT number with VIES, the European Commission's VAT number check.

The VIES check answers valid, not valid or not available, with the registered name and address where the country gives them. It needs a number that starts with a country code, for example IE. This check exists only in the assistant. The client form has no VAT number check.

The details it can save on a client are Address, VAT number, Registration number (records only), Email, Phone and Website. The rules:

• Every field needs its own source: a web link, or "VIES" for a checked VAT number. A field without a source is not saved. The card shows the source beside each value.
• Nothing is saved before you approve the card.
• A VAT number is checked with VIES before it is saved. A number VIES calls not valid is never saved. A number whose only source is VIES must be valid there.
• A field that already holds a different value is not replaced by this card. The card says "Already filled, NOT replaced now (asks you again)" with the old and the new value.

To replace those filled fields, tell the assistant to do so. You get a second card, "Replace existing details of client (name)", with each field as old -> new and its source. It can only carry the values from the first card, and it must follow within 2 hours. A field that someone changed in the meantime is left alone.

Records it can change

The assistant can create, change, archive, restore and delete the records below, with the fields of each record's own form. The record's own rules still apply on every save, exactly as on the screen.

New deployments are made with "deploy workers" and new snags with "add a snag", see Jobs and crew. Snags are offered only while snagging is switched on.

The fields

Words such as VAT follow your company's own wording.

Things to know:

• Invoice due days on a client must be between 1 and 365. Empty means the company default.
• A site must belong to the client, and a job to the site and client, the same as on the forms.
• A supplier named on a price list item that your company does not have yet is shown on the card as "(new supplier)". Approving creates it.
• Estimates valid for (days) and Invoices due after (days) take 0 to 365.
• In document numbering, Next number is a whole number, 1 or more, and Digits is 0 to 10, the same as on the screens.

The cards

Several of the same kind in one go become one batch card.

What is refused

• A change that changes nothing: "Nothing changes: the (record) already has these values."
• Archiving or restoring a client as a supervisor: "Only an owner or admin can archive a client or restore it from the archive." The Clients list does not offer a supervisor Archive either.
• Clients, sites, client contacts, jobs and events follow the same check as their screens. Owners, admins and supervisors can create, change and delete them, and archive and restore sites and jobs, on the screen and through the assistant alike. Deleting one moves it to the deleted records, where it can be restored. Deleting a client or a site for good is not something the assistant can do.
• A snag that is open and has no photos is deleted, not archived. A snag that is not open or has photos is archived, not deleted, and only by an owner or admin: "Only an owner or admin can archive a snag."
• A supplier with price list items is archived, not deleted.
• Anything the record's own rules refuse on the screen is refused here too.

Estimates and invoices

For owners and admins only. The assistant writes and changes drafts only. An estimate or invoice past draft can be issued, sent or voided, never edited or deleted by the assistant.

Draft estimates

A draft estimate is for a client, with a site and a job if you name them. The whole document is one card: the texts at the top and bottom, the valid until date, whether each heading section gets a subtotal, and every line. Lines can be:

• a heading,
• an item with quantity, unit, unit price and VAT rate,
• a rate-only line: a price with no quantity,
• a line still to be priced, shown as TBC. It counts in no total.

A line can come from the price list, which fills its description, unit, price and VAT. The card marks it "(price list)". Without a VAT rate the company's default rate is used.

The card ends with the net, VAT and total. With TBC lines it adds, for example, "2 lines are TBC (no price yet): not in the total, and the estimate cannot be issued until priced."

Changing a draft is one card too: lines to add, with their place if you give one, lines to change and lines to remove, and the texts and date, with the totals after the change.

A deleted draft goes to the deleted records. An owner or admin can restore it in FSMCore.

Issue or void an estimate

Issuing gives the estimate the next number and marks it sent. The card shows client, site, number, date, valid until, net, VAT and total, and the line "Email: FSMCore does not email estimates". The assistant cannot email an estimate.

An estimate with a TBC line is not issued: "Not issued: 1 line has no price yet (TBC): ... Give each a price (without a quantity it becomes a rate-only line) or remove it, then issue."

Only an issued estimate can be voided. It keeps its number and stays on record as void.

More on estimates: Estimates.

Draft invoices

A draft invoice is always for a job. The card names the client, site and job, so a wrong match is easy to spot and reject. Every invoice line needs a price: an invoice has no TBC lines.

When your company keeps a list of invoice categories for the accountant, the card has a line "Category: Labour". If you name no category, the company's default is used. With no default the card says "Category: none (your accountant sees it as Uncategorised)". A change to a draft shows "Category: old -> new". A name that is not on the company's list is refused.

Invoice from an estimate

Ask "Create an invoice according to EST-0012" and the assistant drafts the invoice the way the estimate's Create invoice button does. It works only for an estimate that is accepted and has its job: otherwise it tells you what to do first ("Only an accepted estimate can be converted to an invoice." or "Convert this estimate to a job first; an invoice must belong to a job."). It never accepts an estimate or makes its job by itself.

• Deposit: a percentage of the estimate, 30% unless you say another, for example "a 50% deposit". One line per VAT rate, so the VAT is right on a mixed estimate. A reverse charge on the estimate carries over.
• Final: every line of the estimate, less a "Less deposit paid" line for each deposit invoice already issued on the job.

When no deposit is issued on the job yet, the assistant proposes the deposit; when one is, the final. You can ask for the other one or another percentage.

The card is titled, for example, "Deposit 30% invoice from estimate EST-0012: Acme Builders, EUR 340.50". It shows the kind, the estimate and its total, the client, site and job, every line, the net, VAT and total, and for a final "Deposits deducted: INV-0040 (€340.50)". Nothing is created until you approve. The invoice is a draft with no number.

Issuing it, and sending it, is the next card: "Create an invoice according to EST-0012 and send it" gives the deposit card, then "Issue and send invoice for (client)".

Issue, send or void an invoice

Issuing gives the invoice the next number and marks it sent. An invoice with a total of 0.00 is marked paid at once. The card shows client, site, number, date, due date, net, the VAT per rate or the reverse charge, the total and Open the PDF. Later changes to an issued invoice are recorded in its History.

You can ask to issue and send in one go. That is one card: "Issue and send invoice for (client)". Without sending, the card says "Email: not sent (issue only)".

Sending is offered for an issued invoice that is not void. Who gets the email:

• Contacts you name, by name or role. They are matched only among the client's own email and the saved contacts of that client.
• Addresses you type in this chat. With named contacts they are added. With none named they are the only recipients.
• If you say nothing, the client's one address.

The card lists each address as "Email to:" with where it comes from: "(client email)", "(contact)" or "(you typed it)". Internal copies go to the addresses in Settings, Company, Notifications, by your company's setting unless you say otherwise, and are listed too.

The assistant never guesses. When a name matches nobody, matches several contacts, the contact has no email, or the client has several addresses and you named none, nothing is sent and it asks you which. An address you typed that is not saved on the client is used for that one email. The assistant may offer to save it as a contact. That is a separate card.

While the company's emails are switched off, sending is refused: "Emails are switched off for this company (Settings > Company > Features). The invoice was not sent." Issue and send in one go is then refused as a whole, and the invoice is not issued either. Ask to issue it without sending.

An invoice can be voided when it is issued and not paid: "A paid invoice cannot be voided." The one exception is an invoice with a total of 0.00 that is paid with no payment on it: it can be voided. A void invoice keeps its number.

More on invoices: Invoices.

Money and approvals

All three are red cards with "This changes money".

Record a payment

Tell the assistant the total received to date on the invoice, not only the new amount. It records the difference as a payment, and the invoice's status follows by itself. The card shows "Paid to date: old -> new", the payment date, the method and the invoice total.

The assistant only adds payments. A total lower than what is already recorded is refused and nothing is written: "Not done: the assistant only adds payments. (amount) is already recorded as paid to date on this invoice, and a lower total would take a payment back. A wrong payment is corrected by an owner or admin on the invoice itself: Payments, then Remove payment or Edit payment." The same goes for a lower RCT deducted to date.

• Only on an issued invoice: sent, part paid or paid. Otherwise: "Payments are recorded on issued invoices only."
• The payment date is today unless you give one. The method is bank transfer unless you name another. You can add a reference and notes.
• Where the company uses RCT, you can also give the RCT deducted to date, the rate and the authorisation. With RCT switched off these are refused.
• If the total is already what you say: "No change: paid to date is already ..."

The assistant cannot remove or edit a payment, and it never writes a minus payment. An owner or admin corrects a wrong payment on the invoice. See Payments.

Approve a crew invoice

Only a submitted crew invoice can be approved. The card shows "Status: submitted -> approved" and "Approved crew invoices are costs to pay." with the total.

Approve a time week

Only while time tracking is switched on, and only an employee's submitted week. The card shows the hours and "Approved hours count as job costs at their cost rate."

Jobs and crew

For owners, admins and supervisors. None of these cards is red.

To change or delete a single deployment, or change a snag's details, see Records it can change.

People

For owners and admins only.

Rules:

• A new person needs a name, an email you typed in this chat, and at least one role: owner, admin, supervisor, crew or accountant. An employee needs an hourly cost rate.
• Adding a person never sends an invitation. Ask for the invitation email or the link as a separate step.
• An email that already has an FSMCore account is refused. A person adds an existing account to your company on the screen.
• Your plan's limit on people applies to adding, restoring and giving another role to a person who has only Accountant (people with only Accountant are free): "Your plan allows 3 people. Upgrade to add more." While the company has more people than the plan allows, an invitation email or link is refused with the same sentence.
• A company always keeps at least one owner or admin: "A company needs at least one owner or admin. Give someone else the owner or admin role first."
• A person with invoices or submitted hours can only be archived. A person with none is removed. The assistant is refused the wrong one of the two.
• You cannot archive or remove yourself.
• An archived person gets no invitation: restore them first.
• For roles, archive, remove, restore and invitations you must name the person in your own typed words, see What it can and cannot do.

More on people: People and Inviting people.

Web search

The assistant can search the web only through your AI provider's own search. That works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI and OpenRouter. With another provider the assistant tells you it cannot search the web.

It makes at most 5 searches for one request. Your provider bills each search. The pages it used are listed under the reply as "Sources:".

What happens after

• Every change the assistant makes is recorded like a change you made yourself: in your name, marked "via AI assistant". For estimates, invoices and crew invoices you see it in the document's History.
• A change made through the assistant goes through the same rules as the same change on the screen. For example, a person a snag is assigned to is notified, and an issued invoice takes the next number.
• Records the assistant created or changed stay when you delete the chat.
• The chat and its files stay until you delete the chat.

Common mistakes

Messages

Approval cards

Files

Messages from your AI provider

The provider's own technical text is never shown in the chat. FSMCore turns it into one of these messages.

Other things to know

• The assistant asks instead of acting. When a name fits several records, or an invoice could go to several addresses, it asks you which one. Answer in the chat.
• A card you did not expect. Read it and press Reject if it is not what you meant. Nothing is changed.
• The chat is missing from the menu. The AI assistant switch is off for the company, or your role is crew or accountant only.
• Answers get worse in a very long chat. Start a New chat. The old one stays in your list.