Managing leads and requests

The Requests feature lets your customers submit service requests through a public form. When a request is submitted, SortScape automatically creates or links a contact and property (if needed), and you’ll receive a notification so you can follow up quickly.

What are requests?

Requests provide a simple way for potential and existing customers to ask for your services without calling or emailing. You share a form link (or embed it on your website), and customers fill it out.

Key benefits:

• Capture leads 24/7, even when you’re not available.
• Automatically create contacts and properties in SortScape.
• Get notified immediately for faster follow-up.
• Let customers attach photos so you can understand the job before calling back.
• Convert requests directly into quotes or scheduled visits.
• Keep all customer inquiries in one place.

Setting up the form

Go to Settings > Requests in your SortScape account to configure your request form.

Your request form URL

You’ll see a unique URL for your request form. Share this link with customers or embed it on your website.

• Copy and share via email, text message, or social media.
• Add it to your website as a button or link.
• Embed the form directly on a page (the form is mobile-friendly and responsive).

Important: Keep this URL private. Anyone with the link can submit requests to your account. If you need to change it for security reasons, click Regenerate. Regenerating disables the old link, so you’ll need to update it everywhere you’ve shared it.

Address requirement setting

Choose whether customers must provide a service address when submitting a request:

• Enabled: Customers must enter an address (recommended for most businesses).
• Disabled: Address is optional (useful if your services don’t require a location).

Toggle this setting on or off in Settings > Requests.

Photo uploads setting

Choose whether customers can attach photos when submitting a request:

• Enabled: Customers can optionally add up to 5 photos on the external request form.
• Disabled: The photo upload section is hidden on the external request form.

Toggle this in Settings > Requests using Allow photo uploads on external request form.

Photo uploads are optional for customers. Supported formats include JPEG, PNG, and HEIC. Each photo can be up to 10 MB, and the total upload size for a request is limited to 25 MB.

For existing SortScape accounts, this setting is off by default after the update. Turn it on when you’re ready to collect photos from customers. For new accounts, photo uploads are on by default and can be turned off in settings.

Customizing button color

You can customize the color of the submit button on your request form to match your brand colors. This helps create a consistent, professional look when customers interact with your form.

To change the button color:

1. Go to Settings > Requests.
2. Find the Button color setting.
3. Click the color picker or enter a hex color code (e.g., #337ab7 for blue).
4. The button color updates automatically on your form.

The button color you choose will appear on both the standalone form page and when the form is embedded on your website. Choose a color that contrasts well with white text for best readability.

Sharing your request form

On your website:

• Add a “Request a Quote” or “Get Started” button that links to your form URL.
• Include the link in your footer or contact page.
• Create a dedicated “Request Service” page.

Via email or messaging:

• Include the link in your email signature.
• Send it in replies to inquiries.
• Add it to marketing emails or newsletters.

Social media:

• Post the link on your business profiles.
• Include it in your bio.
• Share it in response to customer messages.

Best practices:

• Make it easy to find—place the link prominently.
• Use clear call-to-action text like “Request a Quote” or “Get Started.”
• Test the form yourself to ensure a smooth experience.

The request form

The form includes your business logo at the top and has up to four sections:

Contact details

• First name and last name (required).
• Phone number (at least one contact method required).
• Email address (at least one contact method required).

Service location

• Street address with Google autocomplete (required if address requirement is enabled).
• City, state, and post code.

Service details

• A text area where customers describe what they need.

Photos (optional)

If photo uploads are enabled in Settings > Requests, customers see a Photos (optional) section below the service description.

• Click Add photos to choose one or more images from their device.
• Attach up to 5 photos per request.
• Submit the form without photos if they aren’t needed.

Photos are useful for showing damage, access issues, lawn condition, or other details that are hard to describe in text.

When a request is submitted

When a form is submitted, SortScape:

1. Creates or finds the contact: If the email or phone matches an existing contact, it links to that contact. Otherwise, it creates a new contact.
2. Creates or finds the property: If an address is provided, SortScape checks for an existing property for that contact; if none exists, it creates a new property record.
3. Creates the request: A new request is created with status New and includes the submitted details, including any photos.
4. Sends notifications: Email notifications are sent to:
   • Administrators who have “Notify me of new requests” enabled in their user settings.
   • The address configured in your Reply to email setting (if different from admin emails).
5. Stores photos: Any uploaded photos are saved on the request. Administrators may see photos inline in the notification email when size limits allow, and all photos are available when you open the request in SortScape.

The request appears immediately in your Requests list. You can view it, convert it to a quote or job, or add internal notes.

Managing requests

Go to Requests in the main navigation to see all customer requests.

Viewing your requests

The list shows:

• Customer name and contact information.
• Service address (if provided).
• Request description.
• Status (New, Processed, or Archived).
• Date submitted.

Filtering and searching

Use the search box to find requests by:

• Customer name.
• Email address.
• Phone number.
• Property address.
• Request description.

Use the status filter to view:

• All: Shows every request.
• New: Requests that haven’t been converted yet.
• Processed: Requests linked to a job or quote.
• Archived: Requests you’ve archived.

Understanding request statuses

• New: The request was just submitted and hasn’t been converted to work yet.
• Processed: The request has been linked to at least one job or quote; links remain so you can track its origin.
• Archived: The request is hidden from the default view; unarchive if needed later.

Converting requests to work

Open any request to view details and use the action buttons to convert it.

Schedule a quote visit

Creates a one-off job for providing a quote. The job description is pre-filled with the request details.

Steps:

1. Open the request.
2. Click Schedule quote [job type].
3. Fill in job details (date, time, staff, etc.).
4. Save the job.

The request links to the job and changes status to Processed.

Create a quote directly

If you can quote without visiting first, create a quote directly from the request.

Steps:

1. Open the request.
2. Click the dropdown next to Schedule quote [job type].
3. Select Create a quote.
4. Enter quote details and items.
5. Save the quote.

If the request includes photos, they appear in the quote attachment gallery when you create a quote from the request. Select which photos to include on the quote before saving.

The request links to the quote and changes status to Processed.

Create a one-off visit

For work that doesn’t need a quote first, create a one-off job.

Steps:

1. Open the request.
2. Click the dropdown next to the primary button.
3. Select Create one-off visit.
4. Enter job details.
5. Save the job.

Create a repeating visit

For ongoing service, create a repeating job.

Steps:

1. Open the request.
2. Click the dropdown next to the primary button.
3. Select Create repeating visit.
4. Configure the repeating schedule.
5. Save the job.

Timeline tracking

Once processed, the request shows a timeline of all jobs and quotes created from it, so you can track its progression through your workflow.

Request details

Contact information

See the customer’s name, phone number, and email address. Click the customer’s name to edit their contact details. If a phone number is present, you’ll see a Call button.

Additional contact information

If the submitted contact details differ from what you have on file, you’ll see a comparison:

• Current: Information already in SortScape.
• New: Information from the form submission.

Click Update Email or Update Phone to replace existing details with the new information.

Description

The full customer-provided description appears here.

Photos

If the customer or your team attached photos, they appear in a Photos gallery on the request.

• View thumbnails on the request detail page.
• Click a photo to open it full size.

When you create a request manually from Requests > Add request, you can attach up to 5 optional photos before saving. This is useful when taking a phone call or capturing site photos in the office. Your team can add photos manually regardless of the external form photo upload setting.

Internal notes

Add internal notes visible only to your team for follow-ups, special requirements, or other context.

Steps:

1. Open the request.
2. Click Edit.
3. Add notes in Internal notes.
4. Save.

Archiving and deleting requests

Archiving requests

Archive requests that aren’t a good fit or didn’t proceed. Archived requests are hidden from the main list and can be unarchived.

Archive:

1. Open the request.
2. Click the More menu (three dots).
3. Select Archive.

Unarchive:

1. Filter by Archived.
2. Open the request.
3. Click More.
4. Select Unarchive.

Deleting requests

Delete a request only if you’re sure you won’t need the information later.

Steps:

1. Open the request.
2. Click More.
3. Select Delete.
4. Confirm deletion.

Note: If a request has been processed (linked to jobs or quotes), consider archiving instead of deleting to preserve origin tracking.

Tips for success

• Respond quickly: Faster follow-up improves win rates.
• Enable photo uploads when helpful: For landscaping and similar work, photos often save a site visit or extra back-and-forth.
• Review photos in notification emails: New request emails include photos when possible, so admins can triage quickly without logging in.
• Use internal notes: Capture conversations and context for your team.
• Convert promptly: Don’t let requests pile up; convert to quotes or jobs as soon as you can.
• Check notifications: Ensure at least one admin has “Notify me of new requests” enabled.
• Keep the form link updated: If you regenerate the form URL, update it everywhere you’ve shared it.