How can we help your agency?

After your account is created by Agency Dispatch, you'll receive an email invitation. Click the link to set your password and you'll be taken to the Agency Dispatch dashboard.

1. Open your invitation email and click Set Up Account.
2. Choose a secure password and confirm it.
3. You'll land on the Dispatcher dashboard — your home base for all cases.

Agency Dispatch uses role-based access control. Each role determines what a user can see and do:

• Admin — Full access. Can manage users, agencies, billing, and all settings.
• Manager — Can create and manage all cases, assign staff, invite clients, and view reports.
• Dispatcher — Can create cases, assign jobs, log attempts, and communicate with clients.
• Field Agent — Can view assigned cases, log service attempts, and upload documents.
• ClientContact — Client portal access only. Can view their cases, submit intake requests, and message the agency.

The Dispatcher dashboard is your main workspace. The left sidebar contains all navigation:

• Dashboard — Overview of active cases, recent activity, and alerts.
• Cases — All process serving and investigation cases. Filter by status, type, or assignee.
• Clients — Manage client accounts and send portal invitations.
• Intake — Review and approve client service requests.
• Reports — Export case data and activity logs.

Click any case row to open the full Case Detail view with tabs for notes, documents, attempts, and billing.

Agency Dispatch uses a three-level timezone system so dates and times always display correctly for your location:

1. System default — Central Standard Time (CST). Used when no other preference is set.
2. Agency timezone — An agency owner or admin can set a default timezone for the entire agency under Agency Settings → General. All staff inherit this setting unless they set their own.
3. User timezone — Each individual user can override the agency setting in their own profile. This is the highest priority and only affects that user's view.

To set your personal timezone:

1. Click your name in the top-right corner and select Account Settings (or go to Profile).
2. Scroll down to the Time Zone dropdown in the Personal Info section.
3. Select your timezone from the list and click Save Profile.

To set the agency-wide timezone (admins only):

1. Go to Agency Settings → General.
2. Select a timezone from the Time Zone dropdown.
3. Click Save General Settings. All staff without a personal preference will use this timezone.

1. Click Cases in the left sidebar.
2. Click the + New Case button in the top right.
3. Select the case type: Process Serving or Investigation.
4. Fill in the subject information, service address, court details, and any special instructions.
5. Assign a field agent or leave unassigned for now.
6. Click Create Case. The case is assigned a unique case number automatically.

1. Open the case from the Cases list.
2. In the Case Detail view, find the Assigned To field in the case summary panel.
3. Click the field and select a staff member from the dropdown.
4. Save — the agent will receive a notification about the new assignment.

You can reassign a case at any time by repeating these steps.

• New — Case just created, not yet assigned.
• Pending — Assigned to a field agent, no attempts made yet.
• Active / In Progress — At least one service attempt logged.
• Served — Service successfully completed. Affidavit ready for generation.
• Non-Served — All attempts exhausted without successful service.
• On Hold — Paused pending additional information.
• Cancelled — Case withdrawn by client or agency.
• Completed — All work done, documents filed.

1. Open the case and go to the Service Attempts section.
2. Click Add Attempt.
3. Set the Result to Served.
4. Fill in the date, time, and any notes about how service was completed.
5. Save — the case status will automatically update to Served.

Once marked served, you can generate the affidavit of service from the Documents tab.

Every process serving job moves through a defined set of stages. The system automatically advances the job status at key points so you always know exactly where each case stands.

1. Received — The job has entered the system. This happens when a client submits a portal intake request, an agency staff member manually creates a case, or a case is imported. The job sits in the intake queue awaiting review.
2. Pending — An agency staff member has reviewed and approved the intake request. The case is now in the process server queue, assigned to a server, and ready for document preparation.
3. Pending Service — The server has downloaded, printed, or generated the cover sheet for the job. The system automatically advances to this status the first time any document is downloaded or a cover sheet is generated. The job is physically in the server's hands.
4. Attempting Service — The first service attempt has been logged. The system automatically advances here after the first attempt that does not result in service. Additional attempts continue until the job is served or the maximum attempt count is reached.
5. Pending Affidavit — Service is complete (served, substitute service, or posted & mailed) OR the maximum number of attempts has been reached. The system automatically advances to this status and the case waits for the signed affidavit to be uploaded.
6. Complete — A document with type Affidavit has been uploaded to the case. The system automatically marks the job complete and sets the close date.

Jobs can enter Agency Dispatch in four ways:

• Client Portal Intake — Clients submit a service request through their client portal. The request lands in the agency's intake queue as a Received job. An agency staff member reviews and approves it, which creates the case and moves it to Pending.
• Intake Form (Agency-Created) — Agency staff fill in an intake form directly on behalf of a client. This also creates a Received job that goes through intake review before becoming a case.
• Direct Agency Input — Agency staff create a case directly from the Dispatcher dashboard. The case also starts as Received and moves through the same intake-to-pending approval step.
• PDF Import (AI-Assisted) — Upload a summons, complaint, or other service document as a PDF. Claude AI reads the document and automatically extracts the subject name, service address, court information, attorney details, and service instructions into a pre-filled form. Staff review and correct the extracted data, then save the case. See the AI Features section for full details.

The following actions trigger automatic job status advances — you do not need to manually change the status for these transitions:

Agency Dispatch uses a three-level maximum attempt system:

1. System default — 3 attempts if nothing else is configured.
2. Agency default — Set under Agency Settings → General → Default Max Service Attempts. Applies to all cases for your agency.
3. Per-case override — On any individual case detail page, click the pencil icon next to Max Attempts in the sidebar to set a different limit for that specific job. Leave blank to fall back to the agency default.

When the attempt count reaches the effective maximum, the job automatically advances to Pending Affidavit — even if the last attempt was not a served result.

Once a job is in Pending Affidavit status, completing it is a single step:

1. Open the case and go to the Documents tab.
2. Upload the signed affidavit — either the generated affidavit PDF or a scanned signed copy.
3. Set the document type to Affidavit.
4. Click Upload. The system automatically marks the job Complete and records the close date.

Clients with portal access can submit service requests online. Here's the full flow:

1. Client logs into their portal and clicks New Request.
2. They fill in the subject name, address, documents to serve, and any instructions.
3. The request appears in your Intake queue with status Pending Review.
4. You review and click Approve to convert it to a live case, or Reject with a reason.
5. The client is automatically notified by email either way.

1. Go to Clients in the sidebar and find or create the client account.
2. Open the client record and click Invite Contact.
3. Enter the contact's name and email address.
4. Click Send Invite — they'll receive an email with a secure one-time registration link.

Invites expire after 7 days. You can resend a new invite from the same screen.

1. Open the case and scroll to the Service Attempts panel, or click the Attempts tab.
2. Click Add Attempt.
3. Set the Date & Time of the attempt.
4. Choose the Result: Served, Not Home, Business Closed, Evading Service, Bad Address, etc.
5. Add any notes about the attempt (who answered the door, description, etc.).
6. Click Save Attempt.

• Served — Personal service completed.
• Substitute Service — Left with a person of suitable age and discretion.
• Posted & Mailed — Affixed to door and mailed per state rules.
• Not Home — No answer, residence appears occupied.
• Business Closed — Business not open at time of attempt.
• Evading Service — Subject present but refused or fled.
• Bad Address — Address does not exist or subject not known there.
• Moved — Subject has relocated.
• Deceased — Subject confirmed deceased.
• Other — Use notes to describe.

1. Open the case and click the Documents tab.
2. Click Upload.
3. Drag and drop files into the upload area, or click to browse. You can upload multiple files at once.
4. Select the document type (Source Document, Affidavit, Photo, Correspondence, etc.).
5. Click Upload — files appear in the document list immediately.

Supported file types: PDF, JPG, PNG, DOCX, and most common document formats.

Agency Dispatch can generate a professional PDF cover sheet from the case data in one click.

1. Open the case and go to the Documents tab.
2. Click Create Cover Sheet.
3. A PDF is generated and automatically added to the top of the document list.

The cover sheet includes: case number, subject information, service address, court details, and any special instructions.

1. In the Documents tab, check the checkbox next to each document you want to include.
2. Use the drag handles on the left to reorder documents if needed.
3. Click Download Selected — all checked documents are merged into a single PDF in the order shown.

To download every document in one PDF, click Download All without selecting anything specific.

Each row in the Documents table has a drag handle (⠿) on the far left. Click and hold the handle, then drag the row to its new position. The order is saved automatically.

This order is used when generating the combined PDF download.

1. In the Documents tab, check the checkbox next to each document you want to send.
2. Click Email Selected in the toolbar (the button becomes active once at least one document is checked).
3. Fill out the email form:
   • To — pre-filled with the client/attorney email if set on the case; you can edit it. Separate multiple addresses with commas.
   • CC — optional additional recipients.
   • Subject and Message — customize freely.
4. Click Send Email.

Each selected document is sent as a PDF attachment. The email comes from your agency's configured email address.

Email is sent using a two-tier fallback:

1. Agency SMTP (preferred): If your agency has email notifications enabled with a configured host, port, and from-address, all emails use those credentials. Recipients see your agency's email address.
2. System default SMTP: If your agency has no SMTP configured, the platform falls back to a shared system email address.

To configure your agency SMTP, go to Settings → Agency Settings → Email Notifications and fill in the Host, Port, Username, and Password fields.

Once a process serving job is Finalized, you can generate an affidavit PDF directly from case data using a template you upload.

1. Open the finalized PS case and go to the Documents tab.
2. Click Generate Affidavit.
3. Choose an option:
   • Upload Existing Affidavit — attach a pre-signed affidavit PDF or image you already have.
   • Generate from Template — select one of your uploaded templates from the dropdown. The system fills in all case data automatically and produces a PDF.
4. Click Generate. The affidavit PDF is added to the case's document list.

Affidavit templates are plain-text (.txt) or HTML (.html) files with {{Placeholder}} markers that get replaced with real case data when generating.

1. Go to Settings → Affidavit Templates in the sidebar.
2. Click Upload Template, give it a name, and select your file.
3. Check Set as Default if you want it pre-selected when generating affidavits.
4. Click Upload.

You can also preview a template's raw content or delete it from the template list. Only one template can be the default at a time.

Templates use double-brace syntax: {{PlaceholderName}}. Common placeholders include:

Download the full placeholder reference (35+ variables) from Settings → Affidavit Templates → Download Placeholder Reference.

Formatting syntax in templates:

• # Heading Text — renders as a large heading
• ## Sub-heading — renders as a sub-heading
• --- — horizontal divider line
• [SIGNATURE] — inserts a signature line

1. Open the case and scroll to the Notes section (or click the Notes tab).
2. Click Add Note.
3. Type your note in the text area.
4. Choose whether the note is Internal Only (agency staff only) or Visible to Client.
5. Click Save Note.

No. Notes marked Internal Only are never visible in the client portal — only agency staff can see them.

Only notes explicitly marked Visible to Client will appear in the client's case view. This lets you communicate with clients through the same note system without exposing internal discussion.

Clients access the portal at /Client/Account/Login on your Agency Dispatch site. They use the email and password they set when accepting their invitation.

You can also link them directly from any correspondence — the URL is stable and bookmarkable.

Clients can only see cases associated with their client account. Within each case they can view:

• Case status and service attempt history
• Notes marked as visible to client
• Documents marked as client-accessible
• Messages sent between the client and agency

They cannot see internal notes, staff assignments, billing details, or any other client's cases.

On the client login page, clients can click Forgot password? to receive a password reset email. The reset link expires after 24 hours.

If a client is not receiving the email, ask them to check their spam folder. You can also send them a new invite from the client record in your dashboard.

Agency owners and users with the Can Invite Users permission can invite new staff directly from the Users page.

1. Go to Agency Settings → Users (or navigate to /Agency/{id}/Users).
2. Click Invite User in the top right.
3. Enter the staff member's first name, last name, and email address.
4. Select a permission template (Dispatcher, Investigator, Process Server, Read Only) to pre-fill their permissions — you can adjust them later.
5. Click Send Invite.

The staff member receives an email with a secure link to set their name and password. Invite links expire after 7 days.

Each user's permissions are set independently per agency. A user can have different permissions in different agencies. Permissions are grouped into categories:

• Cases — View all cases, create, edit, assign, close, delete
• Field Work — Log service attempts, schedule surveillance, mark served
• Notes & Updates — View internal notes, add notes, generate AI updates
• Billing — View billing, add time entries and expenses
• Users — Invite users, remove users, edit permissions
• Communications — Send SMS, send email notifications, send client updates
• Dispatcher — Access the dispatcher dashboard, view live agent locations
• Vendor Network — Manage agency partnerships and vendor relationships

To edit a user's permissions: go to Users, find the user, click Edit Permissions, and adjust any toggle. You can also apply a quick template to reset to a standard set.

Templates are pre-built permission sets that match common roles. Applying a template overwrites all current permissions for that user with the template's set.

• Agency Owner — All permissions enabled. Reserved for agency principals.
• Dispatcher — Can view all cases, create and assign jobs, schedule attempts, send notifications, and access the dispatcher dashboard. Cannot edit billing or manage users.
• Investigator — Can view and edit assigned cases, add notes, log time and expenses, generate AI updates. View-only on cases not assigned to them.
• Process Server — Can view assigned cases, log service attempts, mark served, add time and expenses. Very limited scope.
• Read Only — Can view all cases and notes but cannot create, edit, or delete anything.

Yes. A user can be a member of multiple agencies and switch between them using the agency selector in the top navigation. This is common for:

• Freelance process servers or investigators who work with several agencies
• Staff at agencies that have a formal partnership
• Vendor users added from a partner agency

Each agency membership has its own independent set of permissions — being an owner in one agency does not give elevated access in another.

Creating a new agency is a one-step process. System Administrators can create agencies directly from the Agencies list.

1. Go to Agencies in the sidebar.
2. Click New Agency in the top right.
3. Fill in the agency details:
   • Agency Name — The full name of the agency.
   • Contact Name — The primary owner or point of contact (first and last name).
   • Email — The owner's email address. An invitation will be sent here automatically.
   • Phone and Address — Optional contact details.
   • Active — Leave checked to activate the agency immediately.
4. Click Save.

The agency is created instantly and an invitation email is sent to the contact email address. The owner clicks the link in the email to set their password and they're ready to go — no separate onboarding code needed.

1. The owner clicks the link in their invitation email.
2. They're taken to a registration page pre-filled with their name.
3. They enter a password and click Create Account & Join Agency.
4. Their account is created with full Owner permissions — all capabilities enabled.
5. They're signed in and land on the Agency Dispatch dashboard, ready to add staff, configure settings, and create cases.

Invite links expire after 14 days. If the link expires before the owner registers, go to Agency Settings → Users → Invite User to send a new one.

Once the agency is created, the owner can configure it themselves from Agency Settings. As the system admin, you may also want to:

1. Set up messaging — In Agency Settings → Messaging, assign a message recipient user and choose how client portal messages are routed (Dispatchers, Case Manager, Case Agents, or by Role).
2. Configure SMTP — In Agency Settings → SMTP / Email, add the agency's email credentials so outgoing emails come from their own address.
3. Enable the client portal — In Agency Settings → Integrations, toggle Enable Client Portal if clients should have portal access.
4. Set the timezone — In Agency Settings → General, choose the agency's timezone so all case timestamps display correctly.

Multi Agency Dispatch is a unified dispatcher dashboard that pulls together cases, personnel, alerts, and field operations from all agencies you belong to — displayed on a single screen instead of switching between agencies one at a time.

It appears in the left sidebar as Multi Agency Dispatch and is only visible to users who are members of two or more agencies (or system administrators).

• All open process serving and investigation cases across every agency
• Active personnel, field tasks, and service attempts from all agencies
• Emergency alerts, dispatcher alerts, and client intake requests from all agencies
• Metrics (open cases, rush cases, serves today, etc.) aggregated across all agencies
• Your personal notes, quick links, and messages — same as the single-agency view

Every row in every table is color-coded by agency using a colored left border, so you can instantly tell which agency a case or task belongs to without reading the Agency column.

A legend at the top of the page shows which color belongs to which agency.

1. Look for the Agency Colors bar at the top of the Multi Agency Dispatch page.
2. Each agency is shown with its current color swatch and name.
3. Click Customize Colors to open the color picker.
4. Click the color swatch next to any agency to choose a new color.
5. Click Save Colors — your preferences are saved to your account and will be the same next time you log in from any device.

Everything you can do on the standard dispatcher dashboard is available here too:

• Add a note to any case by clicking the Note button on a row.
• Change a user's status by clicking their status badge in the Active Personnel table.
• Acknowledge alerts using the Ack button in the Alerts panel.
• Create a dispatcher alert using the Create Alert button.
• Quick Add Case using the green button at the top right.
• Send a message to any user across any of your agencies using the New Message button.

• Any user who is an active member of two or more agencies will see the Multi Agency Dispatch link in the sidebar automatically.
• System administrators see it regardless of how many agencies they belong to (they see all active agencies).
• Users with only one agency are redirected to the standard Agency Dispatch view if they navigate to it directly.

Report entries are the core narrative records for an investigation case. Each entry belongs to one of the following types:

• Surveillance — Timestamped field observations, activity log, vehicle info, and video notes
• Summary — High-level summary of findings
• Preliminary Facts — Facts established before investigation begins
• Investigative Details — Specific investigative findings and analysis
• Telephonic — Phone call records and summaries
• Interviews — Notes from field interviews
• Still Photography — Photo evidence log and descriptions
• Pending Investigation — Items that need follow-up
• Exhibits — Referenced exhibits and attachments
• Other — Any additional narrative

Each entry stores structured data (date/time range, hours worked, mileage, rate, investigator name) alongside a free-form narrative text field for the chronological report body.

1. Open an investigation case and click the Report Entries tab.
2. Use the sub-tab bar to select the entry type (Surveillance, Summary, Interviews, etc.).
3. Click + Add Entry.
4. Fill in the structured fields: start/end date-time, unit, rate, hours, mileage, investigator, and video activity.
5. Write the narrative in the large text area — this is the main body of the report for this entry.
6. Optionally check Viewable by Client if the client should see this entry in their portal.
7. Click Save Entry.

Report entries go through an approval step before they are considered finalized. This gives managers a chance to review narrative content before it's visible to clients.

Each entry card in the Report Entries tab shows one of two states in the header:

• Approve button + Notify Client checkbox — the entry has not yet been approved. Only approved entries are fully released.
• Green "Approved" badge — the entry has been approved, showing the approval date. Once approved, the entry is also automatically set as viewable by the client.

To approve an entry:

1. Find the entry card in the Report Entries tab.
2. Optionally check the Notify Client checkbox if you want the client to be notified.
3. Click Approve and confirm the prompt.

Approval records who approved the entry and when — this is stored permanently with the entry.

When you approve a report entry with Notify Client checked, the system does two things simultaneously:

1. Email notification — An email is sent to the client's email address (on file in the case record) with the entry type, date, and the narrative text.
2. Internal message — A copy of the notification is automatically created as an internal message in the client's portal inbox. The message includes the full entry content and a timestamp showing exactly when the email was sent (e.g., "Email sent to [email protected] at 06/22/2026 2:14 PM CST").

This means you have a permanent, timestamped record of every client communication directly in the case's messaging thread — no need to track emails separately.

Agency Dispatch includes a built-in contract and engagement agreement system. Here's the full flow:

1. Your agency sets up one or more Contract Templates (found under Investigations → Contract Templates in the sidebar). Templates include your full agreement text with {{Placeholder}} tokens for client name, case number, rates, etc.
2. On any investigation case, open the Contracts tab and click Create Contract. Select a template and fill in the service description and rates.
3. The system generates a draft with all placeholders filled from the case and client data.
4. Click Send to email the client a secure, one-time signing link valid for 14 days — no login required.
5. The client signs on any device using their finger or mouse, types their name, and submits. The system captures their signature, IP address, GPS coordinates, user agent, and timestamp.
6. Once the client signs, the agency countersigns from within the Contracts tab on the case.
7. A signed PDF is generated automatically with both signatures and a full audit footer, and is available to download from the case.

Go to Investigations → Contract Templates in the sidebar. On your first visit, two default templates are automatically created for your agency.

To create or edit a template:

1. Click New Template or Edit on an existing template.
2. Give the template a name and optional description.
3. Write or paste the full HTML contract text in the content area. Use {{Placeholder}} tokens anywhere you want case or client data inserted automatically.
4. Set signature requirements: Require client signature, Require agency signature, or both.
5. Optionally set a specific agency signer (overrides the agency default).
6. Click Save.

Use Preview with Sample Data to see how the template will look with placeholder values filled in.

When you click Send on a draft contract, the client receives an email with a secure, unique signing link. The link is valid for 14 days.

When the client opens the link:

• They see the full contract text in a scrollable window — no login required.
• They draw their signature in a signature pad using their finger (mobile) or mouse (desktop).
• They type their full legal name and check an agreement checkbox.
• They click Submit Signature.

The system records:

• The signature image (PNG)
• The name they typed
• Their IP address and user agent
• Their GPS coordinates (if they allow location access)
• The exact date and time

The client sees a confirmation page with a summary of what was captured. The agency is notified by email that the contract has been signed and is ready for countersignature.

Once the client has signed, the contract status changes to Client Signed and a Sign button appears on the contract row in the Contracts tab.

1. Open the investigation case and go to the Contracts tab.
2. Find the contract with status Client Signed and click Sign.
3. In the modal, type your name as it should appear on the document.
4. Draw your signature in the signature pad.
5. Click Submit Signature.

The system generates the final signed PDF automatically and the contract status advances to Completed. Both parties can then download the signed PDF.

• Draft — Contract created but not yet sent. You can still edit fields before sending.
• Sent to Client — Signing link has been emailed. Waiting for the client to sign.
• Client Signed — Client has signed. Ready for agency countersignature.
• Agency Signed — Both parties have signed. PDF is being generated.
• Completed — Signed PDF is available for download.
• Voided — Contract cancelled. A new contract must be created to restart the process.

Every signature captured through Agency Dispatch includes a complete audit trail designed to satisfy ESIGN Act and UETA requirements:

• Signature image — the actual drawn signature, stored as a PNG
• Typed name — the signer's self-declared full legal name
• IP address — the IP from which the signature was submitted
• User agent — the browser and device used
• GPS coordinates — latitude/longitude if the signer grants location access
• Timestamp — exact date and time the signature was submitted

All of this is embedded in the footer of the generated signed PDF, giving you a single document that contains both signatures and all the proof of execution — no external audit log system required.

1. Open the investigation case and go to the Contracts tab.
2. Find the completed contract and click the PDF button.
3. The signed PDF — including both signature images, signer names, and the audit trail footer — downloads immediately.

For contracts that are not yet fully signed, clicking PDF generates an unsigned version of the current contract content for reference.

Emails are sent to clients at the following points (when your agency has email notifications enabled in Agency Settings):

• Intake approved or rejected — Client is notified when you approve their intake request (case opened) or reject it with a reason.
• Case update (client-visible) — When you add a case update and check Visible to Client, the update text is emailed to the client's address on file.
• Service attempt logged — When a service attempt is logged with Notify Client checked, the client receives a summary of the attempt result.
• Report entry approved with Notify Client — Investigation report entries trigger a client email when approved with the Notify Client option (see the Investigations section above).
• Case completed — An optional completion notification can be sent when the case is closed.

Every time a client-visible case update email is sent, the system automatically creates a copy as an internal message in the client's portal inbox. This gives you a permanent, searchable record of all client communication without any extra steps.

The internal message copy includes:

• The full update text that was sent
• The case number and title
• A timestamp showing exactly when the email was sent: "Email sent to [email protected] at 06/22/2026 2:31 PM CST"

This copy appears in the client's portal message thread and in the agency's internal messaging view — both sides can see it.

The timestamp serves as an audit trail — you can prove not just what was communicated but when it was communicated. This is useful for:

• Resolving disputes where a client claims they were not notified
• Providing documentation to attorneys about the timeline of case communications
• Internal compliance checks and quality control

If the email failed to send (SMTP error, bad address, etc.), no timestamp is included and the email log will show the failure. You can check the Email Log (Agency Logs → Email Log) to see the full delivery status of every outgoing email.

Agency Dispatch supports two types of inter-agency relationships:

• Collaboration — A full two-way partnership. Both agencies agree to work together, and users from either agency can be added to the other. Users see both agencies in their agency switcher and can switch between them freely. This is ideal when two agencies regularly share staff or co-work cases.
• Vendor — A one-directional relationship. The requesting agency hires the receiving agency to perform work. Vendor users are added with limited permissions (assigned cases only) and cannot see the hiring agency's full case list or settings. This is ideal for subcontracting process servers or investigators.

1. Go to Agency Settings → Partnerships tab.
2. In the Send Partnership Request section at the bottom, select the target agency from the dropdown.
3. Choose the partnership type: Collaboration or Vendor.
4. Optionally add a short message introducing yourself or explaining the arrangement.
5. Click Send Request.

The other agency will see the incoming request in their own Agency Settings → Partnerships tab and can accept or decline it.

1. Go to Agency Settings → Partnerships.
2. Any incoming requests appear at the top in a blue alert box showing the requesting agency's name, partnership type, message, and request date.
3. Click Accept to activate the partnership or Decline to reject it.

Once accepted, the partnership is immediately active. You can then add users from the partner agency to your own agency.

1. Go to Agency Settings → Users.
2. Click Add from Partner Agency next to the Invite User button.
3. A panel loads showing all available users from your active partner agencies, grouped by agency name.
4. Select the user you want to add.
5. Choose how to add them:
   • Partner — Dispatcher-level access. Can see all cases, schedule attempts, send notifications. Best for full collaboration.
   • Vendor — Limited access. Can only see cases assigned to them, log service attempts, and add time entries. Best for subcontractors.
6. Optionally edit the Role Label (e.g. "Contractor", "Field Agent", "Partner") — this shows on their user card.
7. Click Add User.

The user immediately sees your agency in their agency switcher. No new account or email invite needed.

From Agency Settings → Partnerships, find the active partnership and click Suspend. This pauses the partnership without deleting it — you can reactivate it later with the Reactivate button.

Suspending a partnership does not automatically remove partner users who have already been added to your agency. If you want to remove their access, deactivate them individually from the Users page.

Yes — this is a core feature. A user can belong to multiple agencies simultaneously. They see all their agencies in the agency switcher (top navigation) and can switch between them with one click.

Each agency is completely separate. Cases, clients, settings, and documents from one agency are not visible in another. The user's permissions are also independent per agency — they might be an owner in one and a vendor in another.

Common scenarios:

• A freelance process server works with three agencies — they have a single login and switch between them.
• Two agencies partner for a large case — both agencies' staff can switch to see the shared workspace.
• An agency subcontracts work to a vendor agency — vendor users only see the jobs assigned to them in the hiring agency.

Field agents log into the Agency Dispatch mobile app with the same credentials used on the web. Once logged in they can:

• View their assigned cases and subject information
• Log service attempts with GPS-timestamped location
• Upload photos directly from their phone camera
• Add case notes and communicate with the dispatcher
• Set their status (Online / Offline / On Call)

Field agents can trigger an SOS alert from the mobile app. This immediately:

• Sends a push notification to all online dispatchers and managers
• Sends an email alert with the agent's name, current case, and last known location
• Logs the alert in the case activity history

Dispatchers can acknowledge and respond to the alert from the Agency Dispatch dashboard.

Access Points let you save gate codes, door codes, building entry instructions, or any other notes tied to a specific address. When a field agent is near a saved address, the app automatically displays the access instructions so they don't have to call the office.

Common uses include:

• Gated community entrance codes
• Apartment building buzzer numbers
• Back-door or side-entrance directions
• Contact names for building access

Go to Field Safety → Access Points in the left sidebar. Click Add Access Point, enter the address, then add your note or code. You can optionally pin GPS coordinates so the proximity banner fires at exactly the right spot.

To edit or delete an access point, open the Access Points page and use the pencil or trash icon on any card.

On the mobile app, go to Access Points from the bottom navigation. Tap the green + button at the bottom-right. You can type an address manually or tap the GPS button to auto-fill your current location.

To edit an existing access point on mobile, tap the pencil icon on its card. To delete it, tap the pencil icon and scroll to the red Delete button.

When a field agent's GPS location comes within approximately 200 meters of a saved Access Point that has GPS coordinates set, a green banner automatically appears at the top of their screen displaying the access note.

Tapping the × on the banner dismisses it. It will not reappear for the same location during that browser session, even if the agent navigates to another page.

Location Warnings are a field safety feature that flags addresses known to be dangerous, hostile, or high-risk. When a warning is saved for an address, the system alerts agents in three ways:

• Red proximity banner — a red alert banner automatically appears when an agent's GPS location is near the address (overrides the standard green Access Point banner)
• Red inline alert in forms — if a flagged address is typed into a case, job, or report form, a red warning message appears immediately below the field
• Red section on the mobile Access Points page — all active warnings are listed in red so agents can review them before heading out

The phone also vibrates three times when a warning proximity banner fires, even if the screen is on another tab.

Go to Field Safety → Location Warnings in the left sidebar. Click Add Warning, enter the address, and describe the threat or danger at that location. GPS coordinates are optional but enable the automatic proximity alert on mobile.

To edit or delete a warning, use the pencil or trash icon on any warning card.

On the mobile Access Points page, scroll down to the red Location Warnings section. Tap the red warning button at the bottom-right. Enter the address and describe the danger. Optionally tap the GPS button to capture your current coordinates.

To edit or delete a warning on mobile, tap the pencil icon on any red warning card.

When a field agent's GPS location comes within approximately 200 meters of a Location Warning that has GPS coordinates, a red banner appears at the very top of their screen — above all other content — with the warning message. The phone will vibrate three times.

If a green Access Point banner is already showing for the same area, it is automatically removed and replaced with the red warning banner, since the safety alert takes priority.

Like the green banner, dismissing the red warning will not reappear for the same location during that browser session.

When a flagged address is entered in any of the following locations, a red alert appears immediately below the address field:

• Investigation case details — when adding or editing a subject address or last known address
• Field task (job) forms — on the Location field when creating or editing a field task
• Mobile job detail view — any notes attached to an address are shown, with warnings highlighted in red

The alert shows the warning text saved for that address so the agent or dispatcher knows exactly what the risk is before they send someone out.

Email Case Intake lets any registered agency staff member create a new investigation case by simply sending an email to your agency intake address. The system checks in every 3 minutes, identifies the sender's agency, parses the email for case details, creates the case, saves any attachments to the case files area, and sends a confirmation back — all automatically.

Intake address: [email protected]

• The sender's email must match a registered Agency Dispatch user account.
• If a Claude API key is configured for your agency, the email body is AI-parsed and plain prose works fine.
• Without an AI key, use the structured Field: Value template format described below.
• Attachments (PDF, images) are saved to the new case's Files tab automatically. PDFs are also AI-parsed for additional case data if a key is configured.
• All intake activity is logged in the System Admin → Email Intake Log view.

1. Send an email from your registered agency email address to [email protected].
2. Use the subject line as the case title (e.g. Surveillance – John Doe).
3. In the body, include case details using the Field: Value format below, or write in plain prose if your agency has AI enabled.
4. Attach any documents (PDFs, images) you want saved to the case files area.
5. Within 3 minutes you will receive a confirmation email with the new case number.

If your agency has a Claude API key configured in Agency Settings, email intake uses AI to extract case fields from the email body — so you can write naturally instead of using the structured template.

• Claude reads the entire email body and maps information to case fields automatically.
• Plain prose, bullet points, forwarded referral text, and mixed formats all work.
• PDF and image attachments are also AI-parsed for additional data (subject info, address, vehicle details) that wasn't in the body.
• Attachment data is merged with body data — body fields take priority if there's a conflict.
• Cases created via AI parsing are marked with an AI badge in the Email Intake Log so you can track them.

Without an AI key, use the Field: Value template format. The system scans each line for a label followed by a colon and maps known labels to case fields.

Any files attached to the intake email are automatically saved to the new case's Files tab as case documents with type Other.

• Supported types: PDF, JPG, PNG, and most common image formats.
• Files are stored in the same location as manually uploaded case documents.
• If AI is enabled, PDF text is extracted and parsed for additional case data — subject details, addresses, vehicle info — that gets merged into the case fields.
• The confirmation email tells you how many attachments were saved.

The intake system matches the From address of the email against registered Agency Dispatch user accounts. If no match is found, you will receive an auto-reply explaining that your email address is not recognized.

Common causes:

• You are sending from a personal address instead of the one registered in your Agency Dispatch account.
• Your account has not been activated yet (invitation link not clicked).
• Your agency membership is marked inactive.

Ask your agency administrator to check your user account, or contact [email protected] for help.

System administrators can view every intake attempt — successful or failed — in System Admin → Email Intake Log. Each row shows:

• Sender email address and subject
• Agency the case was created under
• Status: Created, Unknown Sender, or Parse Error
• A link to the created case (if successful)
• Attachment count saved vs. received
• Whether AI parsing was used
• Error message if something went wrong

The Email Log is a real-time record of every email the platform attempts to send through your agency's SMTP settings. Every send attempt — success or failure — is automatically logged with full details.

It is found in the left sidebar under AGENCY LOGS → Email Log and is visible only to agency owners and admins.

Each log entry includes:

• Date / Time — Exact UTC timestamp of the send attempt
• Status — Sent (success) or Failed (error)
• Agency — Which agency sent the email (relevant for system admins managing multiple agencies)
• From — The sending email address (your configured SMTP from address)
• To — Recipient email address(es)
• Subject — Email subject line
• Case — A clickable link to the case the email was sent for, if applicable
• Error — The SMTP or connection error message if the send failed (truncated with full text on hover)

The Email Log has a filter bar at the top with five search options you can use in any combination:

• Search — Matches any text in the To address, From address, or Subject line. Useful for finding all emails sent to a specific client or law firm.
• Status — Filter to show only successful sends, only failures, or all records.
• Case Type — Filter to process serving cases, investigation cases, or both.
• Date From / Date To — Narrow results to a specific date range.

Click Filter to apply your selections. Click Clear Filters to return to the full log.

Results are paginated at 50 rows per page — use the pagination controls at the bottom if you have many records.

If a client reports they did not receive a notification email:

1. Go to Agency Logs → Email Log.
2. Search for the client's email address in the Search box.
3. Filter by date range if needed.
4. Find the specific send attempt. Check the Status column:

• Status = Sent — The platform successfully handed the email to your SMTP server. The issue is likely on the receiving side (spam filter, full mailbox, wrong address). Ask the client to check their spam folder.
• Status = Failed — The SMTP send failed. Hover over the Error column to see the full error message. Common causes:
  • Authentication failed — SMTP credentials may be wrong or expired. Check Agency Settings → Email Notifications.
  • Connection refused / timeout — SMTP host or port may be wrong, or the server is temporarily down.
  • 550 address rejected — The recipient's mail server rejected the message (possibly flagged as spam or the address doesn't exist).

The Email Log is visible only to agency owners and admins. Staff with dispatcher, investigator, or read-only roles cannot access this section. The AGENCY LOGS sidebar section is hidden entirely for non-admin users.

System administrators can view email logs for all agencies.

Agency Dispatch is built with enterprise-grade security controls at every layer:

• Invite-only registration — No open sign-up. Every agency owner, staff member, and client must receive an email invitation before they can create an account.
• Strong password policy — Passwords must be at least 12 characters and include uppercase, lowercase, a number, and a special character.
• Account lockout — After 5 failed login attempts, the account is locked for 15 minutes to prevent brute-force attacks.
• Login rate limiting — Each IP address is limited to 10 login requests per 5-minute window.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) — TOTP-based MFA (compatible with Google Authenticator, Authy, and similar apps). A reminder banner prompts users who have not yet enabled it.
• Hardened session cookies — Auth and session cookies use the __Host- prefix with Secure, HttpOnly, and SameSite=Strict flags. Sessions expire after 4 hours of inactivity.
• HTTP security headers — All responses include HSTS, X-Frame-Options DENY, X-Content-Type-Options nosniff, Content Security Policy, Referrer-Policy, and Permissions-Policy headers.
• File upload restrictions — Only safe file types are accepted (PDF, images, Word documents, and plain text). Files are validated by both extension and content-type.
• PII encryption infrastructure — Sensitive personal information fields use AES-256 encryption via ASP.NET Core Data Protection before storage.
• Full audit logging — All logins (success and failure), document downloads, document emails, document deletions, and case views are logged with user ID, timestamp, and IP address.

2FA adds a second layer of protection beyond your password. To enable it:

1. Click your name in the top-right corner and go to Account Settings.
2. Select Two-factor authentication from the left menu.
3. Click Enable authenticator app and scan the QR code with Google Authenticator, Authy, or any TOTP app.
4. Enter the 6-digit code to confirm, then save your recovery codes somewhere secure.

Agency Dispatch is purpose-built for the process serving and private investigation industry. The platform's security and data handling features are designed to support compliance with the following frameworks:

• FTC Act §5 (Unfair or Deceptive Practices) — Requires companies to maintain reasonable security for consumer data. Agency Dispatch implements access controls, encryption, audit logging, and breach response procedures to meet this standard.
• GLBA Safeguards Rule (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) — Applies to businesses that receive non-public personal financial information in the course of serving legal process. The Safeguards Rule requires a written information security program, risk assessment, and vendor oversight. Agency Dispatch's security controls align with these requirements.
• FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) — If your agency uses consumer reports for background investigations, FCRA requires permissible purpose, data security, and accuracy obligations. The platform's access controls, audit trail, and invite-only access help enforce permissible-purpose boundaries.
• DPPA (Driver's Privacy Protection Act) — Restricts use of DMV records to permissible purposes (including process serving and investigations). The platform's role-based access control limits who can view sensitive subject information.
• State Data Breach Notification Laws — All 50 states require notification to affected individuals following a breach of personal information. Agency Dispatch's audit logging helps identify the scope of any incident. Notification windows vary by state (California, Florida, and New York require notification within 30 days).
• State Consumer Privacy Laws (CCPA/CPRA, VCDPA, and others) — Several states grant residents the right to access, correct, or delete their personal data. Agency Dispatch provides a Data Rights Request form at /Home/DataRequest to handle these requests within the required 30-day window.

Per our Terms of Service, your data is retained for 30 days following account termination, then deleted. During that window you can request a data export by emailing [email protected].

Certain records may be retained longer if required by law (for example, if there is an active legal hold or regulatory requirement).

If you are entitled to access, correction, deletion, or export of your personal data under applicable state privacy law, use the Data Rights Request form. We will respond within 30 days to the email address you provide.

Note for agency staff and clients: Case data belongs to the agency, not to Agency Dispatch. To request access to case records, contact your agency directly. This form covers account-level personal information we hold as the platform operator.

Agency Dispatch integrates Claude AI (by Anthropic) to save time on two common tasks:

• PDF Import — Upload a summons, complaint, or investigation case document as a PDF. Claude reads the document and automatically extracts structured data (subject, address, court, attorney, instructions) into a pre-filled form for you to review before saving.
• AI Report Generation — On any open case or investigation job, click Generate Report to have Claude write a professional final report using the case's notes, report entries, and service attempts. If you've already typed a draft, Claude will rewrite it in a formal investigative tone instead.

Each agency connects its own Anthropic account — Agency Dispatch does not provide a shared AI key.

1. Sign up for an Anthropic account at console.anthropic.com and create an API key.
2. In Agency Dispatch, go to Agency Settings → Claude AI.
3. Paste your API key into the field and click Save.
4. The key is encrypted at rest — Agency Dispatch never displays it again after saving.

Once saved, all AI features become available to your agency's staff immediately.

The PDF import tool reads a summons, complaint, or service order and pre-fills a new process serving case for you.

1. Go to Cases in the sidebar and click Import from PDF (or find it in the top-right toolbar on the Cases list page).
2. Click Choose File and select your PDF. The file must be a text-based PDF — scanned images without selectable text are not supported.
3. Click Extract & Preview. Claude AI reads the document and extracts:

• Subject name, phone, email, date of birth, and physical description
• Service address (street, city, state, zip)
• Court name, county, state, case number, and division
• Attorney name, law firm, phone, email, and address
• Service instructions and any special notes
• Due dates and external job numbers

4. Review all extracted fields on the Preview page. Edit anything that was missed or incorrect — every field is fully editable before saving.
5. Select the Agency and Client for the case.
6. Click Save Case. The case is created and you are taken directly to the case detail page.

Investigation case import works the same way as process serving, but extracts investigation-specific fields from case files, surveillance reports, or referral documents.

1. Go to Investigations in the sidebar and click Import from PDF, or click the Import PDF button on the Investigations list page.
2. Upload your PDF and click Extract & Preview.
3. Claude extracts: case number, investigation type, subject information (name, DOB, physical description, address), case description, preliminary notes, service information, and any existing report entries or notes found in the document.
4. Review and edit all fields on the Preview page.
5. Click Save Case. Report entries and notes from the document are automatically imported into the correct tabs of the new case.

The AI Report Generator reads the current case data and writes a professional final report — either from scratch or by polishing a draft you've started.

To generate a report from scratch:

1. Open a case or investigation job and click the AI Report tab.
2. Leave the text area empty and click Generate Report.
3. Claude reads all report entries, service attempts, and case notes, then writes a complete professional report in the text area.
4. Edit the report as needed, then copy it for use in your documentation.

To polish a draft you've written:

1. Type your draft text into the text area on the AI Report tab.
2. Click Generate Report (the button label changes to Rewrite / Refresh when text is present).
3. Claude rewrites your draft in a formal, professional investigative or legal service tone while keeping all your factual content intact.

Claude only receives the data from the current case — it is not connected to the internet, other cases, or any external sources.

For investigation cases, Claude receives:

• Case number, title, investigation type, and description
• Primary subject name, gender, race, physical description
• All report entries (entry type, date range, investigator name, and full narrative text)
• All case notes (type and text)

For process serving jobs, Claude receives:

• Case number, subject name, client name
• Service address, court case number, court name
• Attorney name and law firm
• All service attempts (date/time, result, address, and notes)
• All case notes (type and text)

No other case data, personal account information, or data from other cases is sent to Claude.

Common causes and fixes:

• "API key not configured" — Go to Agency Settings → Claude AI and add your Anthropic API key.
• "PDF appears to be empty or is a scanned image" — The PDF does not contain selectable text. This happens with scanned documents. Try obtaining a digital (non-scanned) copy of the document.
• Fields are blank or incorrect — Claude extracts what it can find. If the document uses unusual formatting or abbreviations, some fields may be missed or misread. All fields are editable on the Preview page before saving — review and correct any errors there.
• AI notes warning shown on preview — The yellow AI notes banner on the preview page shows anything Claude flagged as ambiguous. Read it and double-check those specific fields.
• "Claude AI extraction failed" — Usually a temporary API error. Wait a moment and try again. If it persists, check your Anthropic API key and account status at console.anthropic.com.

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