Russell, is there a way to live link phrases from the report to InterNACHI articles?

InterNACHI has articles about everything: www.nachi.org/articles.htm I would be awesome if inspectors could live link certain words and phrases to those articles from within the narratives of their inspection reports, thus allowing their clients to read further about any particular subject matter.

Hmmm… since it’s an HTML document.

I like this idea.

I use links right now to different things on the web. I link to the sops and code of ethics right now. Use them in the narratives, headers and intro. Will have to look thru the articles and add them.

I link InterNachi, and other, articles in my HomeGauge reports. The Nachi articles about clothes dryer safety and bathroom exhaust venting are included in the majority of my reports. Been doing that for several years.

You can insert hyperlinks in the comment fields using the hyperlink button to the right of the top bar in the comment field.

Regardless of software, why would you want to link to somewhere other than your own website? Nick and NACHI have always granted members the right to copy and post, and heck, even add your own name to the articles for your use. Why not just put the links to your own website and earn your own SEO?

Open each of your links to www.nachi.org/articles.htm in a new window so that the client keeps coming back to his/her report.

Ah, an even better idea. :slight_smile:

Hey Nick,
Absolutely! We have had link capability for a while but never a good single
resource to use. You can link a particular auto-comment ahead of time so each time you use the auto comment it links them to it. It can be a long link or it can be a hot word that is a link.

You also can place these links in the “Overview” sections of the report.

While it makes sense to link back to your own website as Stephen had suggested, sometimes the quick and ease of linking in this case outweighs the chore of doing it all on your own site depending on an inspectors time, skill etc. Besides the resource page INACHI has is very professional looking.

Meant to add that with HG you can bold, italicize, underline etc with our built in editor.

If I could carve out the time, I would take the INACHI template we have now and fill the auto-comments with links to the resource page. This would help the new guys when choosing their template. Or after Kenton Sheppard gets his narratives in HG, perhaps I could work with him to add the links.

Russell, you have some great u tube videos showing the great things HG can do. Could you reference which one would show us how to do the things you are discussing in your posts? Thanks

I made this one just for this thread

the video sounds like I am using my foot to click..lol...it was a quick video using my laptop

The best thing to do IMO would be have a resource link to explain styles and materials. meaning if I noted copper or galvanized plumbing, by clicking on the actual word “copper” it would link me to a resource page. I think another competitor has already done this. Hint hint…

I can have comments auto fill in HG when I select a specific item, such as galvanized. It adds my galvanized comment automatically. This in itself is nice, but having a quick link would be nicer… What Nick is referring to can be done, but it has to be added manually, one at a time.

My head is spinning with the possibilities for this.

Nick one thing that may turn me off or the actual client off is being directed to the Nachi website. If the articles could be custom tailored to be more discreet, while promoting the actual inspector, then that would be something truly ideal.

Now when you open an article, its littered with nachi nachi nachi. Nachi find an inspector, nachi message board, etc…

If you have a blog, you could direct it to a relevant blog. Plus you’re free to use any of the Nachi articles for your blog. SEO machine there.

I’d be happy to do that.
Part of this latest edition of the library is to build a robust reference section, so I’ve been collecting PDFs covering installation and inspection of various systems, components, and materials. Also, relevant articles and sources of education, so that the library can serve as an educational tool in addition to being a source of narratives.

Not sure who the hint hint was for, but if you are directing it to me I would say that it’s already there in HomeGauge. At the Styles and Materials section you can edit a choice and make the choice produce a auto-comment automatically when selected. We have had that feature for years. For Instance when you select EIFS at wall cladding it can produce an auto-comment and place in the report. You can add a live link in it as well.

Oh Russell, you copied someone else before they even had it. :wink: