Public sharing

Forerunner’s public sharing capabilities allow you to selectively share records with residents and property owners through your public website. You can control visibility at both the record type level (default settings) and individual record level (override defaults), ensuring transparency while protecting sensitive information.

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Understanding record visibility

Every record has a visibility setting that determines whether it appears on your public website: Hidden from public - Record is only visible to staff users with appropriate permissions. This is the private setting. Public - Record is visible to residents and property owners accessing your public website. This is the shared setting.

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Two levels of control

1. Record type default - Set by managers in the record type settings

• Defines whether new records of this type are public or hidden by default
• Applies automatically to all new records
• Can be overridden on individual records

2. Individual record override - Adjusted by staff after record creation

• Change specific records from default to opposite setting
• Useful for exceptions (hide a specific public record, or share a usually-private record)
• Requires appropriate permissions

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How record visibility works

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Record type defaults

Managers set the default under Settings > Account > Record types, in Who can view this form after it is submitted? on the record type’s Settings tab, under Permissions and defaults: Team - New records are private by default

• Staff-only visibility
• Must manually choose to make public
• Appropriate for sensitive or internal-only records
• Examples: Draft inspections, internal notes, confidential determinations

Team and Guests - New records are public by default

• Visible to public website visitors
• Must manually hide if needed
• Appropriate for transparency-focused records
• Examples: Approved permits, public inspections, final determinations

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Individual record settings

After a record is created, staff can override the default: Change visibility - Pick Show on public website or Hide on public website from the record’s actions menu

• Switch from hidden to public
• Switch from public to hidden
• Change persists until manually changed again

Inherited visibility rules:

• If property is hidden, all its records are hidden (automatic)
• If SI/SD hiding enabled account-wide, all SI/SD records are hidden
• If parent record is hidden, related records may inherit that setting

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Configuring default visibility

Managers set default visibility for each record type with Who can view this form after it is submitted?:

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Considerations for defaults

Default to public when:

• Information promotes community transparency
• Data is non-sensitive and approved for sharing
• Residents benefit from seeing these records
• Examples: Approved permits, completed inspections, public notices

Default to hidden when:

• Records contain sensitive or confidential information
• Review or approval needed before public release
• Information is for staff use only
• Privacy concerns exist
• Examples: Draft assessments, internal notes, pending investigations, complaints

Mixed visibility needs:

• Default to more common setting
• Plan to override exceptions
• Document which records should be public vs. private
• Train staff on when to override

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Changing visibility on individual records

Staff with appropriate permissions can change record visibility:

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Permissions required

To change record visibility:

• Managers and Members can change visibility
• Creators and View only users can’t
• Contact your admin if you need visibility change access

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Public website integration

Records shared publicly appear on your public website where residents and property owners can access them:

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Public Account Portal (PAP)

Your public website (Public Account Portal) displays public records: Property search:

• Residents search for their property by address
• View property information and public records
• See record details, but not edit or create (unless configured)

Record display:

• All public records for the property shown
• Organized by category or type
• Read-only view of form data
• Uploaded documents visible (if not marked sensitive)

Guest access:

• No sign-in required (or optional sign-in for some features)
• View-only access to public records
• Contact information to request help or submit records

Learn more about public website features in Public Website documentation.

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What’s visible publicly

When a record is public, residents can see: Included:

• All form field values (unless specific fields hidden)
• Submitted dates
• Status (if applicable)
• Associated property information
• Non-sensitive uploaded documents

Not included:

• Staff notes or internal comments (if configured to hide)
• Sensitive document uploads (if marked sensitive)
• Draft or internal status markers
• Drafts. A record that’s been saved as a draft isn’t visible to anyone but its creator until it’s submitted, so it never appears on your public website.
• Edit history or creator information

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Account-wide visibility controls

In addition to record-level settings, Forerunner includes account-wide controls:

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Hide all SI/SD records

Public website settings include an option to hide all SI/SD records: Setting: turn off Show Substantial Improvement / Substantial Damage under Settings › Public website. Managers can change it. Effect:

• All Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage records are hidden from public
• Overrides individual record visibility settings
• Useful if community policy requires all SI/SD determinations to be reviewed before sharing
• Related SDE records also must be hidden if SI/SD is hidden

Use case:

• Community wants to review all SI/SD determinations before public disclosure
• Legal or policy requirements for SI/SD data confidentiality
• Phased rollout (start private, open up later)

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Property-level visibility inheritance

Individual properties can be hidden from the public website:

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Hidden properties

If a property is marked as hidden:

• Property doesn’t appear in public searches
• All records attached to that property are hidden
• Files attached to that property are hidden
• Overrides individual record visibility settings

Use cases:

• Sensitive properties (government officials, protected individuals)
• Properties with ongoing investigations
• Confidential ownership situations
• Testing or draft properties

How to hide a property: When Allow manually hiding or showing properties is on under Settings › Public website, hide a property from its options menu, or select several in the Properties table and hide them together. See Hiding or showing a property.

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Effect on records

When property visibility changes:

• Property hidden: All attached records become hidden automatically
• Property shown again: Records and files hidden with the property stay hidden. Change their visibility individually to show them

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Public record submission

Some record types can be configured to allow public submission:

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Guest record creation

When enabled, your public website allows residents to:

• Submit Elevation Certificates via permit records
• Report issues or complaints
• Request services
• Submit applications

Configuration:

• CSM enables public submission for specific record types
• Forms can require sign-in or allow guest access
• Submissions can be set to hidden by default (require staff review before public)
• Notification emails alert staff of new submissions

Learn more about Permits and EC Submission.

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Staff review workflow

For public submissions:

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Use cases and best practices

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Transparency-focused communities

Approach:

• Default most record types to public
• Hide only truly sensitive information
• Proactively share inspection results, permits, assessments
• Build public trust through openness

Best practices:

• Clearly communicate what information is public
• Train staff on sensitive data handling
• Review public records periodically for accuracy
• Provide context/explanations for public data

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Privacy-focused communities

Approach:

• Default most record types to hidden
• Selectively share approved information
• Require review before public release
• Prioritize resident privacy

Best practices:

• Document criteria for what gets shared
• Consistent review and approval process
• Clear communication about what’s available publicly
• Honor resident requests for privacy

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Hybrid approach

Approach:

• Public: Approved permits, completed inspections, final determinations
• Hidden: Drafts, internal notes, sensitive assessments
• Configurable per record type based on nature of data

Best practices:

• Tailor visibility to each record category
• Train staff on defaults and when to override
• Regular review of visibility settings
• Responsive to resident feedback

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CRS and compliance

For CRS Activity 330 (Outreach Projects):

• Public access to floodplain information earns credit
• Sharing Elevation Certificates publicly supports CRS documentation
• Public inspection results demonstrate transparency
• Document what’s shared publicly for CRS visits

Configuration:

• Share EC submissions publicly (after review)
• Share inspection results for SFHA properties
• Share SI/SD determinations (after legal review)
• Provide clear explanations and context

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Troubleshooting visibility issues

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Record not appearing publicly

Check:

1. Is the record marked as hidden? (Toggle to public)
2. Is the property hidden? (Can’t override this)
3. For SI/SD records, is Show Substantial Improvement / Substantial Damage turned off?
4. Does the record type allow public visibility? (Contact CSM)

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Record appearing publicly when it shouldn’t

Solutions:

1. Open the record and toggle visibility to hidden
2. Check if property should be hidden (contact admin)
3. For SI/SD records, check Show Substantial Improvement / Substantial Damage in public website settings
4. Verify record type defaults are appropriate

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Some fields visible, others not

Explanation:

• Some fields can be configured as staff-only even in public records
• This is intentional for sensitive information
• Managers can change it with the eye toggle on the field in the record type editor

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Public users can’t create records

Check:

1. Is public submission enabled for this record type? (Contact CSM)
2. Is the Public Account Portal enabled? (Contact CSM)
3. Is there a guest access configuration issue? (Contact CSM)

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Related topics

• Record Categories and Types - Understanding default visibility configuration
• Creating Records - Create records with appropriate visibility
• Accessing Records - View record visibility settings
• Public Website - Configure your public portal
• Permits and EC Submission - Public EC submissions