External RFI Collaboration

One of the most powerful RFI features is the ability to collaborate with people outside your organization. Architects, engineers, subcontractors, and other external parties can view and respond to RFIs without needing a Site Service Pro account.

How It Works

When you create an RFI with external recipients, the system generates a secure public access link. External recipients use this link to:

1. View the RFI subject, question, and attachments
2. Read the full correspondence thread
3. Submit their own responses with attachments
4. All without creating an account or logging in

Adding External Recipients

During RFI Creation

When creating a new RFI, you can add external recipients three ways:

From Project Contacts:

• The "External Contacts" section shows contacts already saved to the project
• Check the box next to each contact you want to include
• Their name, email, and company are pre-filled

Manual Email Entry:

• Enter the recipient's email address (required)
• Enter their name (optional but recommended)
• Enter their company (optional)
• Click Add

After Creation:

• Open the RFI detail page
• Click the + button in the Recipients card
• Add additional recipients using the same methods

Sending to External Recipients

Once your RFI has external recipients:

1. Open the RFI detail page
2. Click Send via Email
3. Select the recipients to email
4. Click Send

External recipients receive an email containing:

• The RFI subject and question
• A Respond button linking to the public response page
• Your company name for context

The Public Response Page

When an external recipient clicks the link in their email (or you share the public link directly), they see a streamlined page with:

What They Can See

• RFI number, status, and priority
• The project name
• The full question and any attachments
• The complete correspondence thread (internal responses appear as "Team" messages)

How They Respond

1. Enter their name and email (required)
2. Type their response in the text area
3. Optionally attach files (up to 5 files, 25MB each)
4. Click Submit Response

Their response immediately appears in the correspondence thread, marked with a green "External" badge so your team can easily distinguish it from internal replies.

Sharing the Public Link

You don't have to use email. The public response link can be shared any way you like:

1. Open the RFI detail page
2. Find the Public Response Link card on the right side
3. Click Copy to copy the URL to your clipboard
4. Share via text message, messaging app, or any other channel

Security

• Unique Tokens - Each RFI gets a cryptographically secure 64-character token. The link cannot be guessed.
• Automatic Expiration - When an RFI is closed, the public link is automatically disabled. No further responses can be submitted.
• No Account Required - External parties never need to create an account, reducing friction
• Read-Only After Close - Once closed, the public page shows a message that no further responses are accepted

Recipient Types Explained

Tips for External Collaboration

• Include context in your question - External parties may not have the same project knowledge as your team
• Attach relevant drawings - Don't make them search for the document you're asking about
• Use the project contacts list - Add frequently-contacted external parties as project contacts so they're easy to find
• Follow up via email - If you haven't heard back, use Send via Email again to re-send the notification
• Close RFIs promptly - This disables the public link, preventing late or out-of-context responses