PowerClerk Support Center

Program Design
Automations
Questions to Ask
Locating the Automations feature
How to create an Automation
Automation Triggers
Automation Action Rules
Validation Rules
Scheduled Triggers
Troubleshooting Automations
FAQs
Channels
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Channels feature
What are Channels?
Types of Channels
Channel Type: Mark as Child
Channel Type: Make Successor
Channel Type: Create Related Project
Channel Type: Submit Related Project
Channel Type: Project Lookup
How to create a Channel
Channel Signals and Automations
FAQs
Communications
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Communications feature
Creating Communication templates
Finding Data Tags
Bulk Communications via Data Import
Images in Communications
Project Attachments and Content Library Items
Smart Templates
Upgrading to Smart Templates
Upgrading when a Test Environment Exists
Broken Template Tags
Examples of Broken Template Tags
FAQs
Connections
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Connections feature
What are Connections
How to Create a Standard Web Adapter
Define Input and Output Fields
Connecting, Testing, and Enabling the Web Adapter
Creating a Standard Web Adapter Configuration
Utilizing Connections on PowerClerk
Maintaining and Editing the Web Adapter
Web Adapter Message Type Format
Supported Message Versions
Error Handling
Custom List Lookup
Create a Custom List Lookup
Utilizing Custom List Lookup
FAQs
Content Library
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Content Library feature
Uploading content to the Content Library
Use with Communication Templates
Use for Front Page content
FAQs
Custom API IDs
Questions to Ask
Locating the Custom API IDs feature
How to edit a Custom API ID
FAQs
Data Fields
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Data Fields feature
How to work with Data Fields
Custom Lists and Data Field Groups
Table form element
PV System + batteries element
FAQs
Deadlines
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Deadlines feature
What are Deadlines
How to Create a Deadline
Deadline Automation Action Rules
Utilizing Project Admin Page for Deadlines
Communication Templates for Deadlines
Deadline Set/Satisfy Options
Program-Wide Deadline Actions
Reporting on Deadlines
Deadlines in Project List Columns
FAQs
Document Templates
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Document Templates feature
How to define a new Template
How to define a new Merged Document
eSignatures
DocuSign template tags
Mapping eSignature tags
Smart Templates
FAQs
eSignature Envelopes
Questions to Ask
Locating the eSignature Feature
What are eSignature Envelopes?
eSignature Checklist: The Prerequisites to create a new Envelope
How to set up Advanced eSignature Envelopes Step-by-Step
How to add an eSignature Envelope to a form
eSignature Automation Trigger
Viewing Completed eSignature Envelopes
Resending eSignature Notifications
Canceling eSignatures
FAQs
Forms
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Forms feature
How to create and edit Forms
Adding data fields
Configuring Forms
VersaForms
Sensitive Data Fields
FAQs
Formulas and Calculated Fields
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Formulas feature
How to work with Formulas and Calculated Fields
Formula Data Dictionary
Dynamic Formula References
Rules of Formula References
Advanced Visibility Rules
Video Guides: Formulas
FAQs
Front Page
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Front Page feature
How to edit the Front Page
FAQs
Incentive Design
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Incentive Design feature
How to create and edit Incentive Designs
Incentive Options for One-Time Incentive Type
Incentive Design Options
FAQs
Milestones
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Milestones feature
How to define a Milestone
FAQs
Project List Columns
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Project List Columns feature
How to use Project List Columns
FAQs
Project Summary
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Project Summary feature
How to edit the Project Summary
FAQs
Project Views
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Project Views feature
How to edit Project Views
FAQs
Roles
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Roles feature
How to create and edit a Role
Access Groups
Access Groups and Automations
Access Groups and Data Imports
Access Groups and Reports
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Workflow
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Transitions
Workflow Example Overview
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Administration
Business Days
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Locating the Business Days feature
Setting up Business Days
FAQs
Dashboards
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Locating the Dashboards feature
How to create widgets in your Dashboard
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Data Import
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Data Import feature
Steps to Complete a Data Import
Data Import Configurations
Column Header Types
Automatic Data Imports via SFTP
FAQs
Duplicate Check
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Duplicate Check feature
How to use Duplicate Checks
FAQs
Import Projects
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Import Projects feature
How to Import From V2
FAQs
Operation Status
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Operation Status feature
How to use the Operation Status feature
FAQs
Program Info
Project Inquiry
Locating the Project Inquiry feature
How to edit the Project Inquiry Settings
Automating Communications for Project Inquires
Inquiry Summary
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Program Info feature
How to edit the Program Info menu
Notification Banners
Usage Info
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Program Statistics
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Program Statistics feature
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Reports
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Locating the Reports feature
How to setup Reports
Multi-instance reports
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Cross-Program Reports
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Test Environment
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the Test Environment feature
How to setup a Test Environment
FAQs
User Administration
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Locating the User Administration feature
How to work with User Administration
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Tools Menu
My Account
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Locating the My Account feature
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Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication
Missing, lost, or stolen mobile devices: resetting Multi-Factor Authentication
Disabling Multi-Factor Authentication
Recovery Guidelines for MFA Administrators
FAQs
FormSense
Questions to Ask
Locating the FormSense feature
How to use the FormSense feature
FAQs
Grant Access
Questions to Ask
Project Grants vs Broad Grants (i.e. "Grant Access")
Locating the Project Grant feature
Locating the Grant Access feature
How to use the Grant Access feature
FAQs
Integration Guides
ePayments
Questions to ask yourself
Locating the ePayments History feature
How to add ePayments
FAQ
PowerClerk API
Questions to Ask
What is the PowerClerk API?
What can the PowerClerk API do?
Integrating with the PowerClerk API
API Documentation for Developers
Single Sign On (SSO)
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FAQs
Integration Guide 001: How to configure a Web Adapter – ArcGIS Implementation
Integration Guide 002: How to configure Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) DRIVE Connect software with PowerClerk
PowerClerk Video Guides
New User Video Guide
Setting up Business Days
Dashboards
FormSense
Edit Forms - Tutorial #1
Build A Formula
Edit Forms - Tutorial #2
Automation with Formulas in Action Rules
Configuring Forms
Formulas and Advanced Visibility Rules
Calculated Fields
Milestones
Project Summary
Setting up Roll-up Reports
Roles and User Administration
Visualize Workflows
ArcGIS
API
SFTP Automatic Data Import
Standard Web Adapter Setup
PowerClerk Program Launch
PowerClerk User Group Sessions (UGS)
Learning Management System (LMS)

Data Fields

Search and find all your Data Fields throughout the program, making it easy to reference in other features like Communication Templates.

Data Fields feature


Questions to ask yourself about Data Fields:

Who will be entering my key Data Fields? Applicants or utility administrators?

What other features will require reference to user-populated Data Fields?
Do I need to edit the Template Tags fields before referencing Data Fields in other features?

Locating the Data Fields feature

Anyone in a Role with the View Data Fields privilege can view your program’s Data Fields by opening the PROGRAM DESIGN menu and clicking on Data Fields:

 

Locating the Data Fields feature

Figure 1: PROGRAM DESIGN >> Data Fields

 

 

How to work with Data Fields

The Data Fields feature allows you to conveniently retrieve a list of all your program’s available Data Fields. Use the search bar at the top to search Data Fields text and narrow down the list. PowerClerk also has a subset of Data Fields which are built-in and as such are always available across programs:

 

Built-in Fields

Figure 2: Built-in Fields

 

 

Template Tags will be used to reference the data field and populate it in features like Communication Templates. Template Tag naming is set in the Forms feature when you’re adding fields to capture necessary program inputs.  See Forms for information on how to edit the Template Tags to make sure they are consistent with how you want to name Data Fields that require reference. You can also filter the list of Data Fields by selecting the Only show fields referenced on current forms option.  This will filter out older or unused Data Fields in the list and in an exported CSV file, limiting unnecessary or defunct data fields.  Exporting can be done by clicking the Export to CSV button as shown in Figure 3 below:

 

Filtering option and Export to CSV button

Figure 3: Filtering option and Export to CSV button

 

Custom Lists and Data Field Groups

PowerClerk’s Data Fields functionality allows you to define Custom Lists under the Custom Lists-tab. If you do not see this tab present, please contact PowerClerk’s Support Team to request this feature to be enabled for your PowerClerk program. A Custom List can be any kind of hierarchical list of data, that you would like your applicants to be able to select pre-defined data from.

 
To initialize a Custom List you need to create a .csv file with the columns you desire as your hierarchical fields in the Custom List. A sample file can be seen in Figure 4: CSV template for a Custom List:

 

CSV template for a Custom List

Figure 4: CSV template for a Custom List

 
Now please navigate within PowerClerk to Program Design >> Data Fields, click on the Custom Lists tab, and click on the Add Custom List button to upload your template CSV file as the Custom List data source:
 

Uploading a CSV template for a Custom List

Figure 4b: Uploading a CSV template for a Custom List

 
Custom Lists can be setup to retain the ordering for the primary key value column as denoted in the original CSV file by clicking the following option Use Data Source Ordering in the setup dialog:
 

Custom List Ordering

Figure 4c: Custom List Ordering

 
In the subsequent dialog you will be able to configure your data source columns to make them Key Columns (selectable within your Forms), or to exclude certain columns, or to define the data type of your output column to either be string, integer, decimal, or email, or to rename the display of the column name:
 

Configuring the Custom List data source

Figure 5: Configuring the Custom List data source

 
Click on Create Data Source to create your Data Field based on your Custom List Data Source.
 
Please note: If you import a custom list from a .csv file that has a column solely consisting of email addresses, then PowerClerk will automatically recognize this column as emails and set the Custom List data type for the respective output column to “email”. This enforces the email format of the data to be xxx@yyyy.zzz and allows you to further process this output field within your Communication Templates in the To, CC, and BCC email fields. For required fields that are Email Type, no@email.com can be placed in values where you do not have a valid email for that entry. PowerClerk recognizes no@email.com as an indicator to not send a communication to no@email.com.
 
When ingesting a custom list from a .csv file, empty values will not automatically convert the field type to a String Type when an empty value is found. A warning will be displayed noting the empty values but the desired Type will be retained. If you require a field on a Custom List this can result in a user selecting an entry with no data preventing submission with that selection.
 
Next, please navigate to the Data Field Group-tab and click on Add Custom List Group:

 

Add Custom List Group

Figure 6: Add Custom List Group

 
The dialog that follows will present you with options to configure your new Custom List Field Group as shown in Figure 7 below:
 

Configuring the Data Field Group

Figure 7: Configuring the Data Field Group
  1. Set your hierarchy order here. This controls which selection controls which list that appears in the other field.
  2. Uncheck Include to exclude certain columns from the group. This allows you to use the same data source for multiple lists for different purposes.
  3. Allows you to add an editable. Count field for the list in case you want to express multiples of selections in the list.

 
You can also select to display Custom List output columns as static text by choosing the following option:
 

Custom List static text option

Figure 8a: Custom List static text option

 

Custom List static text option

Figure 8b: Custom List static text option

 

To use your Custom List within a Form you will be able to drag the “Custom List” data type onto your Forms once you have at least one Custom List Data Field Group defined as shown in Figure 9 below:
 

Custom Lists within Forms

Figure 9: Custom Lists within Forms

 

Table form element in Data Field Groups

PowerClerk’s Table element allows to input data into a group of input fields organized in columns and rows. For the Table form element to become available in the Form editor, the table’s schema will first need to be defined under Program Design >> Data Fields >> in the Data Field Groups tab.
 

Adding a Table Data Field Group

Figure 10: Adding a Table Data Field Group

 

Adding a Table to a Form

Please note: The newly created Table element is not yet present on the Form elements; you will need to use display option Show fields not referenced on current forms to reveal it in the list of available Data Field Groups in your program. Once a Table is created, the Form editor will allow you to drag a Table form element onto a Form to allow data entry in columns and rows:
 

Table form element in the Form Editor

Figure 11a: Table form element in the Form Editor

Table form as rendered in a Form

Figure 11b: Table form as rendered in a Form

 
The default for Tables on a Form is to allow the removal or reordering of rows added to the table.
 

Table option: Table option: Remove or Reorder Rows

Figure 12a: Remove or Reorder Rows

 

Table option: Add Row Only

Figure 12b: Add Row Only

 
In some scenarios, data entered in the table should be locked after entry. Select “Add Row Only” in the Table element properties to prevent editing or reordering of existing data but continue to allow additional rows to be added to the Table element for further data entry.
 
Additionally, some tables need at least one row of data in order to be considered complete. If users are expected to enter one or more rows of data every time they complete the form, the ‘Require at least one row’ property can be toggled for the table element on the form that it appears.
 

Require at least one row

Figure 12c: Require at least one row

 

Editing a Table

Once Table Groups are created, their schema can be edited by navigating to Program Design >> Data Fields >> Data Field Groups >> Edit Table Group.
 

Edit Table Group

Figure 13: Edit Table Group

 
In the ‘Edit Table’ menu, you can rename a column, add a new column, or ‘Hide’ existing column(s). There is a limit of 10 visible Table columns, meaning hidden columns do not count towards the total column count (e.g. a Table can have 10 visible columns, and 10 hidden columns).
 
Columns can only be hidden if they are not currently required on a Form or referenced elsewhere in Program Design. Once a column is hidden, it will no longer appear on Forms that contain the Table element.
 

Hide Table Group Columns

Figure 13a: Hide Table Group Columns

 
If a column has previously been ‘hidden’, you can select the option to ‘Show hidden columns in schema editor’ and choose to ‘Restore Column’. NOTE: Tables MUST contain between 1 and 10 visible columns. If the Table has reached the 10 column limit, the Restore Column button will be displayed, but inaccessible for hidden columns.
 

Restore Hidden Table Group Columns

Figure 13b: Restore Hidden Table Group Columns

 
Any changes made to the Table schema will be immediately reflected on the Form(s) that the Table is present on.
 

Reporting Table Data

When generating Table data using Reports, each row of data will appear as a new row in Excel, with the instance (row number) listed.
 

Table Report

Figure 14: Table Report

 

Data Import into a Table

If a Table already has existing data associated, a Data Import can NOT be utilized to update the table. You will need to contact support (support@powerclerk.com) in order to utilize an API call to update Table Data in bulk.
 
In order to add a single row of data into an empty Table, you can use the following .CSV format:
 

Importing into a Table

Figure 15: Importing into a Table

 

Enabling PV System + batteries element (“Add Battery” button)

CPR recommends as a best-practice to only have one, single PV System element in your program to ease reporting, and to enable the battery component on their program’s *existing* PV System element (as opposed to adding an additional PV System Data Field Group). This will streamline reporting and help minimize program changes. Please note: once the “Show Battery Component?” switch is turned on for a PV System element this setting *cannot* be reversed or turned off. To switch the battery component on for an existing PV System Data Field Group, please navigate to PROGRAM DESIGN >> Data Fields >> tab Data Field Groups, then use the Edit PV System Group button to enable switch “Show Battery Component?” and confirm your selection with the OK button:
 

Enabling PV System + batteries element

Figure 16: Enabling PV System + batteries element

 
The separate Energy Storage System form element can be used to capture stand-alone energy storage system specifications, or as a separate field in AC-Coupled scenarios where PV + Energy Storage System specifications need to be captured. To capture battery equipment tied into systems where the battery module is sharing an inverter with the PV arrays (DC-Coupled) enable the Show Battery Component option of the PV system element. Please note: Please contact support@powerclerk.com to request the Energy Storage System element to be enabled for your PowerClerk program:
 

Energy Storage System form element

Figure 17: Energy Storage System form element

 
Learn more about the Built-in DER form element; the PV System element.
Lean more about program-wide PV System Element Options.
 

Sensitive Attachments

The Attachments tab offers you insight into existing attachment slots present in your program. You do have the option to mark an attachment slot as sensitive as shown below in case you are capturing sensitive document uploads from your applicants such as W-9 forms or otherwise personally identifiable information (PII) that you wish to protect. Please note: setting an attachment slot as sensitive is irreversible and cannot be unchecked once set:
 

Attachment sensitivity

Figure 18: Attachment sensitivity

 
Please also note in above screenshot that you can denote which file extensions you wish to allow for the respective attachment slot to accept, and you can also denote in this dialog if you wish to Allow Large Files to be accommodated. In order to allow files of sizes greater than the default 5 MB, please reach out to support@powerclerk.com. Once enabled for this program, this toggle will allow attachments of sizes greater than the 5 MB default and should only be used when unusually large files are expected. The option to enable Allow Document Merge is explained in more detail within the Support Center here.

Video Guides

Would a video guide help to better explain Data Fields? Contact us and let us know.

FAQs

Have additional questions? Contact us to nominate your FAQ and help others find answers to your own questions concerning this feature.

Create A Support Ticket

Not finding your answer here?  Submit a question to our support team at the PowerClerk Ticket System and leverage the PowerClerk team’s expertise.