Report a change
Mariners and field units can send a report without an account and keep their reference code. The form asks for the place, chart number, description and contact detail that staff need to place the report and reply.
Use this guide if you are reporting from the water or the field
You do not need a workspace account to send a report. Signed-in field units can also use the same steps and then see their reports in the app.
Mariners
Report what you observed, where you observed it, and the chart number you were using. Plain words are enough. Staff link the report to the paragraph it changes during triage.
Field units and survey teams
Give the area, the chart number and the location as precisely as you can, and describe the change in the order you saw it. A named place or a position helps staff find the paragraph.
Send a report in four steps
Keep the confirmation from the last step. It holds the reference code you need to check status later.
Pick the paragraph or area
Start from the published paragraph you were reading when you can, so the report arrives with that paragraph in view, or choose the publication, area or chapter the change belongs to. If you do not know the paragraph, say which area or feature you mean in the description.
Describe the change
Write in plain words what is different from the published text, and what you observed. Say what the published text says, what you saw instead, and when you saw it. Short sentences help triage staff link the report to the right paragraph.
Add chart number and location
Enter the chart number, the place name and the location you used, such as a position or a named area. Add your name and the contact detail you want staff to use for follow-up. Contact detail is how staff can ask for more detail if the report is returned.
Send the form
Check the place, chart number and description, then send the form. Sending creates the report and gives you a reference code on the confirmation. Staff then triage the report, link it to one or more paragraphs, assign an editor, and record a decision.
Include the details triage needs
A report that names a place and a chart number can be placed on the first pass. A vague report is returned for more detail.
- Place or area, and the chart number you were using.
- Location in words or position, so staff can find the feature on the chart.
- A plain description of the change, with what the published text says and what you observed.
- Contact detail for follow-up, if you want staff to be able to reply.
- One report per change. If the same change affects more than one paragraph, say so, and triage will link each paragraph it changes.
Staff do not show internal triage notes on the status page. Reasons for declining are written in plain words a sender can read.
Keep the reference code and status link from the confirmation
The confirmation is your receipt. Keep it until the report is published or closed.
- Note the reference code shown on the confirmation, exactly as printed, and keep the status link with it. You will enter the code and the contact detail from the form to check status.
- Confirm the confirmation shows the place, chart number and description you sent. If anything is wrong, send a new report that corrects it and mention the first reference code in the description.
- Read what happens next on the confirmation. Staff triage the report, link it to paragraphs, and then it moves through review and approval before it can be published in an edition or weekly change set.
- Do not share the status link with other people. It opens your report only, and it shows plain status and dates, not internal notes or other reports.
Do I need an account to report a change
No. The public form works without sign-in. You only need the reference code and the contact detail from the form to check status later.
Will my report change the published text at once
No. A report is triaged and linked to paragraphs, then an editor writes the change, a reviewer checks it and an approver approves it. Nothing publishes without approval.
What if staff need more detail
The status page shows that more detail is asked for, in plain words. Reply from the status page with the detail you can add, and the report stays open for triage.
Check where your report stands
Use your reference code and contact detail to read the timeline and reply when more detail is asked.