Annotations are a collaboration tool in SmartSimple that lets users attach notes and replies directly to specific fields within a record. A reviewer flags exactly which field needs a change or clarification, and the applicant replies and edits that field without affecting the rest of the record. Because each annotation is tied to one field, feedback stays organized and everyone involved has a clear record of what was requested, changed, and resolved. Annotations support a structured back and forth in application reviews that involve more than one person, such as an applicant, a program manager, and a reviewer.
Who: Global Administrator, applicants, and reviewers
When to Use Annotations
Use annotations when:
- A reviewer needs to request changes or clarifications on specific fields of a grant application before approving it.
- An applicant needs to respond to feedback and update individual field values without editing the entire grant application.
- A review process requires a documented, field-level record of requested changes and how they were resolved.
How Annotations Work
The following describes how annotations support a review process that involves an applicant, a program manager, and a reviewer.
- The applicant enters the required information into a form and submits the grant application.
- The program manager assigns a reviewer to the grant application and advances it to the next stage.
- The reviewer is notified of the assignment. When the grant application is not yet ready to be approved or declined, the reviewer makes field-level suggestions.
- For each field that needs attention, the reviewer clicks the field to open a new annotation window, enters a message requesting a change or clarification, and saves the annotation. Annotations appear in the right-hand panel.
- When finished, the reviewer clicks the annotation submission button to return the record to the applicant.
- The applicant is notified that action is required, and the grant application opens in Annotation Mode. Fields without annotations are locked.
- The applicant reviews the list of annotations in the right panel, clicks an annotation to open the field-level discussion, and clicks Reply to edit the field value and add a clarifying message.
- After responding, the applicant clicks the annotation submission button to advance the status, which triggers a workflow that notifies the reviewer of the changes.
- The reviewer is notified and reviews the changes and the applicant’s responses. If no further changes are needed, the reviewer marks each field-level annotation as resolved.
- When all changes are addressed, the reviewer advances the grant application using the annotation submission button.
Annotation Mode
Annotation Mode is the view applicants and reviewers use to work with annotations. In Annotation Mode:
- Fields without annotations are locked.
- A list of annotations appears in a right-hand panel.
- Users can click any annotation to open a specific field-level discussion.
Annotation Colors
Annotations are color coded:
- Yellow - Annotations created by other users, such as the reviewer. Yellow indicates that the annotation may need a response.
- Blue - Annotations created by the current user.
- Green - Resolved annotations, which move to the bottom of the list and appear with a checkmark. Green indicates that no further action is required.
Exit and Re-Enter Annotation Mode
Users can exit and re-enter Annotation Mode as follows:
- To exit, click the close [X] icon in the gray box. Exiting is sometimes necessary to reach the left navigation or other record elements that are hidden in Annotation Mode.
- To re-enter, toggle Annotation Mode on in the high-visibility bar at the top right of the record.
Limitations
Annotations have the following limitations:
- Annotations allow editing only one field at a time, and validation runs only on the field being edited. If dynamic field visibility controls are used, or if full validation of the entire form is required, exit Annotation Mode and return the record to an unlocked status.
- Configuring annotations requires the global administrator role.
Resources
For more information about annotations, see: