> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://codifi-fdm.gitbook.io/codifi-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://codifi-fdm.gitbook.io/codifi-docs/mobile-app/getting-in-the-field.md).

# Getting in the Field

A short, opinionated checklist for what to do **before** you walk out of the office (or your hotel, or your truck) for a field day. Most field problems — missing maps, GPS inconsistency, lost photos — trace back to skipping one of these steps. Twenty minutes here saves a lot of bad days.

***

## The Field-Ready Checklist

| ✓ | Step                                                      | Why it matters                                                     | Where to look                                                                                                     |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ☐ | **Project is set up correctly on the web**                | Project Members, Project area, map overlays, offline areas         | [Web App overview](/codifi-docs/web-app/web-app.md)                                                               |
| ☐ | **Mobile Project settings are configured**                | Auto-numbering, file naming, Quick GPS Create, Save to iOS Photos  | [Mobile Project Settings](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings.md)                                     |
| ☐ | **Offline map areas are downloaded to your device**       | The map keeps working when signal drops                            | [Syncing & the Cloud Icon](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/getting-in-the-field/syncing-and-the-cloud-icon.md)            |
| ☐ | **All previous data is synced — green checkmark**         | Confirms nothing's still pending upload from yesterday             | [Syncing & the Cloud Icon](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/getting-in-the-field/syncing-and-the-cloud-icon.md)            |
| ☐ | **External GPS is paired and favorited (if used)**        | Avoid pairing flow at the trailhead                                | [GPS Technical Reference](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mapping-locations/gps-and-live-data/gps-technical-reference.md) |
| ☐ | **Devices are charged and have a backup battery / cable** | iPad GPS + screen + camera kills batteries faster than expected    | —                                                                                                                 |
| ☐ | **You've reviewed the Project's archetypes mentally**     | Do you know what Records to capture and which fields are required? | [Before You Head to the Field](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mapping-locations/before-you-head-to-the-field.md)         |

***

## Why Not All of This Lives on One Page

Each item links out to where the actual configuration lives — most of it isn't field-time work. The job of this checklist is to be the **last thing you scan before going out**, not to be the place where setup actually happens.

If you're new to the team, walk through every linked page in order at least once. After you've done a few field days, this checklist becomes a 30-second pre-flight you run from memory.

***

## The Two Things You Cannot Skip

If you only have time for two things, do these:

1. **Make the cloud icon green** before you leave Wi-Fi. See [Syncing & the Cloud Icon](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/getting-in-the-field/syncing-and-the-cloud-icon.md). A green checkmark means everything that should be on your device is on your device, and everything that should be uploaded is uploaded. Anything else is a problem you'll discover at the worst possible time.
2. **Open the Project on the iPad and pinch-zoom into the area you'll be working in.** If you see real basemap imagery, you're good. If you see a blank gray grid, your offline area didn't download. Re-sync now, not later.

Both checks take under a minute. Both are the difference between "good day in the field" and "had to walk back to the truck for signal."

***

## In This Section

| Page                                                                                                   | What it covers                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Syncing & the Cloud Icon](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/getting-in-the-field/syncing-and-the-cloud-icon.md) | What the cloud icon's three states mean (green checkmark / animated / red error), how to make sure everything is downloaded before you go offline, and what to do when the icon won't go green |

More pre-field topics will be added here over time. Suggestions or gaps? Let your team's Codifi admin know.