Record an observation about an item of stock. Notes appear in its history when Note check says Ready; they do not change its quantity, stage or availability.
For a routine observation, choose the stock number, write your note and enter the date you recorded it. You can add more detail when it helps explain what happened, such as the incident date, who wrote the note or where the stock was at the time.
Add a routine note
The compact view keeps Stock number, Note, Recorded on, Important and Note check together. You can enter an everyday observation without scrolling across the sheet or opening a script window.
Choose the existing Stock number on an unused row. Press Tab to move straight to Note while the extra details are tucked away.
Write your observation, then press Tab again to reach Recorded on. Enter the date you wrote the note. For today, use Command (⌘) + ; on a Mac or Ctrl + ; on Windows or a Chromebook, or type or choose the date.
Tick Important if the observation should remain prominent. Check that Note check says Ready. The note is then available in Notes & History; there is no separate Save or Post entries step.
Use another unused row for the next observation. If you stop partway through a note, return to that same row to finish it. An incomplete note stays there and will not appear in history until its check says Ready.
Show or tuck away extra details
Use the small + buttons above the column letters when you need more detail. The first reveals Happened on and Time happened; the next reveals Time recorded and Recorded by; the last reveals Location at the time and Stage at the time. You may need to scroll sideways while these columns are open.
Use the matching − button to tuck those columns away again. This only changes the view: anything you entered remains with the note and is still available in its history. Leave dates, times and other details blank when you do not know them. In particular, an incident date describes when something happened, while Recorded on describes when you wrote it down.
Choose the Stock number
If you are looking at the item in Current Stock, copy its Stock number and click Add a stock note near the top of that sheet. The link opens the next unused Stock notes row. Click its Stock number box and choose Edit → Paste special → Values only, or choose the number from the list. This attaches the observation to the item’s existing history; you do not need another arrival entry just to add information.
If you are already on Stock notes, Next note takes you to the same place: the line after the last one you have used. Earlier notes and unfinished rows stay in place. To finish an existing note, return to its original row. These links only move you; they do not fill or save a note. If the link says Entry page full — stop, keep the existing notes and do not replace them.
Write the observation and enter its recording date, then read Note check. When it says Ready, the note is available in Notes & History for that Stock number. You do not submit an individual note on Post entries or open a script window. Current Stock may show it in the short preview, depending on which notes are marked Important and which are newest. For one observation concerning several members of a group, use Batch notes.
Write several separate inspection notes together
After checking several items, you can write their individual observations in one visit to Stock notes. Each row still belongs to its own Stock number and keeps its own note.
In Current Stock, select and copy the adjacent Stock numbers for the items you checked. Copy just that column. Click Add a stock note once to reach the next unused note row.
Check that there are enough blank entry rows for all your notes. Keep existing notes and unfinished drafts in place. Click the first new Stock number box and choose Edit → Paste special → Values only. Each copied number goes into a separate row. If the items are not adjacent in Current Stock, choose their numbers individually on Stock notes instead.
Write the appropriate observation beside each number. Check that every note describes the stock on that same row.
If all the notes were entered on the same date, enter that fixed date in the first Recorded on box. Select that filled date and the blank date boxes directly below it for these notes, then press Command (⌘) + D on a Mac, or Ctrl + D on Windows or a Chromebook. This copies the first date down the selected boxes. Use individual dates when they differ. You can fill Recorded by the same way only when the same person wrote all those notes.
Time recorded is optional; enter it separately when known. Leave unknown incident dates and times blank. Read Note check on every row and follow any message until each says Ready. Then return to Current Stock once to continue from your existing search and filters. Notes do not go through Post entries.
These are separate observations, even though you entered them together. Use Batch notes when one shared observation should be attached to the members of a recorded batch.
If two notes have the same recording date and no recording time, the earlier one can remain in Current Stock’s short preview. Both completed notes are still available in Notes & History.
Happened on: the incident date
Happened on is when you saw the problem or the incident occurred. It may be earlier than the day you enter the note. Keeping both dates lets a later reader understand the sequence without mistaking a late entry for another incident.
Leave it blank if the date is unknown rather than guessing. To use the calendar in a blank date cell, type @date and choose Date; double-click a date to reopen its calendar.
Time happened
Choose a suggested time in 15-minute steps or type the local time you know. Read it with Happened on, because a time without its date does not tell you when the incident occurred. Leave the time blank if unknown. Use 00:00 only when you know it was midnight.
Write the note
Write enough for someone who was not present to understand what you saw and why it may matter. Describe the affected stock, the observation and any useful circumstances in ordinary language. Distinguish what you know from what you are uncertain about. A routine note does not need a category, severity or follow-up field.
Say which stock or area you checked. If you checked only part of a group, explain which part and what remains unchecked. If a check needs a written result, record what you found even when there was no problem. This helps another person understand what was actually checked, rather than having to guess from an empty note history.
The note preserves an observation; any separate action still needs to be recorded. Writing that stock looked unusual does not place it on hold, change its quantity or confirm a job was completed. If you also make a decision or record a real loss, use the appropriate entry page.
To repair a mistake in an individual note while keeping the earlier wording and your reason, find its original row and check that Note check says Ready. Click any cell on that exact row, then choose Extensions → Farmer’s Helper — Development → Stock → Correct selected note. The action prepares a correction for that note without changing it yet.
On Correct details, edit Replacement and enter Reason, then follow that guide to apply the correction and check Detail history. Typing directly over the old note does not keep this correction history. A later observation should have its own new note instead of replacing the earlier one.
Recorded on: when you wrote it down
Recorded on is the date you entered this note in the workbook. Every note needs this date, and it cannot be in the future. If you are writing about an older incident, put the incident’s date under Happened on and the date you entered the note here.
To enter today’s date quickly, click an empty cell under Recorded on and press Command (⌘) + ; on a Mac, or Ctrl + ; on Windows or a Chromebook. Google Sheets fills in today’s date. It stays with the note when you open the workbook on another day.
Check that the date is right before continuing. For a different recording date, type it or choose it from the calendar instead.
Time recorded
Time recorded is the local time you entered the note. It is optional, so leave it blank if you do not know it. Keep it separate from Time happened: an incident may have occurred earlier than the time you wrote it down.
To enter the current time quickly, click an empty cell under Time recorded and press Command (⌘) + Shift + ; on a Mac, or Ctrl + Shift + ; on Windows or a Chromebook. The time you insert stays fixed. If you need to record a different time, type the correct time or choose it from the list.
These are Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts. Some keyboard layouts use different keys. If a shortcut does not work on your keyboard, you can still type or choose the date and time.
Recorded by
Choose or enter the person or team writing the note. Names saved under Other choices → People or teams are offered in the list, and you can type another name when appropriate. The label helps a colleague know whom to ask about the observation.
This is the name entered by the recorder, not an automatic check of the Google account. Leave it blank when unknown. Hiding a person from future choices does not rename the notes already recorded under that name.
Mark a note Important
Tick Important when you want this observation kept prominent in Current Stock’s short note preview. This can keep a significant incident visible after routine notes are added. The other completed notes remain available in the full history.
Importance is a visibility choice for the note. Any hold, quantity change or follow-up task must still be recorded separately; the tick does not carry out those actions.
Location at the time
You can enter the place relevant to the observation so the context remains understandable after stock moves. For a late entry, use the place at the time of the incident when you know it, rather than automatically copying today’s location.
Keep that recorded context fixed. A correct older location can remain on the note even if it is no longer offered for new stock. Leave the field blank when it would add no useful information or the place is unknown.
Stage at the time
Enter the process and stage relevant to the observation if they help explain it. The stage tells a later reader how far the stock had progressed when you noticed the issue, even if the current record has moved on.
This describes the observation’s context without changing today’s stage. Leave it blank where unknown or unnecessary rather than inventing a past stage.
Read Note check and find the result
Note check looks for the stock you chose, the note text and the recording date. It also checks that entered dates and times make sense together. For example, the incident cannot be later than its recording, and a Time happened needs a Happened on date. Follow any message before relying on the note elsewhere.
When Note check says Ready, click Read Notes & History → near the top of Stock notes. Choose that Stock number in the history and find the text and dates you entered. This confirms the observation is available even if a different note is shown in Current Stock’s short preview.
If the note is missing, check its original row’s message and Stock number before making another copy of the observation. Click View Current Stock → near the top of Stock notes to return; your search and filters stay as you left them. Adding a note leaves the stock’s quantity, location, stage and use status unchanged.