Chain of custody
Raise a chain of custody record to track samples to the laboratory.
A chain of custody record tracks which samples were dispatched, to whom and when - the paper trail from site to laboratory.
Raise a record
Choose New chain of custody and fill in the builder:
Reference and lab
Give it a reference and choose the laboratory it is dispatched to.
Dispatch details
Set dispatched from, the date dispatched, a batch reference, a status and any remarks. Dispatched to is optional - it defaults to the chosen laboratory; fill it in only to name a specific contact or site.
Samples
Pick the samples and, for each, the number of containers and any notes. The picker has a quick search, per-column filters and click-to-sort headers to manage long lists.
Samples that have already been sent to the lab on another chain of custody are flagged with an amber warning - in the picker and above the sample list - naming the record they are on, so you do not dispatch the same sample twice. It is a warning, not a block.
Samples flagged Handle with care show a red tag - hover it to see the note and who flagged it. The flag is set on a testing schedule or in the Table Editor, and is read-only here. It also leads the sample's remarks on the exports.
Locking once dispatched
Once a record has a date dispatched, its sample list is locked so the paperwork does not change underneath the lab. If something does need to change, choose Unlock to amend and confirm.
Files
The Files section holds the paperwork that goes with the record, such as the courier-signed copy or the lab's receipt. It works the same way as files on a schedule: files save as soon as they upload, can be added after dispatch, appear on the project's Media page tagged with the record, and are not shown to clients.
Statuses
Chain of custody records move through Draft, Issued, Received and Complete.
Export
From a record's menu, export it as AGS, CSV or PDF. The PDF always uses
one of your company's chain of custody templates;
if there is none yet, Export PDF is unavailable until one is set up in Template. The list shows each record's reference, where it was
dispatched to, sample count, dispatch date and status. Per-sample notes appear in
both the CSV and the PDF Notes column, led by "Handle with care: ..." when the
sample is flagged (in AGS, CHOC_REM).
Last updated 29 September 2026