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The request explains why someone asked for help. The work order explains what another person is expected to do. Linking them is useful; confusing them is not.
Give each record a job
A resident might report that a gate will not latch. The initial request should retain that observation and the conversation around it. The vendor assignment should describe the authorized next action, such as an inspection, rather than silently expanding the request into a replacement. This editorial distinction applies even when both records sit inside one product.
DoorLoop supports creating a work order from a tenant request as a linked subtask. Its official guide explicitly says notes and files from the original request are not automatically added to the new work order. That small boundary deserves a place in the handoff: a linked record is not necessarily a complete evidence packet.
Transfer the minimum useful context
Review the description, selected attachments and relevant access arrangement before sharing the work order. Include what the recipient needs to identify the work and understand its scope. Exclude unrelated resident history, account balances and private conversations. A photograph of the affected latch may help; an entire exported tenant file is not a sensible substitute for choosing the right image.
Check that each referenced file actually exists on the recipient-facing record. “See photo” is unhelpful if the photo remains only on the original request. Describe the file in a way that can survive a later rename, such as “close view of the lower hinge,” without embedding confidential information in its title.
Keep authorization separate from the checkbox
The DoorLoop work-order guide includes an owner-approval indicator. A system field records an approval; it does not create one. Before marking work approved, confirm the responsible person’s real instruction, its scope and any conditions through the organization’s normal process. This publication does not provide spending authority, contract terms or guidance on who legally must approve a particular repair.
Fictional handoff
A coordinator has approval for a gate inspection, not a new gate. The work order states “inspect latch and report findings.” A later replacement proposal remains a separate decision. The linked tenant request continues to carry the resident’s original report.
Ask for an acknowledgment, not just a status
A sent assignment and an accepted assignment are different events. Decide who checks that the recipient has the necessary context and can take the next step. Where scheduling is uncertain, communicate the next check-in rather than treating a due-date field as the vendor’s promise. Keep changes to scope visible to the person coordinating the work.
Completion should describe what was done and what remains. A vendor’s visit may end while a part is still needed. If the underlying request remains open, the follow-up should have a named owner rather than disappearing into a completed work order.
Close both information loops
Return the useful completion summary to the request record and verify the resident-facing update separately. Read how to close the communication loop before assuming a status change sends a message. If an assignee cannot see the record, use the access review instead of sharing an administrator’s login. For incomplete intake, return to request quality.
Sources and scope
Official public sources checked October 21, 2026. The coordination methods and fictional examples are original editorial analysis, not a tested DoorLoop account workflow or legal, accounting or emergency advice. Features depend on plan, settings, permissions and product changes.