System Flags

Overview

Operative’s Flags system runs automatically in the background on every contact and transaction record. It checks for missing or invalid data that would cause issues with FEC reporting, and surfaces best practice recommendations for cleaner data.

There are three types of flags:

Step-by-Step Instructions

Identifying Flags

1. Navigate to your Contacts or Transactions list.
2. Review the Ready for Reporting? column, on the far right side of the screen. Each contact or transaction record will be labeled by Operative as either ready for reporting or flagged for a potential issue in need of review.
   • A green checkmark indicates that there are no blocking issues and the record is ready for reporting.
   • An orange Warning icon with a number in the center indicates the number of issues present with the record that will block your filing.
   • A lightbulb icon with a number in the center indicates the number of tips or recommendations Operative has for how to better clean that contact or transaction record. These are dismissible–the identified issues will not prevent you from filing.
3. Hover over an icon to see a description of the identified issues with that record. For example:
   • An orange warning icon on a contribution record might say: “Last name is required.” This issue would prevent you from filing.
   • A lightbulb icon on an organizational contact might say, “Phone number is not in a recognized US or International format.” Operative recommends that you reformat the phone number associated with that contact, but it is not an issue that will block your report filing.

Resolving Warnings

To resolve a warning on a record, you’ll need to either add missing information or correct information that has been formatted incorrectly. 

1. Open a record with a warning by clicking any of the record’s fields.
2. The flagged fields will be highlighted in orange and labeled Required.
3. Enter or correct the missing data (e.g., last name or occupation) and click the Save changes button at the bottom of the record.
4. Once all required fields are corrected, the warning icon will update to a green check mark. The record is now ready for reporting.

⚠️ Important: Any record with warnings will block both the contact and any associated transactions from appearing on your FEC reports.

Resolving Tips

While tips do not have to be resolved in order to file, we recommend reviewing and resolving all tips as best practice for maintaining clean data.

1. Hover over the lightbulb icon to view suggested improvements to the record data (e.g., “Invalid phone number format” or “Organization identifiers in a person name”).
2. Click on the record to update the flagged field if desired. Remember to click the Save changes button at the bottom of the record before navigating back to the contact or transaction list.
3. To dismiss a tip, hover over the lightbulb inside the record view and click Dismiss tip. Once dismissed, that tip will not reappear for that record.

Recommended Workflow

When you’re ready to review your contact and transaction record flags, we recommend the following workflow:

1. Use Search and Filter to pull up all transactions marked as Reporting Status: Not Ready.
2. Work through your list, resolving warnings first to ensure records are eligible for reporting.
3. Review and optionally resolve tips for improved data quality.
4. Re-check the Ready for Reporting? column to confirm records have cleared warnings.

Types of Flags

Warnings (block FEC reporting)

• Missing contact record (all transactions must have a linked contact)
• Missing first + last name or organization name
• Missing transaction date or amount
• Missing employer or occupation
• Employer or occupation longer than 50 characters
• Invalid characters
• Disbursement missing purpose
• Bundle not ready (parent transaction must be corrected)

Tips (non-blocking data cleaning recommendations)

• Invalid or missing address (e.g., improperly formatted ZIP)
• Missing or improperly formatted phone number
• Improperly formatted email
• Organization identifiers (LLC, Inc., Co., etc.) entered in a person name field

Additional Notes

• Flags are updated in real time as you edit a record.
• You can always hover over icons for quick visibility into what needs fixing.
• The flagging system is most effective when paired with Search and Filter to quickly target problematic records.