Support
Answers to common questions, plus a prompt you can paste into any AI assistant to troubleshoot on your own. Still stuck? Email hello@substantively.ai.
Frequently asked questions
Where do our audit files actually live?
In your own Microsoft 365 / SharePoint tenant. Substantively stores workspace metadata (projects, tasks, control tests, findings, risks, and links to files) and never the file content. When you link or upload a document, the bytes go directly from your browser to your SharePoint; they never pass through our servers.
SharePoint search or folder automation suddenly asks me to re-authorize.
After we expanded the integration to create folders and accept uploads, your Microsoft connection needs the broader permission once. Go to Settings → Integrations and click Re-authorize. Existing links keep working regardless.
“Uploads need a project folders location” — what do I do?
An owner or manager needs to point the workspace at a SharePoint location once: Settings → Integrations → set the project folders root. After that, project folders, template copies, and uploads work for everyone.
Our IT team blocks new apps. Can we still connect Microsoft 365?
Yes. In Settings → Integrations, use IT admin setup to copy a one-click consent link (or a ready-to-send email) for a Global Administrator. They approve Substantively once for the whole tenant, then everyone can connect without individual prompts.
The workspace went read-only.
That happens when a trial expires or a subscription lapses. An owner can restore full access from Settings → Billing. Your data is never deleted when a workspace goes read-only.
“This item was changed by someone else” when I save.
Two people edited the same record at once. Substantively refuses to silently overwrite — refresh to see the current version, then re-apply your change. This protects audit records from being clobbered.
Can someone fulfill a document request without a Substantively account in our team?
Yes — invite them as an evidence provider. They get a portal that only shows the requests assigned to them, can upload evidence (which lands in your SharePoint), and see nothing else. They need no SharePoint permissions of their own.
Can’t complete the Fieldwork phase.
Fieldwork completion is gated until every control test on the project has a conclusion. Conclude the open tests (Pass / Pass with exceptions / Fail) and the phase will close.
How do we get our data out?
Settings → General → Export all data downloads every project, task, control, finding, risk, time entry, and the activity log as a single JSON file. Owners can also hard-delete the organization. Files are unaffected — they were always in your tenant.
How do we export an audit report?
Open a project and click Export report. You get a formatted Word document — scope, controls tested, findings with management responses, the risk register, and a sign-off block — generated in your browser.
Troubleshoot with your own AI assistant
Copy this prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot, then describe your problem at the end. It carries enough product context to give you accurate, specific guidance.