Procore Permissions Guide
NSPEC-X uses your own Procore account to read project data and create observations. The simple rule is: if you can create an observation directly in Procore, you have everything NSPEC-X needs. This article explains the Procore permission requirements, how to verify your access, and how to request changes if something is missing.
The Simple Rule
Section titled “The Simple Rule”NSPEC-X never asks Procore for anything beyond what you can do as a regular Procore user. There are no NSPEC-X-only permissions, no service accounts, and no special integration role to set up.
Quick Permission Test
Section titled “Quick Permission Test”Run this 60-second check to confirm you have everything NSPEC-X needs:
- Sign in to Procore at app.procore.com
- Open one of your active projects
- Navigate to the Observations tool
- Try to create a new observation
If you can complete that flow successfully, your permissions are sufficient for NSPEC-X. If you get an “access denied” message or the Observations tool isn’t visible, jump to the Requesting Permission Changes section.
Procore Permission Templates
Section titled “Procore Permission Templates”Most Procore administrators assign permissions using built-in templates. Several Procore templates work with NSPEC-X out of the box.
Confirmed working template
Section titled “Confirmed working template”The “Subcontractor - External” template provides everything NSPEC-X needs. It’s the lowest level of external access that includes the ability to create observations, so if you’re asking your Procore admin for the minimum permissions, this is the one to request.
Other templates that work
Section titled “Other templates that work”Most Procore templates that allow observation creation will work with NSPEC-X. Common compatible templates include:
- Subcontractor - External (minimum recommended)
- Subcontractor - Internal
- General Contractor - Standard
- Project Administrator
- Custom templates that include “Standard” or “Admin” permissions on the Observations tool
If your organization uses a custom template, just confirm the template grants at least Standard permission on the Observations tool.
What Tools NSPEC-X Touches
Section titled “What Tools NSPEC-X Touches”NSPEC-X reads from and writes to a small number of Procore tools. The permissions required for each are listed below.
| Procore Tool | Required permission | What NSPEC-X does |
|---|---|---|
| Observations | Standard or Admin | Creates observations from your nSpec action items, reads them back to detect conflicts, updates them when you re-sync |
| Project | Read Only or higher | Reads the list of projects you have access to in each connected Procore company |
| Photos | Read Only or higher | Uploads inspection photos as attachments to the synced observation |
| Directory | Read Only | Loads the assignee dropdown when creating action items |
| Specifications | Read Only | Loads the specification section dropdown for action items (optional field) |
| Locations | Read Only | Loads the location hierarchy for action items (optional field) |
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Section titled “Single Sign-On (SSO)”nSpec supports SSO via Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). If your organization uses Microsoft accounts for sign-in, you can sign in to nSpec with your work account directly — there’s no separate password to manage.
The Procore side of the integration is independent. You will still need to authorize Procore the first time you connect (see What is NSPEC-X), and Procore SSO works the same way it always has — if your Procore account uses SSO, you’ll go through your normal SSO flow on the Procore side.
Requesting Permission Changes
Section titled “Requesting Permission Changes”If your quick permission test failed, you’ll need your Procore administrator to grant you additional access. Here’s a sample message you can send:
Hi [Admin Name],
I need to be able to create observations in Procore for the [Project Name] project. We’re using NSPEC-X (an nSpec integration) which syncs inspection findings to Procore as observations.
Could you please assign me a permission template that includes Standard or Admin access to the Observations tool? The “Subcontractor - External” template is known to work, but any template that allows observation creation will do.
Thank you!
After your administrator updates your permissions, sign out of nSpec and sign back in to refresh your Procore session.
Troubleshooting Permission Issues
Section titled “Troubleshooting Permission Issues”“Access denied” when connecting to Procore
Section titled ““Access denied” when connecting to Procore”Problem: The Procore login redirect shows an access denied error.
Solutions:
- Make sure you’re authorizing the right Procore account. If you have multiple Procore accounts, check that the active one in your browser matches the company you’re trying to connect.
- Confirm your Procore user is active and not disabled.
- Verify your Procore user has access to at least one active project.
“Cannot create observations” error
Section titled ““Cannot create observations” error”Problem: Trying to save an action item returns a permission error from Procore.
Solutions:
- Confirm you have Standard or Admin permission on the Procore Observations tool for this project
- Check that the Procore project is active (not archived, closed, or hidden)
- Verify you’re assigned to the project’s directory if your Procore admin uses directory-based access controls
- Try the quick permission test in Quick Permission Test directly in Procore — if it fails there too, it’s a Procore permission issue, not an NSPEC-X issue
Photos aren’t uploading to the Procore observation
Section titled “Photos aren’t uploading to the Procore observation”Problem: The observation syncs but photos don’t appear in Procore.
Solutions:
- Verify you have Read Only or higher permission on the Procore Photos tool
- Check the project’s storage limits in Procore — you may have hit a quota
- Confirm individual photo file sizes are within Procore’s limits (typically under 10 MB each)
Type, Trade, or Location dropdowns are empty
Section titled “Type, Trade, or Location dropdowns are empty”Problem: The Procore field dropdowns load but contain no options.
Solutions:
- The Procore project may not have those values configured. Open the project in Procore and verify there are types, trades, and locations defined.
- Check that you have read access to the relevant tool (Directory for assignees, Locations for locations, Specifications for spec sections).
- Refresh your Procore session by signing out of nSpec and back in.
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”- What is NSPEC-X — overview of how Procore integration works
- Managing NSPEC-X Clients — connect Procore companies to your nSpec account
- Creating Procore Observations — create action items that sync to Procore
- Troubleshooting Sync Issues — when something doesn’t sync as expected
- Procore: Permission Levels Explained — Procore’s official guide to permission levels
Still having permission issues? Contact our support team at support@nxtconstruction.ai with your Procore company name, the project you’re trying to access, and the exact error message you’re seeing.