Submittal Extractor
Submittal Extractor is the engine that reads a specification section and lists every submittal it requires. Each entry carries the spec reference, the item required, the submittal type and any timing, quantity or format notes, and the whole list imports into the Submittal Tracker in one click.
Updated
What does the Submittal Extractor do?
Submittal Extractor reads a specification section and extracts every submittal requirement into a structured list. Each extracted submittal includes the spec paragraph reference, the item required (e.g., "Shop drawings for structural steel connections"), the required submittal type (drawing / product data / sample / certification / test report / O&M manual / closeout), and any special notes (timing, quantity, format).
The output is directly importable into the Submittal Tracker — one click, every submittal becomes a tracked item with status, due date, and review state.
When should I use the Submittal Extractor?
Use Submittal Extractor before work starts to build a complete submittal log without combing spec sections line by line, to catch submittals buried in late paragraphs, or to give subcontractors a log of exactly what they owe you.
- Before work starts — you want a complete submittal log without combing spec sections line by line.
- Catching submittals that hide in late paragraphs ("All electrical equipment shall be submitted for approval" buried at the end of Division 26).
- Generating a submittal log for subcontractors so they know exactly what they owe you.
What do I upload to the Submittal Extractor?
One spec document per run. Best results with individual CSI MasterFormat sections (e.g., Section 26 05 00 — Common Work Results for Electrical). You can upload a full spec book but the engine may truncate long documents with a banner.
Formats: PDF (best), DOCX, XLSX, plain text.
How do I run the Submittal Extractor?
To run Submittal Extractor, open it, upload a spec section, run the analysis, review the submittal register, then import it to the Submittal Tracker or export it.
Open the engine
Sidebar → Engines → Submittal Extractor.
Upload a spec section
One document. Section-level (Division 26, Section 08 80 00, etc.) produces cleaner extraction than a full spec book.
Run analysis
45–90 seconds for a typical section.
Review the submittal register
Every required submittal as a row: spec reference, description, type, notes. Each row is editable if the engine missed or misclassified something.
Import to the Submittal Tracker
Click Import to Tracker. Every row becomes a tracker item with default status "Not yet submitted." Assign subcontractors and due dates in the tracker.
Export if you prefer
PDF or XLSX for sharing with subs and the design team.
How do I read the Submittal Extractor results?
The result is a submittal register table with each submittal's type, spec reference and a section summary.
One row per extracted submittal. Columns: spec ref, description, submittal type (color-coded), notes.
Shop drawing (teal), product data (blue), sample (amber), certification (green), test report (cyan), O&M manual (fuchsia), closeout (gray), other (gray).
Paragraph number or section reference the engine found the requirement in. Lets you trace back to the source.
Count of submittals by type at the top. Quick check on register completeness.
Every control, explained
Run analysisOne run.
Import to Submittal TrackerPushes every extracted row into the tracker as a new item. Idempotent — re-importing merges by spec ref, doesn't duplicate.
Edit submittal rowClick any row to edit the description, type, or note. Useful when the engine misclassifies a sample as a shop drawing, for example.
Delete submittal rowRemove an entry before importing to the tracker.
Export PDFFormatted submittal log. Standard artifact for project kick-off meetings.
Export XLSXRaw table. Useful if your office uses a separate submittal-tracking system.
Chains
Chains into
Chained from
Exports
- PDF — formatted submittal register.
- XLSX — raw table with spec ref, description, type, notes columns.
- CSV — flat list.
Troubleshooting
Click the row, edit the type dropdown. Import-to-tracker uses the edited values.
Use the chat: "Add a submittal for equipment supplier warranty certificate to section 2.3."
Specs sometimes repeat requirements across paragraphs. Edit to dedupe before import, or let the tracker's merge-by-spec-ref behavior handle it.
Sources
- ER 415-1-10: Contractor Submittal ProceduresU.S. Army Corps of EngineersThe Corps of Engineers procedure for registering, reviewing and tracking contractor submittals such as shop drawings and samples.
- MasterFormatConstruction Specifications InstituteThe standard list of numbers and titles used to organize construction specifications, scopes and bid items by division.