Updaytr Feature Spotlight: Topic Filtering

By Mitch Wooters — 2026-03-13T00:00:00.000Z

We've all heard the phrase "information is king." But if we're being honest, getting the information you actually need is not like finding a needle in a haystack, it's more like finding a needle in a stack of other needles.

I've spent decades on job sites. I've seen the evolution from hand-written carbon copies to the digital age, and yet, one problem remains stubbornly stuck in the past: getting the right info to the right person without drowning everyone else in the process.

We've all been on the receiving end of it. You're in the middle of a high-stakes pour or a tricky install, your phone buzzes, and you open an email that looks like a Tolstoy novel. You stare at it, squinting in the sunlight, trying to figure out if you actually need to read all 2,000 words just to find the one sentence that pertains to the plumbing sub or the electrical rough-in.

Most of the time, we don't read it. We see that "novel" from that person, you know exactly who I'm talking about, the one who CCs the entire world on every minor update and we mentally check out.

That's why we have the Topics feature.

What is the "Topics" Feature?

At its core, Topics is about sending surgically precise information. It's located in the report recipient section of the Updaytr dashboard, and it's designed to eliminate the "noise".

This feature allows you to say exactly what information should be sent to a report recipient. It doesn't matter if your daily construction site walk-through covered fifteen different trades and fifty different line items; with Topics, you ensure that the plumber only sees the plumbing notes, and the tiler only sees the backsplash specs.

Cutting Through the Blabber

We've all dealt with the excessive blabbering that comes with traditional project updates. When you send a massive catch-all email to every subcontractor on a job, you're inadvertently creating a liability. If a sub misses a critical correction because it was buried down on page 14, who's at fault?

Topics help remove that guesswork. By assigning topics to report recipients, you ensure that when your team gets an email from Updaytr, they know it's 100% pertinent to them. No filler, no fluff, no "novels." Just the relevant info they need to get the job done.

How I Use Topics to Reclaim My Sanity

The real magic of this feature is how it fits into a natural workflow. Here is exactly how I use it while I'm actually on a job site, not tethered to a laptop in the trailer:

The Setup: I set up my project Cornerstone in Updaytr, then I add each of my subcontractors as a separate report recipient and I add their specific trades as their Topics.
The Walk-through: I walk the job site with my phone. I'm not typing; I'm talking to the Updaytr Agent. I tell it every issue, progress milestone, or correction I see as I move through the building.
The Dispersal: The moment I "hang up", Updaytr structures my notes and automatically sends topic-specific emails to each of my subs (report recipient).
The Record: While the subs get their "Topic" reports, I receive a full, time-stamped email containing all the information. This serves as my master record.

So, by the time I've walked from the top floor back to my truck, the reporting is done. The information is complete, targeted, and most importantly, timely.

Why This Matters for Your Bottom Line

When communication is targeted, accountability goes up. You no longer have to hear the excuse, "I didn't see that in the email." You have the documentation, they have the info that is specific to them, and everyone stays on the same page without having to read a "book".

Timely information is also key. It doesn't do us any good to get a book of notes at the end of the day. None of us has time to wade through a haystack of unnecessary information looking for the needle. With Updaytr's Topics feature, you're not just sending reports, you're sending clarity.