# Create an Incident (/how-to/incidents/create-an-incident)



Create an incident whenever something happens that you need to document — a collision, an injury, damage to a unit, or a near-miss. You only need a title and the time it happened to get started; everything else can be added afterward.

Before you begin [#before-you-begin]

* You need the **Incidents** permission (administrators have it automatically).
* Have the key details handy: what happened, when, and — if there's a reservation involved — the booking's confirmation code.

Steps [#steps]

1. In the sidebar, click **Incidents** to open the incident list.
2. Click **New Incident**. The create dialog appears.
3. Enter a **Title** — a short headline for the event (e.g., "Jet ski collision near dock B").
4. Set **Occurred at** — the date and time the event happened. This defaults to the current time; adjust it if you're recording something earlier.
5. *(Optional)* Add a **Summary** — a one-line description. Save the detailed narrative for notes once the incident is open.
6. *(Optional)* Add an **Incident location** — the physical spot, like "Dock B, slip 4".
7. *(Optional)* Link a **Booking** — search by customer name, email, or confirmation code and select the reservation.
8. Click **Create**. You're taken to the incident's detail page.

Field reference [#field-reference]

| Field                 | Required | Description                                                        |
| --------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Title**             | Yes      | Short headline for the incident. Up to 200 characters.             |
| **Occurred at**       | Yes      | When the event happened. Defaults to now.                          |
| **Summary**           | No       | One-line description. Up to 2,000 characters.                      |
| **Incident location** | No       | Free-text physical location, separate from your business location. |
| **Booking**           | No       | The reservation involved. Can also be added later.                 |

What happens next [#what-happens-next]

* The incident opens in **Open** status.
* You land on the detail page, where you can add notes, upload attachments, attach waivers, and link the customer, equipment units, and guests.
* If you linked a booking, you can now also link the booking's guests. See [Link Records to an Incident](/how-to/incidents/link-records-to-an-incident).

Tips [#tips]

* **Don't wait for every detail.** Create the incident with the basics while they're fresh, then build out the notes and attachments as you learn more.
* **Use the title for searchability.** The incident list searches across title, booking confirmation code, and customer name.