Spotting a wrong answer
An assistant reads the same figures as the pages, but it can still misread, summarise or guess. Here is how to check an answer before you rely on it.
Updated 17 October 2026
Every tool an assistant uses reads the same figures as its page in EstatesBase. The assistant itself can still get things wrong: it can misread a tool's answer, leave something out when it summarises, add figures up wrongly, or fill a gap with a guess.
Signs to look for
- No link. Each answer from EstatesBase can carry a link to the page it came from. An answer with no link may not have come from EstatesBase at all.
- A figure worked out by the assistant. Totals, averages and comparisons it made itself are where mistakes creep in.
- Something you know is not right, such as a task you completed last week shown as overdue.
- Certainty about something it cannot see, such as the contents of a certificate. An assistant never opens files.
How to check
- Open the link it gave and compare the page with the answer.
- Ask which tool it used and what that tool returned. The tool's own figure is what counts.
- Remember the connection may cover fewer sites than the page shows.
Before you act
For anything that matters, such as a statutory inspection, a safety issue or money, check the page in EstatesBase before you act on the answer. The page is the record. If the two disagree, tell your administrator or use Send feedback.
Check your understanding
Your assistant says all your fire risk assessments are in date, but gives no link. What should you do?
- Accept it, because the assistant reads the same figures as the pages
- Open the page in EstatesBase and check before relying on it
- Ask the assistant to open the assessment files to make sure
Where is an assistant most likely to make a mistake?
- In a total or comparison it worked out itself
- In a figure it copied straight from a tool's answer
- In the link to the page the answer came from