A screenshot can leave out the part that matters

The instruction is somewhere in the chat

Imagine a foreman sends “go ahead” in a group chat. Weeks later, you rely on that message to explain an extra charge. The customer says it referred to moving equipment, not approving additional work. A cropped screenshot does not resolve what the two of you were discussing.

Keep the conversation around the message. The question is not merely whether those words appeared, but what proposal, drawing or request they answered.

Find the attachments and replies

Look for the message immediately before the instruction, any quoted reply and the attachments discussed. Record the participants and the job involved. A drawing mentioned in a chat may have been replaced later, so keep the actual file where available.

Do not add missing context from memory as though it was part of the exchange. If an attachment cannot be recovered, identify the gap and ask the sender whether an authorised copy remains available.

Preserve a usable original record

Use the application's available export or backup functions where appropriate, and check whether attachments are included. Keep screenshots as convenient reading copies rather than assuming they are the complete record.

business.gov.au recommends backups for digital business records. Test that your saved conversation can actually be opened after it is copied; a filename alone does not show the content survived.

Source: business.gov.au: Record keeping

Separate instructions from authority

A message may show what someone said without settling whether that person could approve extra cost. Put the contract's approval requirements beside the exchange and identify any later confirmation.

Ask your adviser about disputed authority or construction variation rules. Avoid declaring that an emoji, read receipt or silence automatically approved the price. The records should explain the interaction without inventing an agreement.

Share context without sharing everything

Prepare a relevant extract for the immediate enquiry and retain the fuller authorised record securely. Explain where the extract begins and ends. Check for unrelated personal information or confidential discussions before distributing copies.

Do not access someone else's private account to fill the file. Ask the account holder or your adviser about a lawful way to obtain the material you need.

Link the exchange to the actual amount

Identify the extra work, when it happened and how the amount was calculated. A useful message trail still needs a connection to the invoice being disputed.

Give CRP the relevant exchange, approval terms and charge schedule if you need help organising the dispute. Use Report a Dispute below. Keep the original records available for an adviser who needs to review the wider context.