# 12 November 2026 Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/training-and-updates/changelog/november-2026/12-november-2026 > Astalty updates released on 12 November 2026: Task Types; Dashboard Widget Builder (Beta); Filling Out Forms From a Task; Texting the Signing Link (Beta)... ## Task Types You can now label each task with the kind of work it records, such as Admin, Travel, Team Meeting or Annual Leave. You create your own list of types, your team picks one on each task from the Task Board, the task page or the **Create Task** form, and you can require a type when your team creates or clones tasks in the web app. The Tasks Report gains a **Task Type** column and filter, and the Tasks Export adds sheets that total hours by type and by team member. The Account Owner turns it on from **Optional Features**. ![The Task Board for Monday 9th November with the Set Type menu open on the Plan review with Elena Marchetti task, listing Admin, Annual Leave, Client Visit, Phone Call, Report Writing and Staff Meeting, highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/task-types-task-board.png) ![The Tasks report for 2 - 8 Nov 2026 filtered to 3 team members, with the Task Type column highlighted showing Travel, Client Visit, Admin, Phone Call, Legacy Intake and Team Meeting against each task.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/task-types-tasks-report.png) For more information, visit the [Task Types](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/tasks/task-types) guide. ## Dashboard Widget Builder (Beta) Admins can now build their own dashboards from widgets covering revenue, team hours, tasks, incidents and more, then share each one with chosen users, teams or user groups. You can also build a Participant dashboard that your team sees on Participant profiles. Shared dashboards appear by name under **Dashboard** in the main menu, and Admins manage them all from **Settings > Dashboards**. It's enabled per account while in beta; contact Astalty Support to discuss access. ![The Dashboard menu showing Home, Finance, Team and a custom Team Performance Dashboard listed by name, with the populated dashboard open showing its Revenue, Participant Records Summary, Team Service Delivered, NSW Team and QLD Team widgets.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/dashboard-widget-builder-dashboard-nav.png) For more information, visit the [Dashboard Widget Builder](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/dashboard/widget-builder) guide. ## Filling Out Forms From a Task With Forms enabled on your Premium account, tasks have a new **Forms** tab that lists the form submissions completed for that task, such as a home visit checklist. Select **Fill out Form** to complete another one from the task, and it's linked to the task automatically. A linked submission also lists the task in its **Associations** panel, with a **View Task** option to jump back to it. ![A task's Forms tab with one Form Submissions row for a Home Visit Checklist, submitted by Admin User, with the Fill out Form button above it and the Notes, Finance, Documents and Goals tabs beside Forms.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/task-forms-tab-guide.png) For more information, visit the [Task Forms](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/tasks/task-forms) guide. ## Texting the Signing Link (Beta) As well as emailing a signature request, you can now text each signer their signing link. Enter the signer's **Mobile** and tick **Send by SMS**. The **Signatures** table then shows whether each text was delivered, explains any failure, and lets you resend the text. It's in beta and needs Two-Way SMS with an active SMS number; contact Astalty Support to turn it on. Each signing-link text Astalty sends, including reminders and resends, uses one SMS credit, billed at **$0.10** with your other SMS usage and on top of the eSignature charge. We've also updated the [Two-Way SMS](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/two-way-sms) guide to set out SMS charges: **$15 per month** for your SMS number and **$0.10** for each outbound message segment. ![The Update Signer panel for a signer who can be texted, showing Email, Mobile and Send by SMS fields above the Close and Update buttons](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/esig-update-signer-sms-dialog-guide.png) ![A Signature Request's Signatures table with a Mobile column. Each signer's number has a label under it: Delivered, Sent, an amber Unreachable label highlighted, and a red Landline label.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/esig-sms-status-mobile-column-guide.png) For more information, visit the [Requesting Signatures](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/esignatures/requesting-signatures#texting-the-signing-link), [Fixing Delivery Failures](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/esignatures/fixing-delivery-failures#when-a-signing-link-text-doesnt-arrive) and [Two-Way SMS](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/two-way-sms) guides. ## Declining an Active Overnight Period In **Shift Approvals**, you can now select **Decline** on a pending active overnight period and enter a reason - for example, when notes show the Participant slept through. Declining approves the period at 0 minutes, so the worker isn't paid for it and the Participant isn't charged. The worker gets a notification in the app. ![A pending 40 min active overnight period for Berenice Satterfield in Shift Approvals, with an arrow pointing down to its highlighted Decline button beside Approve.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-decline-1.png) ![The Decline Active Overnight Period dialog explaining that the period is approved at 0 minutes, showing the reported 4:30am to 5:10am time, with a reason entered in the highlighted Reason field and an arrow pointing to the Decline button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/active-overnights-decline-2.png) For more information, visit the [Creating a Sleepover or Active Overnight Support](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/creating-a-sleepover-or-active-overnight-support#declining-an-active-overnight-period) guide. ## Creating Your Own Unavailability in the Web App Team members who can request their own Availability and Leave can now do it from their own profile in the web app, not only in the Astalty App. Open **My Profile**, select **Unavailability**, then **Create Unavailability**. Your organisation's notice periods still apply. ![A user's own profile with the Unavailability menu item highlighted in the side menu, and an arrow pointing to the Create Unavailability button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/availability-own-profile-unavailability-menu-guide.png) For more information, visit the [Managing Availability](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/managing-availability#creating-availability) guide. ## Four Beta Features Now Included with Premium These features no longer need Astalty Support to switch them on. They're now available to every account subscribed to Premium: - **Charge Item record requirements** - make a Record Type required on every Service that uses chosen Charge Items. See [Participant Record Types](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/participants-settings/participant-record-types). - **Clock In/Out Radius** - for accounts using Scheduling, stop workers clocking in or out unless they're near the support's location. See [Scheduling Settings](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/setup/scheduling-settings#clock-inout-radius). - **Staff Retention Report** - starts, exits, churn and retention month by month. See [Staff Retention Report](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/reports/staff-retention-report). - **Webhooks** - send Astalty events to your other systems as they happen. See [Webhooks](https://docs.astalty.com.au/developers/webhooks). ## Exempting a Record Required by Charge Items When a Record Type is required on a Service because of its Charge Items, but doesn't apply to that Service, you can now mark it exempt instead of adding a Record. On the Service's **Records** card, select **Exempt** on the Missing row and enter a reason. The row then shows an **Exempt** chip, and **Undo** brings the requirement back. ![The Records card on a Participant's Supported Independent Living Service, with a Missing row for SIL Service Agreement showing 'Uses Supported Independent Living' under Required because, and an orange box around the Exempt button beside Add Record.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/participant-record-required-by-charge-item-exempt-button.png) For more information, visit the [Participant Records](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/participant-records#exempting-a-record-required-by-charge-items) guide. ## Requiring Site Records by Site Tag A Site Record Type can now be required only at Sites with certain Tags, instead of at every Site. Turn on **Required for some site tags** and choose the Tags under **Required for site tags** - any Site carrying one of them shows the record as missing until it's added. ![The Edit Site Record Type drawer with Required for some site tags switched on and SIL House and Day Hub selected in the Required for site tags field below it, above Documents required and Visible to Support Workers.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/site-record-type-required-for-site-tags.png) For more information, visit the [Sites Settings](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/sites-settings#adding-a-record-type) guide. ## Vehicle Size Participant Preference Participant Preferences have a new **Vehicle Size** type, for a Participant who needs a Small, Medium or Large car. It's compared against the vehicle size on each Support Worker's profile, so when you roster the Participant, a worker with a different size is flagged, and a worker with no size recorded is flagged as unknown. ![The Add Participant Preference drawer with Preference Type set to Vehicle Size and Preferred Vehicle Size set to Large.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/participant-preferences-vehicle-size-form.jpg) ![The Support Worker and Preferences columns of a suggested Support Workers table, showing Vehicle size unknown badges for several workers and a Vehicle size does not match required: Large badge for John Doe.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/participant-preferences-vehicle-size-roster-warning.jpg) For more information, visit the [Participant Preferences](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/setup/participant-preferences#vehicle-size) guide. ## Adding Other Claim Types With a Charge Item When you import a Direct Service item from the Price Guide that has other claim types - such as Cancellation, Non-Face-to-Face Services, Provider Travel or Telehealth Supports - you can now tick them under **Other claim types** and create them together with the main Charge Item. Claim types you already have are shown as **Already added**. ![The Add Charge Item drawer for 10\_613\_0128\_5\_3 with the Reference field highlighted showing DE - Direct Service, and the Other claim types section below it highlighted with an unticked checkbox to also add the other 5 claim types for 10\_613\_0128\_5\_3.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/charge-item-other-claim-types.png) For more information, visit the [Creating and Updating Charge Items](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/charge-items/managing-charge-items/creating-updating-charge-items#adding-other-claim-types-at-the-same-time) guide. ## Improved Daily Living Skills Charge Item Set Presets Two new Charge Item Set presets cover support category 15 - Improved Daily Living Skills: **Skill Development and Training**, and **Training for Carers/Parents**. Choose one from **Select Preset** when creating a Charge Item Set. ![The Add Charge Item Set form with the Skill Development and Training preset chosen in the highlighted Select Preset drop down, showing the Name 15 - Improved Daily Living Skills - Skill Development and Training, the Reference IDLSDT, the Support category 15 - Improved Daily Living Skills and the Fixed Weekday charge rate pattern.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/charge-item-set-preset-improved-daily-living-skills.png) For more information, visit the [Creating and Updating Charge Item Sets](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/charge-items/managing-charge-item-sets/creating-updating-charge-item-sets#improved-daily-living-skills) guide. ## Setting a Profile Picture From a Referral A referral form's **File Upload** field can now be matched to **Participant Profile Picture**. When you create a new Participant from the referral, the first uploaded file becomes their profile picture, as long as it's a JPG, JPEG or PNG. ![A File Upload field's Advanced panel with Participant Profile Picture selected from the Select dropdown.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/referrals-form-builder-profile-picture-matching.png) For more information, visit the [Referrals Overview](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/referrals/referrals#matching-a-form-question-to-the-participants-profile-picture) guide. ## AI & MCP Access (Beta) You can now give a user an AI seat so they can use **Ask Astalty**, the assistant inside Astalty. With MCP access as well, they can connect an AI assistant they already use, such as Claude or ChatGPT, to Astalty and ask it about their work in plain language. Either way, the assistant works as that user and sees only what they can see. The Account Owner gives seats from **Billing > Add-ons > AI & MCP Access** and turns on MCP access for each Admin who needs it. It's in beta; contact Astalty Support to discuss access. ![The AI & MCP Access page in Billing. The Who has a seat table lists four users with their roles. Admin User has a Seat badge and a Remove Access button, and the other three each have a Give Access button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-seats.png) ![The Connect your AI card on a user's AI page. It shows the server URL with a Copy button, tabs for Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and Codex, and numbered steps for Claude.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-connect-your-ai.png) For more information, visit the [AI & MCP Access](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/users/ai-and-mcp-access) guide. ## Choosing Where AI Requests Are Processed The Account Owner can now switch AI processing between **Global** and **Australia only** themselves, from the **AI Data Region** setting in **Settings > Data Management**, instead of emailing Astalty Support. Your account data is always stored in Australia, whichever region you choose. ![The Data Management settings page, with Settings highlighted under Configure in the main menu and Data Management highlighted in the settings menu. Below Bulk Delete Participant Documents, the AI Data Region card, labelled Global, explains that AI requests may be processed in AWS regions outside Australia and that data is always stored in Australia, with an arrow pointing to the Switch to Australia Only button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-data-region.png) For more information, visit the [AI Privacy](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/ai-privacy#how-do-i-keep-ai-processing-in-australia) guide. ## Plan Nominee and Contact Relationships in the Participants Export The Participants Export now includes each Participant's **Plan Nominee** with their relationship, email, mobile and phone, plus **Primary Contact Relationship** and **Emergency Contact Relationship** columns. The new columns shift the order of the columns after them, so update any spreadsheet that reads the file by column position. For more information, visit the [Participants Export](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/exports/participants-export#exported-fields) guide. ## Shift Stage in the Shifts Export The Shifts Export, as both CSV and PDF, now includes each shift's stage: **Scheduled**, **Completed** or **Cancelled**. This makes cancelled shifts easy to spot, because the existing **Status** column still shows them as Published or Unpublished. For more information, visit the [Shifts Export](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/exports/shifts-export#exported-fields) guide. ## Quick-Copy Details on the Participant Profile On the newer Participant profile layout, a Participant's **NDIS number**, **Date of birth** and **Address** sit together at the top of their profile, and each can be copied with one click. The newer layout is available as a beta; contact Astalty Support to have it switched on. For more information, visit the [Profile](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/profile#quick-copy-ndis-number-date-of-birth-and-address) guide.