Last date modified: 2026-Aug-05

Intake

Once a FOIA request is received, the Intake step begins. During this phase, the agency reviews the request and decides whether it passes FOIA submission policies (perfection). The agency assigns a category to further define the request and provides a first response to the request submitter. If applicable, fees are also collected during this phase.

Intake details for the coordinator

Click the Intake step in the workflow panel to open its details.

Navigation points on the request details screen.

Noteworthy navigational points:

A. Workflow steps—the RelativityOne FOIA workflow consists of four steps: Intake, Search, Review, and Response. As you complete the tasks for a step, the workflow automatically advances you to the next. You can also click from one step to another to view details.

B. Navigation buttons—navigate to the last screen, previous record, or next record.

C. Activity—opens the Activity History panel. The panel displays a list of activities for the request.

The icons appearing in the Activity History pane.

Options include:

1. Log Communication—manually log activity for the request. For example, you might log an email you received outside of the FOIA environment that is relevant to the request. Fields include:

  • Communication Type—select the type of communication from the drop-down menu.
  • Contact—enter a contact name.
  • Subject/Title—enter a subject or title.
  • Details—describe the communication.

2. Add Notes—add comments, questions, and notes.

3. Export CSV—export the activity list in CSV format.

4. Filters—search or filter the activity list.

D. Quick Actions—quick access to:

  • Time Management
    • Extension—opens a template for extending the processing due date. Extensions can only be taken on perfected requests. Select one or more circumstances for the extension, then select the type, or number of days to extend the processing.
    • Toll Clock—opens a modal to enter a justification for changing the clock.
  • Email Requester—opens an email template you can use to contact the requester.

E. Progress bar—indicates the status of workflow sub-steps. A green circle indicates the sub-step is complete for the workflow step. This may be because the request did not warrant further review, such as not requesting a fee waiver, or the agency reviewer completed all of the tasks within the sub-step. A blue circle indicates the task is partially completed.

F. Request details—the request details including requester input, attachments, and reviewer actions.

G. Custom Fields—this section displays the Request Type field, which defines the type of request and how it is processed.

Options include:

  • FOIA—is the standard request type for agency records.
  • FOIA + Privacy Act—is a request for records about the requester that may be processed under both FOIA and the Privacy Act.
  • Privacy Act—is a first-party request in which the requester is the individual named in the records or is authorized to represent that individual.
  • Consultation—another agency's input is required before records can be released; your agency retains the response responsibility.
  • Referral—responsibility for processing the records should be transferred to the agency that owns or originated them.

H. Request description—contains the original request description, along with an AI-generated case summary. You can edit the case summary to add your own narrative or additional notes.

I. Attachments—lists attachments provided throughout the workflow.

As an intake coordinator, you start the FOIA workflow by evaluating the public request and then determining if it meets all agency requirements. After you confirm agency requirements, you mark the request as perfected, where it is routed to the next workflow step.

The FOIA request details screen show status and priority.

Intake sub-step

There is one sub-step for Intake: Evaluation.

Evaluation

During the evaluation phase, you review the original form entries and determine if the request type, fees, and expedited settings are correct for the scope of this request. You then set the track level (for example, simple or complex) then make the appropriate assignments for processing the records. You will also determine if the request is perfected, and if so, ready for processing.

Click Evaluation to get started. The Evaluation modal opens.

Request Type

The Request Type field categorizes the request by its legal authority. This, in turn, drives how the records are processed, exempted, and released. The requester selects the request type they feel best fits their situation at form submission. You can change their selection so that it reflects how you will process the request.

Options include:

  • FOIA—is the standard request type for agency records.
  • FOIA + Privacy Act—is a request for records about the requester that may be processed under both FOIA and the Privacy Act.
  • Privacy Act—is a first-party request in which the requester is the individual named in the records or is authorized to represent that individual.
  • Consultation—another agency's input is required before records can be released; your agency retains the response responsibility.
  • Referral—responsibility for processing the records should be transferred to the agency that owns or originated them.

If you agree with the original selection, no action is required. Otherwise, select the type that best fits this request and how it will be processed.

Fee Category Decision

The requester assigned a fee category to their request. Their options were:

  • Commercial
  • Educational or scientific
  • Media
  • Other

During evaluation, you can agree or disagree with the requester's selection. If you disagree, you must reassign the category to one of the remaining options.

Fee category screen where you can confirm or assign a fee category.

Steps:

  1. Select either Agree with Requester's Self Assigned Fee Category or Disagree.
  2. If you select Disagree, select a new Fee Category.
  3. If you select Disagree, use the Notes on Decision box to add any comments for future reference.
Fee Waiver Decision

If the requester asked for a fee waiver, review their justification, then either grant, moot, or deny the waiver.

Fee Waiver screen where you can grant or deny waiver requests.

Steps:

  1. Click Grant, Moot, or Deny for your decision. A moot decision means the fee waiver does not apply to the request.
  2. Use the Notes on Decision box to add any comments for future reference.

Expedited Processing Decision

If the requester asked for expedited processing, review their justification, then either grant, moot, or deny the expedited processing request.

Request expedited processing and provide a justification.

Steps:

  1. Click Grant, Moot, or Deny for your decision. A moot decision means expedited processing does not apply to the request.
  2. Use the Notes on Decision box to add any comments for future reference.

Processing Track Assignment

Track assignment is the expected effort and urgency required to complete the request.

Processing track assignment screen where you can mark the request simple, complex, or expedited.

Steps:

  1. Select a Processing Track option.
    • Simple—minimal effort; small amount of records.
    • Complex—requires significant time or resources to complete the request. Complex requests generally consist of a larger number of records, multiple offices, sensitive data, or urgent public interest.
    • Expedited—takes priority over other requests. There must be a compelling need for expedited requests.
  2. If you select Complex or Expedited, use the Notes on Decision box to add any comments for future reference.

Assigned Component

In this section, you assign the request to the appropriate office, group, or person responsible for reviewing and processing the request.

Assigned component. Select a component from the drop-down menu options.

Steps:

1. Select a Component from the drop-down menu.

Perfection

Perfection means all of the components of the request have been met according to policy and the request can be routed to the agency responsible for researching documents.

The confirm perfection screen is where you declare if the request is perfected or not perfected.

Steps:

  1. Perfection Status—select either Perfected or Not Perfected.
  2. If you select Not Perfected, use the Notes box to add any comments for future reference.
  3. After you complete the remaining modal settings and click Save, one of two email templates appear:
    • If you selected Perfected—the Acknowledgement Letter - Processing email template opens. This template informs the requester that their form is accepted and processing.
    • If you selected Not Perfected—the Acknowledgement Letter - Additional Information Required email template opens. This template informs the requester that additional information is required to process their form.

See Acknowledgement letter templates for detailed steps on using the templates.

Search Action Office

In this section, you assign the request to the appropriate office responsible for search actions.

The assignment screen is where you assign the request to another office or user.

Steps:

  1. Select an office and user from the drop-down menus to assign the search actions.
    • Office—select an office from the drop-down menu.
    • User (Optional)—select a user from the drop-down menu. Users are filtered based on the office you select.

Save your entries

Now that you have completed the evaluation steps, click Save at the bottom of the modal to commit your responses. One of two email templates opens; Acknowledgement Letter - Processing or Acknowledgement Letter - Additional Information Required. After submitting the email template, you are returned to the Intake screen.

Acknowledgement letter templates

There are two email templates available for informing the requester of their request status. If you have perfected the request, you should send an acknowledgment letter indicating the request is now being processed. If you did not perfect the request, you should send an acknowledgment letter to the requester indicating additional information is required.

Use one of the two templates for this correspondence:

Acknowledgement (Acknowledgement Letter - Processing template)

Use this email template to customize a response to the requester, letting them know their request is being processed.

The template contains prompts that you can use to customize your email, along with merged fields that pull data directly from the existing record. You can use the template as is or edit it to suit your specific need.

You can edit email templates to customize them for your agency. See Letter Template Management for details.

  • <***ABC***>—indicates data that you must provide. Replace the prompt with content specific to your request.
  • [ABC]—indicates merged content that is pulled directly from the preexisting record. Relativity will populate these prompts for you.

The email template for informing the requester their submittal is perfected and now ready for processing.

Click the Acknowledgement step to get started. The Acknowledgement Letter - Processing modal opens.

Steps:

  1. Complete the following fields:
    • To—Relativity auto-populates this field for you. You can add additional email addresses as well.
    • CC—the email addresses of any other users receiving a copy of the email.
    • Email Template—Relativity provides a default template that includes merged fields, or fields that are populated with details from the original request. Merged fields are contained in brackets with the field name. For example [ASSIGNED_TO]. You can also change the email template to another Relativity-provided template, or a custom template if your Relativity administrator created one. See Letter Template Management for more information on custom templates. You can also edit the email content to further customize it to fit your needs.
    • Subject—the subject line for your email.
  2. Edit the email content as needed. As a reminder, Relativity replaces bracketed [BRACKET_BLOCK] blocks with details from the request as the email is generated. You do not need to address any of these blocks. You can remove blocks by selecting and deleting them.
  3. Add any attachments for the reviewer.
  4. Click Preview Email Content.
  5. Click Confirm and Send to send the email. If you need to make changes, use the back button to return to the template. Note that you cannot recall the email after it's sent.

Acknowledgement Letter - Additional Information Required

Use this template to customize a response to the requester letting them know additional information is required to process the request.

The template contains prompts that you can use to customize your email, along with merged fields that pull data directly from the existing record. You can use the template as is or edit it to suit your specific needs.

You can edit templates to customize them for your agency. See Letter Template Management for details.

  • <***ABC***>—indicates data that you must provide. Replace the prompt with content specific to your request.
  • [ABC]—indicates merged content that is pulled directly from the preexisting record. Relativity will populate these prompts for you.

The email template for informing the requester their submittal is perfected and now ready for processing.

Click the Acknowledgement progress step to get started. The Acknowledgement Letter - Additional Information Required modal opens.

Steps:

  1. Complete the following fields:
    • To—Relativity auto-populates this field for you. You can add additional email addresses as well.
    • CC—the email addresses of any other users receiving a copy of the email.
    • Email Template—Relativity provides a default template that includes merged fields, or fields that are populated with details from the original request. Merged fields are contained in brackets with the field name. For example [ASSIGNED_TO]. You can also change the email template to another Relativity-provided template, or a custom template if your Relativity administrator created one. See Letter Template Management for more information on custom templates. You can also edit the email content to further customize it to fit your needs.
    • Subject—the subject line for your email.
  2. Edit the email content as needed, replacing any <***PLACEHOLDER***> blocks with your own wording. The bracketed [BRACKET_BLOCK] blocks represent merged fields where Relativity replaces them with details from the request as the email is generated. You do not need to address any of these blocks. You can remove blocks by selecting and deleting them. Just below the email template is a placeholder count that lets you know how many placeholder blocks need attention. Use the keyboard commands shown to move from one placeholder to another.
    Additional information on an email template includes the number of placeholders that need attention, along with a character count.
  3. Add any attachments for the reviewer.
  4. Click Preview Email Content.
  5. Click Confirm and Send to send the email. If you need to make changes, use the back button to return to the template. Note that you cannot recall the email after it's sent.

Post Intake

On the Intake screen, notice that the progress button colors reflect your progress. Green indicates the step is complete, blue indicates the step is partially complete, and white indicates the step is not complete.

The progress buttons on the intake screen turn green when you have successfully completed the steps.

To return to the FOIA landing page, click the Back button at the top of the screen. On the FOIA landing page, the Perfection and Status columns display the progress.

The FOIA list with one list item highlighting its perfected status.

Clock start policies vary by agency. Relativity follows the DOJ's policy:
  • The clock starts when the request is received, not when it’s perfected.
  • If something is missing during the perfection evaluation, the clock can be stopped.
  • The clock restarts once perfection occurs.

After Intake, the workflow moves to the Search step.

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