> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.puddin.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recording Review Decisions on Submissions in Puddin

> Record, annotate, and export review decisions on personal statements, with a full audit trail for every outcome your team records.

After reviewing a personal statement and its writing process evidence, you record a formal decision to capture your outcome and move the submission through your workflow. Puddin keeps a complete decision audit trail and supports bulk decision recording and data export for downstream admissions processes. Decisions are configured to match your institution's workflow, so the options you see may be specific to your institution's setup.

## Decision options

Your institution's Admissions Officer or administrator can customise the decision options available in Puddin to match your internal workflow. Common examples include:

* **Proceed** — the submission meets requirements and the applicant advances
* **Further Review Required** — the submission needs additional scrutiny or a second opinion
* **Refer** — the submission is being referred to another team or process
* **Not Proceeding** — the applicant is not being taken forward on the basis of this submission

<Note>
  To add, rename, or remove decision options, go to **Admin → Institutional Settings → Review Decisions**. Changes apply to all future decisions recorded within the current cycle. Previously recorded decisions retain their original label.
</Note>

## Recording a decision on a single submission

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the submission">
    Navigate to the applicant's review interface via **Applicants → \[Applicant Name] → View Submission**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete your review">
    Review the document and writing process evidence as needed. You can add review notes at any point during this process.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Record Decision">
    When you're ready, click **Record Decision** in the top-right area of the review interface.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a decision">
    Choose a decision from the list of options configured for your institution.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add review notes (optional but recommended)">
    Use the notes field to record your reasoning. This is particularly important for decisions other than straightforward **Proceed** outcomes, as it creates a traceable record of why a particular decision was made.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the decision">
    Click **Save Decision**. The decision is recorded with a timestamp and attributed to your account. The submission's status in the applicant list updates to reflect the recorded outcome.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Changing a decision

Decisions can be amended by an Admissions Officer after they have been recorded:

1. Open the submission and click **Edit Decision**.
2. Select the updated decision and amend the review notes as needed.
3. Click **Save Decision**.

The original decision is preserved in the decision audit trail alongside the updated one, with timestamps for both. No decision data is permanently deleted.

## Bulk decision recording

To record the same decision across multiple submissions at once:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select the submissions">
    In the **Applicants** tab, filter and select the submissions you want to apply a decision to.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Bulk Actions → Record Decision">
    Select **Record Decision** from the bulk action bar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a decision">
    Select the decision to apply to all selected submissions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a shared note (optional)">
    Enter a note that will be attached to all selected submissions. You can edit individual submission notes after the bulk action is complete.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Record Decision for \[N] submissions**. Decisions are applied immediately and attributed to your account.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Bulk decisions apply the same outcome to every selected submission. Take care when using this action to ensure all selected submissions genuinely warrant the same decision. Check active filters before confirming.
</Warning>

## Exporting decision data

To export decision data for use in downstream admissions processes:

1. Filter the applicant list to show the submissions you need (e.g., all submissions with a decision recorded).
2. Click **Export** and choose **CSV** or **PDF**.
3. Select **Include decision data** in the export options to include the decision, review notes, and decision timestamp in the exported file.

Exported decision data is suitable for importing into most admissions management systems. Consult your system's documentation for the required column format.

## Decision audit trail

Every decision recorded in Puddin is captured in the audit log with:

* The decision recorded
* The reviewer or officer who recorded it
* The date and time
* Any subsequent changes and who made them

Access the full decision audit trail via **Admin → Audit Logs** and filter by **Action type: Decision Recorded**. See [Audit Logs](/admissions/admin/audit-logs) for full details.