# Specifications & spec sets

> Publish detected specification files, organize them into spec sets, and set their precedence so current sections reflect the documents your team prioritizes.

Source: https://docs.specset.com/docs/source-of-truth · Section: Documents · Last updated: 2026-10-09

**Specifications** lists the project's published sections. **Specifications → Spec Sets** controls the files behind those sections and their priority.

## Publish specification files

1. [Upload the source documents](https://docs.specset.com/docs/documents) and wait for processing to finish.
2. Open **Specifications → Spec Sets**. Files detected without auto-publishing appear under **Pending**.
3. Select the files to publish and choose their destination spec set.
4. Open **Specifications** to search the published sections and inspect their source documents.

![Specifications grouped by division with section numbers, titles, and revisions](https://docs.specset.com/images/docs/source-of-truth/docs-specifications.png)

Specset combines a section’s base specification with applicable amendments into a conformed section. The **Base Spec** and **Amendments** columns link to the contributing sources.

## Read the conformed section

A conformed specification brings the applicable base text and amendments together so the team can read the current requirements without manually piecing together several documents. Use the source links to check how a requirement relates to the original file and any later amendment. The source documents remain available for that review.

Base specifications, technical specifications, special provisions, and later addenda may overlap. Publish the relevant files and set their precedence to reflect the contract documents your team intends to use. When a requirement looks unexpected, inspect the section's sources and revisions before changing the order.

## Organize specifications by building area

Use spec areas when different buildings or portions of the project have their own requirements under the same section number. For example, Building A and Building B can each have a **23 09 00** section without one replacing the other.

1. In **Project Settings → General**, turn on **Enable Spec Areas** under **Areas**.
2. When publishing a file from **Specifications → Spec Sets**, choose its **Spec Area**, or create a new area.
3. Check the area in the specifications list before reviewing a section or its revisions.

The publishing choice applies to the sections extracted from that file. Use a section's **Edit → Area**, or select several sections and use **Edit**, to correct their assignment. Spec areas and [drawing areas](https://docs.specset.com/docs/plan-sets#keep-buildings-and-areas-separate) have separate settings and lists; use clear, consistent names for the same buildings.

## Set precedence

When several files contain versions of the same section, their order matters.

1. Open **Specifications → Spec Sets**.
2. Drag sets into priority order: **higher sets take precedence over lower sets**.
3. Within a set, drag files into priority order using the same rule.
4. If **Reprocess Required** appears, reprocess the specifications to apply the changed order.

![Spec Sets with published files and drag handles for setting precedence](https://docs.specset.com/images/docs/source-of-truth/docs-spec-sets-precedence.png)

Inspect a section's revisions and source references to understand which documents contributed to it. Publish new or revised files deliberately; uploading an amendment or recording an RFI does not by itself establish the precedence your team intends.

## Add a new specification package

1. Upload the addendum or revised specification document. For a package you want to inspect before it affects the published specifications, turn **Auto-publish** off.
2. Review the detected files under **Specifications → Spec Sets → Pending**. Publish them into the intended set and, when enabled, spec area.
3. Put the new set and its files at the appropriate priority. For example, an addendum that changes a requirement should sit above the base specification it amends.
4. Apply any **Reprocess Required** action, then open an affected section. Check the conformed text, **Base Spec**, and **Amendments** against the issued documents.

If the result looks wrong, confirm that the amendment was published, belongs to the correct area, and has the intended precedence. Check the section's source references before changing the text or uploading the file again.