Fieldworker Address Visibility: Show or Mask the Full Booking Address
OctopusPro lets you control when fieldworkers (technicians, subcontractors, and sub-workers) can view the full street/unit address for a booking.
You can either:
- Always show the full address as soon as the job is assigned, or
- Mask the full address until travel begins, so the exact street/unit details remain hidden until the fieldworker taps On the Way.
This is commonly used to support a consistent travel workflow (On the Way → Arrived → Start → Finish), improve ETA communication, and reduce unnecessary early arrivals—while still letting fieldworkers prepare using suburb/locality and a general map area.
Table of contents
- 1) Enabling or disabling the setting
- 2) Fieldworker workflow: revealing the address using “On the Way”
- 3) When “On the Way” appears (requirements)
- 4) Notifications and ETA sharing
- 5) What fieldworkers can still access while the address is masked
- 6) Troubleshooting
- 7) Best practices
1) Enabling or disabling the setting
Go to: Settings → General Settings → Fieldworker Permissions
Locate the toggle:
Display the full booking address to fieldworkers at all times
- ON: Fieldworkers can see the full address at all times (immediately after assignment).
- OFF: The address is masked until the fieldworker taps On the Way (typically on the booking day).
Note: In many setups, On the Way appears on the booking day (often a few hours before the booking start time).
Related guide: Fieldworker Permissions & Access Control
2) Fieldworker workflow: revealing the address using “On the Way”
When address masking is enabled (toggle OFF), fieldworkers should follow this workflow:
- Open the booking in the Fieldworker App.
- Tap “On the Way”. The app reveals the full street/unit address (if it was masked).
- The booking updates to an en-route stage, and ETA/tracking workflows can begin (based on your settings).
- Tap Navigate/Directions to open turn-by-turn directions in your maps app.
- When arriving, tap Arrived (if enabled for your workflow), then proceed to Start and Finish as normal.
Related guide: Navigate to Customer Locations: Directions, ETA & Auto Check-Out
3) When “On the Way” appears (requirements)
If fieldworkers can’t see On the Way, confirm the following:
- The booking is assigned to the fieldworker.
- The fieldworker has accepted the booking (and hasn’t declined / failed / attended it).
- The booking is scheduled for the current day / within the window where the app enables On the Way (commonly a few hours before start time).
- Booking Tracking Process is enabled in Booking Settings (“Activate booking tracking process”).
- If you use custom booking statuses, ensure booking tracking is enabled for those statuses too.
- If the booking is a fixed-location service (e.g., salon/branch) or virtual service (Zoom/Meet), On the Way and Arrived may not be available; the workflow starts when the fieldworker taps Start.
Helpful links: Booking Settings, Flags and Permissions | Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote | Empower Fieldworkers: Accept or Decline Job Requests
4) Notifications and ETA sharing
When a fieldworker taps On the Way, OctopusPro can notify:
- Office/admin users, and
- Customers (depending on your notification settings).
Notification channels can include push notifications, SMS, and/or email, depending on configuration. In some setups, customers receive an automated SMS (if they have a mobile number on file) and may be able to track the fieldworker route by GPS.
Related guides: Alarms, ETA Alerts & Booking Reminders | Fieldworker GPS Tracking
5) What fieldworkers can still access while the address is masked
Even when the full address is hidden (toggle OFF), fieldworkers can still access:
- Suburb/locality and often the postcode/area
- An approximate map location/pin (general area)
For example, the app may show the suburb/locality with a “View full address” link until On the Way is tapped:
If a fieldworker tries to open/edit the address before starting travel, they will be prompted to press On the Way first:
6) Troubleshooting
- Fieldworker can’t see “On the Way”: confirm the booking is assigned and accepted, it’s within the booking-day window (often a few hours before start), and booking tracking is enabled (including for any custom statuses).
- Address still hidden after tapping “On the Way”: refresh the booking and confirm the device has internet access; also confirm the booking is not a fixed-location or virtual service type where On the Way may not apply.
- Directions button missing: ensure the booking has a valid address and the device has a supported maps app installed.
- Customers not receiving ETA / On-the-Way notifications: check notification settings/templates and confirm the customer has a valid mobile/email on file.
7) Best practices
- Use address masking (toggle OFF) for scheduled jobs to encourage consistent On-the-Way usage and better ETAs.
- Use always-visible addresses (toggle ON) for urgent dispatch (e.g., emergency call-outs) where speed matters.
- Train fieldworkers that On the Way is the official en-route trigger for ETA/tracking updates (based on your setup).
- Align delivery types with your service: for branch/fixed-location or virtual services, rely more on Start/Finish rather than On the Way/Arrived.
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