"Building" the Meeting Book

As documents are added to a meeting agenda, OnBoard compiles those files into one combined packet called the Meeting Book (also known as the Board Book). The Build Scheduled / Open Book status button on the Meeting Details page shows whether that combined packet is ready to open, or if OnBoard is still rebuilding it.

You may see statuses like Build Scheduled, Build Queued, or Building while OnBoard prepares the newest version. When the newest version is ready, the button shows Open Book.

Explore the Meetings course and others in the OnBoard Administrator 101 Learning Path, on OnBoard Academy - link: Meetings

Meeting Book / Board Book

What Does “Meeting Book” Mean?

The Meeting Book is the single, compiled packet of:

The meeting agenda, and
All documents attached to agenda sections

This lets readers open one place to view the full agenda and all related materials.

What Does “Build” Mean?

A build is the process of compiling recent agenda/document changes into the newest version of the Meeting Book.

Build Scheduled

Where is the Book Status Button Located?

You’ll see the Book Status button on the meeting’s Details page (often labeled Build Scheduled or Open Book, depending on the current state).

NOTE: The Build Scheduled / Open Book button does not appear until at least one document is attached to an agenda section in the meeting. (In other words, if there are no agenda documents, there is nothing to compile into a book.)

Build Scheduled Countdown

How Does the Build Scheduled Countdown Work?

What Does the Countdown Timer Mean?

When OnBoard detects changes that affect the Meeting Book, it starts a countdown timer. The timer shows when OnBoard plans to compile all recent changes into a new combined PDF (Portable Document Format) at the same time.

What Changes Trigger the Countdown?

Common examples include:

Removing agenda sections
Uploading documents
Removing documents
Changing book page numbering
Other edits that affect the contents of the Meeting Book

Why Does the Timer Reset?

Each time another change is made, the timer resets back to 30 minutes and starts counting down again. This helps group multiple changes into one build.

What Happens When the Timer Reaches Zero?

When the timer reaches zero:

OnBoard compiles the updated Meeting Book.
The updated book becomes available for viewing if the meeting is published as “All Visible (Agenda and Book).”

Definition: All Visible (Agenda and Book) is a meeting visibility/publishing setting that makes the meeting’s agenda and book available to invitees who have permission to view them.

How Do I Get Notified When the Build Finishes?

Can I Keep Working While the Book Builds?

Yes. Once the countdown begins, you can continue other work while OnBoard builds the updated Meeting Book.

How Do I Turn on “Notify Me”?

Select the Build Scheduled / Book Status button.
Select Notify Me at the bottom.

You’ll see a confirmation message that the notification has been enabled.

Manually Publishing your Book

How Do I Publish the Book Right Away (Build Now)?

Do I Have to Wait the Full 30 Minutes?

No. If you need the newest version immediately, you can manually start the build.

How Do I Use Build Now?

Select the Book Status button.
Select Build Now.
The status briefly switches to Build Queued, then begins the build process.
- Build Queued means the Meeting Book is waiting in line to be processed

Meeting Reader view of the Book Status

Who Can See the Book Status?

Any user with permission to view the meeting and Meeting Book can see the Book Status.

Can Readers Still Open the Current Book While a New One is Building?

Yes. If a new version is building, users can select Open Current Book to access the current Meeting Book. Readers will also see a message that a newer version will be available soon.

What Happens to Annotations During a New Build?

If a reader already has the prior book open when a new one starts building, they may see a message that annotations are disabled until the newest version is ready. This helps prevent losing work during the version change.

What Happens When the New Version Becomes Available?

If the newest book version becomes available while someone is still viewing the older version, they’ll be prompted to:

Keep reading the older version, or
Open the newest version

FAQs

What does “Build Scheduled” mean?

It means OnBoard has detected changes to agenda materials and is waiting to compile those changes into a new Meeting Book version.

Why don’t I see the Build Scheduled/Open Book button?

Most often, it’s because no documents have been attached to any agenda section yet—so there is no Meeting Book to compile.

What does “Open Book” mean?

Open Book means the latest compiled Meeting Book is ready to view.

What’s the difference between “Build Scheduled,” “Build Queued,” and “Building”?

Build Scheduled: A countdown is running before the build starts.
Build Queued: The build is in line and waiting to start.
Building: OnBoard is actively compiling the Meeting Book.

If someone else makes changes, what happens to my countdown?

If additional changes are made while a build is pending, the process restarts at the scheduled state so all changes can be included.

If I select “Notify Me,” will I still get notified if the timer resets?

Yes. You’ll still receive the notification once changes are complete and the Meeting Book build finishes.

What does “Build Failed” mean?

Build Failed means there was a problem and the build did not complete.
Suggestion: If this happens, try Build Now again. If it keeps failing, contact Support and share the meeting name and what changed right before the failure.