Sighting Reports
How sighting reports work on itemID β reporting, contact preferences, verification, and privacy.
Overview
Sighting reports are the response side of the alert system. When a community member or passerby spots something matching an active alert, they can submit a sighting report to help the alert owner.
How It Works
- Alert is active: A community member creates an alert for a lost item, missing pet, or emergency
- Someone spots it: A community member or guest sees the item/pet and visits the alert page
- Report submitted: The reporter fills in when, where, optional notes, optional photo, and contact preference
- Owner notified: The alert owner receives an email, in-app notification, and optional push notification
- Owner reviews: The owner can verify the sighting, contact the reporter, or take action
- Resolution: When the item is recovered, the owner resolves the alert
What a Sighting Report Contains
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| When | Optional | Date and time of the sighting (defaults to now) |
| Where | Optional | Latitude and longitude of the sighting location |
| Notes | Optional | Description of what was seen (max 500 characters) |
| Photo | Optional | JPEG, PNG, or WebP image (max 5 MB) |
| Contact Preference | Required | How the reporter wants to be contacted |
| Guests only | Required for guest reporters so the platform can relay messages |
Contact Preferences
Reporters choose one of three contact preferences:
- Yes, the owner can message me: The owner sees the reporter's display name and can send a direct message through itemID
- Yes, but keep my identity hidden: The owner can send a message, but the reporter's name is hidden β the message is relayed anonymously
- No, don't contact me: The report helps the owner, but no contact is possible
For Alert Owners
Viewing Sightings
As an alert owner, you can see all sighting reports on your alert's detail page. The last three sightings are shown inline, with a "View all sightings" link to the full timeline.
Verifying Sightings
You can mark a sighting as verified to indicate it is helpful or confirmed. This helps you track which leads are promising.
Contacting Reporters
If a reporter chose "Yes" for contact (direct or anonymous), you can send them a message with additional questions or thanks. The message is delivered through itemID β your personal contact details are not shared.
Guest Reporting
Sighting reports are public β anyone can submit one, even without an itemID account. Guest reporters provide an email address so the platform can relay messages from the alert owner. Guest reports default to anonymous contact preference for convenience.
Notifications
When a new sighting is reported, the alert owner receives:
- An in-app notification (database channel)
- An email notification
- A push notification (if configured)
Self-reported sightings (where the alert owner is also the reporter) do not trigger a notification.
Privacy & Data
- Sighting locations are stored precisely (with reporter consent) β the alert owner needs accuracy to find their item
- Reporter email addresses are never shared with alert owners
- All sighting data is retained for 90 days after the alert is resolved, then automatically deleted