Applicability: Private CountyEdge property cases with retained evidence and completed reports with PDF export. Editorial review: 2026-10-02. Examples are fictional. A document's presence does not establish its applicability or completeness.
Outcome
Find the evidence retained with a case, identify what kind of file you are opening, and keep the original record distinct from CountyEdge's report and extracted findings.
Before you begin
Sign in with the verified account that owns the case or report. Retained documents belong to the private research workflow; possession of a document or report link alone does not grant another account access.
Know what you need: the saved research report, an original source PDF, or an extracted page capture. An evidence link, a written finding, and a downloadable attachment are different things. A report may cite a source even when no original PDF is attached.
Practical steps
- Open the intended property case or its completed private report. Check the property and report date before downloading anything.
- Locate Retained source evidence and expand Files. Review the available document titles, retrieval dates, and source links. An Open retained file link beside a recommended action opens the matching attachment. Read any message that documents are still loading or that no captures or originals are attached yet.
- Check the file label. Original unofficial PDF identifies a retained source PDF. Extracted page capture identifies captured page material, which may download as a structured text file rather than a visually complete PDF.
- Use Source website when you need to compare the retained material with its source. The source may have changed since the capture; keep the two dates distinct.
- Choose Download original PDF or Download page capture as applicable. Open the downloaded file and confirm its content, property reference, relevant dates, and stated limitations.
- For CountyEdge's written findings and saved scenarios, use the report's PDF download control after the report is complete. Keep this research report separate from any original source documents.
- Preserve the report version and source dates in your own decision file. If you changed assumptions only in the browser, create and open a completed new analysis version before downloading a PDF that reflects those changes.
Worked example
A fictional case contains a retained deed PDF, a page capture explaining a jurisdiction's permit rules, and a CountyEdge report summarizing both.
The deed is a source document to inspect for the parties, property description, and nature of the filing. It does not by itself establish a complete title history. The permit page describes rules but does not prove a permit was issued for the subject property. The CountyEdge report interprets the available material and identifies the remaining questions; it is not a substitute for either original source.
The investor downloads all three, keeps their dates with their notes, and asks for confirmation of the transaction-critical title and permit questions before relying on the summary.
How to interpret it
Original unofficial PDF means the file is the retained PDF provided by the source, not a certified document or a CountyEdge guarantee of its legal effect. Read the source's own designation and the document's contents.
Original PDF retained describes file availability. It does not establish that the text was extracted, the contents were reviewed or title was cleared. Older collection notes remain in the evidence library; a current attachment can exist even when those notes describe an earlier retrieval gap. File links in the report PDF lead back to the private report and require the owning verified account.
An extracted page capture preserves retrieved material and supporting context. It is not necessarily a screenshot, full website archive, or complete copy of every linked document. Its contents may discuss general procedures or another property. Verify that each claim you use applies to the subject.
A report PDF is CountyEdge's saved, dated research output. It can include findings, assumptions, and gaps. Downloading it does not refresh the source evidence, rerun research, or apply unsaved on-screen scenario edits.
An empty attachment list means no retained captures or original files are attached to that case at the time you check. It does not prove that no public record exists. Likewise, a retained record can support one finding while leaving related questions unanswered.
Common problems
- Documents could not be loaded: refresh the case or report and retry. Keep the distinction between a loading error and an empty attachment list.
- A download is unavailable for your account: check that you are signed in to the verified account that owns the case. Retry from the case's download button rather than a copied private download link.
- A download is temporarily unavailable: retain the case and document title and try again later. An attachment listed in the report is not proof that a particular download attempt succeeded.
- A capture opens as text: it is extracted page material, not necessarily a rendered PDF. Use the Source website link for comparison and retain the capture as evidence of what was retrieved.
- No report PDF is offered: confirm that the report is complete. Preliminary findings and incomplete cases do not imply a finished PDF is ready.
- The document describes general rules: use it for that scope. A general rule does not establish a property-specific approval or complete compliance.
- A downloaded report has older assumptions: on-screen changes do not alter the saved report. Open the completed new version you intended to export.
Next action
Open your property cases, inspect one attachment, and compare it with the finding it supports. Continue with Understand property evidence or Local records.