How-to guides

Start with the job you want to do.

Each guide uses plain language and the same button names you will see in AcreTrace.

You will also find preparation advice and a clear route forward if something does not work.

Know before you startWhat you need and what to watch for

Follow one step at a timeNo unexplained technical language

Get unstuckPractical recovery and official help

Getting startedAbout 10 minutes plus the walk

Measure your first field

Walk a boundary, check the result and save a field record without needing to understand surveying terminology.

Official boundariesUsually 2 to 5 minutes

Understand which Rural Payments number AcreTrace needs and where to find it.

Official boundariesAbout 5 minutes

Fetch English parcel geometry directly from Defra, preview changes and keep the official version protected.

Fields and acreageDepends on the areas being walked

Record woodland, ponds, buildings or other internal areas that should not count as usable ground.

Markers and maintenanceAbout 2 minutes

Save the approximate location, note and photograph of a problem so it can be found again.

Reports and sharingAbout 2 minutes

Turn a saved field, its acreage, notes, exclusions and markers into a PDF another person can open.

Protect your recordsAbout 3 minutes

Create a complete copy before changing phone, uninstalling the app or after important field work.

Boundary filesAbout 3 minutes

Bring an existing polygon boundary into the Field Register, check it and give each selected field a useful name.

MapsAbout 1 minute

Show a familiar Ordnance Survey Light background behind AcreTrace boundaries while the phone is online.

Contractor use · optionalAbout 2 minutes

Add the client and job context to a field record without turning the normal Field Register into an invoicing system.

Still unsure where to begin?

Start with Measure your first field, or email enquiries@acretrace.net and describe what you are trying to do.