Remove Sections from a Package
Deletes sections that shouldn't be in the deliverable — an addendum created one too many, a form that turned out not to apply — without disturbing the uploaded documents the package was built from.
Overview
Packages get over-built. An early run creates an addendum that later turns out to have nothing to show. A form gets added that the job doesn't require. Somebody asks to leave a document out because the client already has it.
None of that is unusual, and ignoring it costs the same either way: a deliverable carrying forms the job doesn't need. Blank pages in a submitted package look like an oversight.
This tool removes those sections. It is the counterpart to Add Sections to a Package, and it is idempotent: removing a section that has already been removed reports success rather than failing, so a retried run or a duplicated instruction can't derail the job. What it is not is reversible — a removed section is gone, along with anything filled into it. That asymmetry is why removal is treated as a deliberate act rather than a routine tidy-up.
What It Does
| Capability | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Targeted deletion | The sections you name are removed; the rest keep the positions they were created with |
| Batch removal | Several sections can be dropped in one step, so cleaning up an over-built package is a single decision |
| Idempotent | Removing something already gone reports success instead of erroring, which keeps retried runs safe |
| Attachments untouched | Uploaded source documents belong to the package, not to a section, and survive removal |
| Shorter output | Removed sections contribute no pages when the package is assembled, so the deliverable ends where it should |
| Explicit by design | Removal happens on a clear instruction or an unambiguous redundancy, not on a hunch |
When the Agent Chooses This Tool
Of the three package workflows, only appraisal packages have a removal step. The pre-bid and coating QA workflows cannot remove a section at all — nothing in their toolset does it.
Within the appraisal workflow the bar is set by the fact that removal cannot be undone: the agent is instructed to call it only when the user asks, or when the redundancy is unambiguous. Two cases, and nothing else clears them:
- You said so. "Drop the last photo addendum." "We don't file that letter with this lender." A direct instruction is the first of the two conditions.
- The redundancy is unambiguous. Not "probably surplus" — an inference is not enough, and a section the agent merely suspects is unnecessary stays.
Equally important is when it doesn't get used. A section that is merely empty is not a candidate for removal — merging already leaves out sections with nothing assigned to them, unless the form is one that always appears in the deliverable. And a form that filled blank because a source was missing is information a reviewer needs, not clutter to hide. Deleting it would make an incomplete package look finished; leaving it produces a visible gap.
Inputs and Outputs
Takes: the sections to remove.
Returns: confirmation for each section. A section that was already gone comes back marked as such rather than raising an error, so the caller's view of the package and the package itself end up agreeing either way.
The package's uploaded attachments are not affected. Source documents are owned by the package, not by any individual section, so removing every section in a package still leaves every uploaded file in place — see List Package Attachments.
Example
An appraisal package comes back with one photo addendum more than the finished report needs — the pages it was built from duplicate photographs that are already elsewhere in the package.
The appraiser says: "Drop the last photo addendum."
The agent removes that one section. Every other section keeps the position it was created with, and the uploaded documents the package was built from are all still there. When the package is next assembled, the removed section contributes no pages: the deliverable is one section shorter, not one blank page longer.
If the instruction is repeated on a later run — easy to do — the second removal reports success and changes nothing. What it does not do is bring anything back. If that addendum is wanted after all, it is created fresh and empty, and filled again from the sources, which are all still attached.
Limits
- Removal is irreversible. A removed section and its filled values are gone. There is no undo, which is why removal waits for an instruction or an unambiguous redundancy rather than acting on a guess.
- Re-adding a removed section gives you an empty form at that position, not the values it previously held. The section has to be filled again.
- It removes sections, not pages. Taking a single page out of a form that is otherwise correct is not what this does.
- It doesn't remove uploaded documents. Attachments belong to the package and outlive any section built from them.
- Position is a property of each remaining section, so removal shortens the deliverable rather than renumbering what's left into a new arrangement. Rearranging order means removing and re-adding at the positions you want.
FAQ
What happens to the data in a section I remove?
It goes with the section. Removal is irreversible — re-adding the same sub-form afterwards gives you an empty form that has to be filled again from your sources.
Does removing a section delete my uploaded files?
No. Uploaded documents are attached to the package as a whole, not to any one section. You can remove every section and still have every source document available.
What if the agent tries to remove a section that's already gone?
It reports success, marked as already gone rather than as a deletion. The operation is idempotent, so a retried run or a repeated instruction doesn't produce an error.
Will the agent delete sections on its own?
In appraisal packages — the only workflow with a removal step — only on a clear instruction or when the redundancy is unambiguous. Because deletion can't be undone, a section the agent merely suspects is surplus stays.
Should empty sections be removed before sending the package?
Usually not. Merging already leaves out sections with nothing assigned to them, unless the form is one that always appears in the deliverable. And a section that filled blank because a source was missing is a signal for the reviewer — deleting it makes an incomplete package look finished.
Can I reorder a package by removing and re-adding sections?
Yes, that's the mechanism — a section's position is set when it's created. Bear in mind the re-added section starts empty, so reordering after filling means that section fills again.