---
url: https://docs.sysreptor.com/python-library/tutorial/part-2/findings.md
---
# Interacting with SysReptor findings

Now let us look at how to add data to projects. Let's create a finding.

```python title="Create finding"
finding = {
    "status": "in-progress",
    "data": {
        "title": "Test Finding",
        "description": "This is a test finding.",
        "affected_components": ["example.com", "example-1.com"],
    },
}
my_finding = reptor.api.projects.create_finding(finding)
my_finding
# Out: FindingRaw(title="Test Finding", id="33ddc5f3-7396-4076-8c17-3eee16465840")
```

The input finding dictionary consists of metadata (like `status`, `assignee`, etc.) and the actual finding data (your finding fields). Add the data you want to add to your finding fields into the `data` dictionary. The keys map to the finding IDs from your project designs.

Now let's update the finding that we just created. The [FindingRaw](/python-library/dataclasses/finding#reptor.models.Finding.FindingRaw) object has an ID that we can use for referencing the finding that we want to update.\
We'll just fill out the `summary` field and change the `status` to `finished`.

```python title="Update the finding we just created"
my_finding = reptor.api.projects.update_finding(
    my_finding.id,
    {
        "status": "finished",
        "data": {
            "summary": "My summary",
        }
    }
)
```

The `update_finding` method returns the updated [FindingRaw](/python-library/dataclasses/finding#reptor.models.Finding.FindingRaw) objects.

We can use the [FindingRaw](/python-library/dataclasses/finding#reptor.models.Finding.FindingRaw) object to duplicate our finding...

```python title="Duplicate finding"
duplicated_finding = reptor.api.projects.create_finding(
    my_finding.to_dict()
)
```

...or to delete it.

```python title="Delete finding"
reptor.api.projects.delete_finding(duplicated_finding.id)
```

We can also create new findings from finding templates. For this, we introduce the [Finding Templates API](/python-library/api/templates).\
Searching for finding templates works the same way as searching for projects.

```python title="Search finding templates"
reptor.api.templates.search()  # Get all finding templates
reptor.api.templates.search(search_term="XSS")  # Search for "XSS"
# Out:
# [FindingTemplate(title="Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)", id="2bfc61fe-7003-4c95-8e2d-322cc3206a7a"),
#  FindingTemplate(title="Insecure HTTP cookies", id="3d7491be-cf81-4d1c-82cd-d71451786f9f"),
#  FindingTemplate(title="Incorrectly configured HTTP security headers", id="e63df410-42f2-49ad-837c-0d6d343a040c")]
```

The search returns a list of [FindingTemplate](/python-library/dataclasses/finding-template#reptor.models.FindingTemplate.FindingTemplate) objects.
We now use the finding template ID to create a new finding from the template.

```python title="Create finding from templates"
reptor.api.projects.create_finding_from_template(
    template_id="2bfc61fe-7003-4c95-8e2d-322cc3206a7a"
)
# Out: FindingRaw(title="Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)", id="79d2abd6-74f6-417a-878f-2d46fc78eef0")
```

We might also want to update report fields in our report sections.

![Sections and report fields](/images/sections.png)

We get access to available [Sections](/python-library/dataclasses/section#reptor.models.Section.Section) and report fields through the project.

```python title="Get available sections and report fields"
my_project.sections
# Out:
#[Section(id="executive_summary"),
# Section(id="scope"),
# Section(id="customer"),
# Section(id="other"),
# Section(id="appendix")]
my_project.sections[1].fields
# Out:
#['scope', 'start_date', 'end_date', 'duration', 'provided_users']
```

Use this data to update fields in the section `scope`.

```python title="Update report fields"
reptor.api.projects.update_section(
    "scope",
    {
        "start_date": "2025-08-01",
        "end_date": "2025-08-31",
        "duration": "5 person days"
    },
)
# Out: SectionRaw(id="scope")
```

As we now filled in all relevant data, we now want to download our rendered PDF report.

```python title="Render report and save as file"
with open("my_report.pdf", "wb") as f:
    f.write(reptor.api.projects.render())
```

Finally, we can finish, or delete our projects.

```python title="Finish or delete projects"
reptor.api.projects.finish_project()
# Out: True  # Indicates that the project is now finished/read only
reptor.api.projects.delete_project()
```

We can also duplicate projects.

```python title="Duplicate project"
reptor.api.projects.duplicate_project()
# Out: Project(name="Copy of Margherita Report Demo", id="2fe0ab2b-8482-49fa-a3b5-1d0d7bb49c01")
```

The `duplicate_project` method returns the newly created [Project](/python-library/dataclasses/project#reptor.models.Project.Project). If you now want to interact with that project, you need to re-initialize your `reptor` object.

```python title="Switch project after duplicate"
duplicate = reptor.api.projects.duplicate_project()
reptor.api.projects.init_project(duplicate.id)
```

If you want to duplicate a project to interact with it and want to clean it up right away, you can also use the contect manager `duplicate_and_cleanup`.\
The following code snippet duplicates the project, changes the design and renders the PDF. When leaving the context menu, the duplicated project is cleaned up.

```python title="Duplicate project and render with alternative design"
design_id = "9eb56f02-c71b-4c1a-8392-06ab4d633336"

with reptor.api.projects.duplicate_and_cleanup():
    reptor.api.projects.update_project_design(design_id, force=True)
    with open("my_report.pdf", "wb") as f:
        f.write(reptor.api.projects.render())
```

The `force` parameter in `update_project_design` forces the design change, even if there are incompatible field definitions (e.g., a `string` finding field in the original design, which is a `number` in the new design would lead to data loss). This makes duplicating the project useful, because incompatibilities won't affect the original project.