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Documents Needed

The Documents Needed checklist shows which files are required for a transaction and whether each one has been received.

You will find it on the transaction's Documents tab, above Documents Received. The header can be collapsed or expanded, and it shows summary chips when required documents exist.

Documents Needed checklist above Documents Received

What the checklist shows​

The checklist can show:

  • Required document name
  • Received checkbox
  • Due date
  • Blocking status
  • Received count
  • Overdue count
  • Blocking-missing count
  • Linked uploaded file, when one exists

Use the A-Z and drag-handle controls to switch between alphabetical sorting and custom order. Custom order is saved, while alphabetical mode is best when you just need to scan by name.

Add or apply requirements​

You can build the list in two ways:

  • Apply template - choose a reusable document template from Templates > Documents
  • Add required document - add one required document directly on the transaction

Required documents also appear in Transaction Summaries, so keeping this checklist current improves status reporting.

For each required document, you can:

  • Check it off as received
  • Link it to an existing upload
  • Upload a file directly into that required-document row
  • Review linked upload history when more than one file has been attached, with the newest file marked as the latest version
  • Remove the requirement if it no longer applies

Uploading from the checklist is best when a file satisfies a specific placeholder, because DocJacket links the new file to that requirement immediately. If the transaction has a linked Google Drive folder, linked uploads can also show an Open in Drive shortcut.

Row details​

Click the chevron at the end of a required-document row (its tooltip reads "Details - received file, request, due date, note") to open the row's details panel. It has these parts:

  • Received file - the linked file, with Change... to link a different one. When no file is linked it shows Upload and Mark received.
  • Request from party - shows Not yet requested, or Last requested with a date once you have recorded one (see below).
  • Due date & side - when the document is due and which side it belongs to.
  • Fully executed - whether the received copy has been confirmed as fully signed.
  • Internal note - a note for your team that is never shown to clients. For example: "Sent to escrow 6/28 - waiting on buyer signature".

Request a document so it tracks​

DocJacket tracks a request by the date you record, not by the email itself. To request a document from the other side and have it show on the checklist:

  1. Send the request. Email it from the deal's Email tab or use an email template.
  2. On the requirement's row, click + sent and pick the date you sent it.
  3. The row now reads Sent with that date. Click it any time to change the date.
  4. Open the row's details panel. Request from party now shows Last requested with the same date.

Sending an email does not fill this in on its own. Request from party stays at Not yet requested until you record the date with + sent.

Two more tracking tools sit on the same row and header:

  • A revision counter (shown as # and a number, with minus and plus buttons) for documents that get amended, such as an addendum or counter offer. Use the minus button at #1 to stop tracking revisions.
  • A copy button in the checklist header that copies a "still waiting on" list, with the dates sent, so you can paste it into a message to the other side.

When a received document is wrong​

A document can arrive with missing signatures, a wrong address, or the wrong version. To record the problem and ask for a corrected copy:

  1. On Documents Received, set the file's status to Rejected or Revision Requested. See Document Settings.
  2. On the requirement's row in Documents Needed, untick Received. This unlinks the file and moves the requirement back to Not Started. The file itself stays in Documents Received.
  3. Write what is wrong in the requirement's Internal note, for example "Lead-based paint disclosure missing buyer signatures".
  4. Email the other side to request a corrected copy, then click + sent and record the date.
  5. When the corrected copy arrives, upload it into the same row. Linked upload history keeps the earlier versions.

DocJacket does not have a "flag" button that writes a note to the deal. Setting a status to Rejected does not note the deal, email the other party, or reopen the requirement either, so the Internal note is where you record what is wrong. The review screens that show warnings about an uploaded document are described in AI Data Extraction.

Does uploading check items off automatically?​

A required document counts as received when a file is uploaded into its row, when a file is linked to it, or when you click Mark received.

A file you add with the general upload button is not linked to a row automatically. When DocJacket classifies the uploads and some look like they belong to open checklist rows, a banner appears above the checklist: it says how many uploaded documents look like they belong to this checklist, with Review & file and Skip for now buttons. Nothing is filed until you confirm in the dialog.

There is no setting that marks a document check or a task complete when a file is uploaded. To complete a task, complete it on the task.

Why this matters​

For TCs managing dozens of files per transaction, it's easy to lose track of what's been collected and what's still outstanding. Documents Needed gives you a clear picture so you can:

  • Follow up on missing documents before they hold up closing
  • Verify everything is in order before the closing date
  • Generate a document status report for your team or clients