Getting a document signed with Inkless is often only one part of the job.
In many workflows, the signature is not enough on its own. You may also need a bank statement, proof of address, photo ID, right-to-work evidence, an insurance certificate or another supporting document before the process is complete.
The problem is that these documents are often collected separately.
The contract is sent through one system. The supporting evidence is chased by email. Files arrive in different formats, with unclear names, across different inboxes. Someone then has to download them, rename them, match them to the right person and store them in the right place.
Inkless supporting document requests are designed to make this cleaner.
You can ask each recipient to upload supporting documents as part of the signing workflow. Required documents must be uploaded before signing completes, helping you keep the process self-contained, complete and easier to audit.
What are supporting document requests?
Supporting document requests allow the sender to ask a recipient to upload one or more documents before they complete signing.
For example, you might request:
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Proof of address
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Bank statement
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Photo ID
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Passport or driving licence
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Right-to-work document
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Proof of income
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Insurance certificate
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Company registration document
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Qualification certificate
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Onboarding paperwork
Common examples of proof of address include a recent utility bill, council tax statement or bank statement - documents Inkless allows you to request and label clearly during signing.
Each request can be labelled clearly, so the signer knows exactly what to upload.
You can also choose whether each upload is required or optional. This gives you more control over the workflow without forcing every document request to block completion.
Why this matters
A signed PDF is useful. But in many real-world workflows, the evidence around the signature matters too.
A mortgage application may need bank statements.
An employment contract may need right-to-work evidence.
A supplier agreement may need an insurance certificate.
A client onboarding pack may need ID, proof of address or company information.
Without a structured process, those supporting documents are easy to lose. They may sit in email threads, shared folders or individual inboxes. That creates admin work and increases the risk of missing information later.
Inkless brings the signature and the supporting evidence into the same flow.
How it works in Inkless
Supporting document requests are configured from the document mapping view.
This means you can prepare the document for signing, add the recipients, place the signing fields and add the supporting document requirements in the same workflow.
Here is how the process works.
1. Upload the document
Start by uploading the document you want to send.
This could be a contract, agreement, application form, onboarding document, consent form or any other file that needs to be signed.
Inkless prepares the document so you can add the required fields before sending.
2. Add the recipients
Next, add the people who need to receive the document.
Each recipient can have their own signing fields and their own document requests.
This is useful because not every person in a signing workflow needs to provide the same evidence.
For example, in a finance workflow, the applicant may need to upload bank statements, while a guarantor may need to upload proof of address.
3. Place the signing fields
From the document mapping view, add the fields each recipient needs to complete.
This might include:
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Signature fields
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Date fields
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Initials
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Text fields
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Checkboxes
The signer is guided through these fields when they open the secure signing link.
4. Add supporting document requests
You can then add one or more supporting document requests for each recipient.
Each request should be labelled clearly.
For example:
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Proof of Address
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Latest Bank Statement
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Passport or Driving Licence
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Right to Work Document
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Public Liability Insurance Certificate
Clear labels matter. They reduce confusion and help the signer provide the right document first time.
5. Choose required or optional
Each upload can be set as required or optional.
A required upload must be provided before the recipient can complete signing.
An optional upload gives the recipient the chance to provide extra information, but it does not block completion if they do not have it available.
This is useful when some documents are essential and others are helpful but not critical.
Inkless also supports a required one-from-many approach. For example, you could ask the signer to provide one document from a list, such as a passport or driving licence.
6. Send the secure signing link
Once the document is ready, Inkless sends the recipient a secure link.
The recipient opens the link, completes the signing fields and uploads the requested documents as part of the same process.
There is no need to send a separate email asking for attachments.
7. Keep the signed envelope complete
Uploaded files are stored securely within the signed envelope.
This helps keep the signed document and supporting evidence together, rather than scattered across inboxes and folders.
For teams that need a cleaner audit record, this is a major benefit.
Practical use cases
Supporting document requests are useful whenever the signing process depends on extra evidence.
Mortgage and finance applications
Mortgage brokers, finance teams and advisers often need supporting evidence before an application can move forward.
Common examples include:
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Bank statements
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Proof of address
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Proof of income
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Photo ID
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Consent forms
Instead of sending the document for signing first and chasing evidence afterwards, Inkless allows the required evidence to be collected during the signing process.
This makes the application pack more complete from the start.
Employment contracts and onboarding
HR teams often need more than a signed employment contract.
They may also need:
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Right-to-work evidence
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Proof of qualifications
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Emergency contact information
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Policy acknowledgements
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Bank details
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Signed onboarding documents
By requesting uploads inside the signing flow, HR teams can reduce manual chasing and make the onboarding process easier for the new starter.
Client onboarding checklist
Professional services firms often use a client onboarding checklist to gather evidence before work begins.
This might include:
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ID documents
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Proof of address
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Company details
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Engagement documents
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Authorisation forms
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Compliance-related evidence
Inkless helps keep these documents connected to the signing workflow, making the onboarding record easier to manage.
Supplier and contractor agreements
When onboarding suppliers or contractors, businesses may need to check documents before work begins.
Examples include:
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Insurance certificates
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Accreditations
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Company registration documents
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Health and safety documents
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Bank account evidence
Supporting document requests help make sure the right evidence is collected before the agreement is completed.
Tips for setting up supporting document requests
Use clear document labels
Avoid vague labels such as “Upload document” or “File 1”.
Use specific labels such as:
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Proof of Address dated within the last 3 months
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Latest Bank Statement
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Passport or Driving Licence
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Public Liability Insurance Certificate
The clearer the label, the less likely you are to receive the wrong file.
Only make uploads required when they are essential
Required uploads are useful when the document is genuinely needed before signing can complete.
But making too many uploads required can add friction.
A good rule is simple:
If the document is essential, make it required.
If it is useful but not critical, make it optional.
Match document requests to each recipient
Different recipients may need to provide different documents.
Do not ask everyone for everything.
Use per-recipient requests so each signer only sees what applies to them.
Use one-from-many where it makes sense
Sometimes you do not need a specific document. You just need one acceptable form of evidence.
For example, you may accept either a passport or a driving licence.
In that case, a one-from-many request can give the signer flexibility while still giving you the evidence you need.
Keep the process self-contained
The main benefit of supporting document requests is that they reduce separate follow-up.
Use the feature to keep the workflow in one place:
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The document is sent
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The signer completes the fields
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The signer uploads the required evidence
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The completed envelope stores the signed document and uploads together
That is much cleaner than relying on email attachments.
Final thoughts
A signature is important, but it is not always the full process.
Many agreements also need evidence.
Inkless supporting document requests allow you to collect that evidence during signing, with labelled uploads, required or optional settings and secure storage in the signed envelope.
For teams handling applications, onboarding, contracts or compliance-sensitive workflows, this can reduce admin, avoid missed attachments and create a more complete record from the start.