> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Upload a document for a customer > Add insurance cards, registration, titles, and other files to a customer record when the customer emails them or brings paper to the front desk. ## What you will accomplish You will save a file on the correct customer record with the right label—such as **Insurance** or **Vehicle Registration**—so your team can find it later without searching email or shared folders. This guide is for **staff uploads** from the customer record. When customers upload files themselves in the portal, they use the same document types you set up in [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements). ## When to use this guide * A customer emails a photo of an insurance card and you need it on their record today. * Someone drops off registration paperwork at the front desk. * You are finishing onboarding and the customer cannot use the portal yet. * You need a scanned copy on file before approving storage or releasing a vehicle. **Contract vs upload** Use **Contract** when the customer must **sign** a PDF agreement. Use **General Document** when they only need to **provide a file** (insurance, registration, license). See [Contracts overview](/docs/contracts/overview). ## Before you start * The customer exists in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts). Search first—do not create a duplicate record. * You know which document type fits the file (create types first if needed—see [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements)). * You have the file on your computer or phone. Supported formats include PDF, Word, Excel, text, CSV, and common image types. Files can be up to **50 MB**. * If the file is for one vehicle, know which car on the customer record it belongs to. ## Open the customer record 1. In the left sidebar, click **Contacts**, or go to [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts). 2. Search by name, email, phone, or company. 3. Click the correct customer to open their page. **Expected result:** You see the customer’s name, contact details, vehicles, and other sections. **Double-check the name** Families often have more than one customer record. Confirm you opened the right person before you upload a file. ## Find Documents & Contracts Scroll down until you see the card titled **Documents & Contracts**. This section holds **uploaded files** and **signed agreements** in one place. Near the top you may see a count such as **0 documents, 0 contracts** or **1 document, 1 contract** after you add files. You can use the search box (**Search documents and contracts...**) when the list grows long. Customer record Documents and Contracts section showing empty state with New Document button *When nothing is on file yet, the section shows **No documents or contracts** and a blue **New Document** button.* ## Start the upload You can start an upload in two ways: **Option A — Click New Document** 1. Click **New Document** in the top-right of the **Documents & Contracts** card (or in the empty-state area). 2. In the **Add New Document** window, click **General Document**—the option for files like insurance cards and registration. **Option B — Drag and drop** 1. Save the file on your computer (for example from an email attachment). 2. Drag the file onto the **Add document** tile in the **Documents & Contracts** grid. The upload window opens with your file already attached. Add New Document window showing Contract and General Document options *Click **General Document** when you are uploading a file—not sending something to sign.* **Expected result:** After you choose **General Document**, you see **Select Document Type** (unless you used drag-and-drop, which may skip straight to the upload form). ## Choose a document type The **Select Document Type** window asks how your team should label this file. Click the type that fits the file—for example **Insurance** for an insurance card photo or **Registration** for a registration document. **Why this matters:** Clear labels help your team find files during renewals, audits, and move-out checks. Choose **Skip - No Type** only when you need the file saved immediately and will fix the label later. **Expected result:** The **Upload Document** form opens. Click **Back** at the bottom if you meant to send a contract instead of upload a file. Select Document Type window listing Insurance, Registration, Driver License, Title, Bill of Sale, Other, and Skip - No Type *Choose a document type so insurance and registration stay organized—or **Skip - No Type** when you must upload first and label later.* ## Fill in the Upload Document form Under **Document File**, check that the correct file name appears. If not, click the upload area (**Drag and drop a file here, or click to browse**) and choose the file again. In **Title**, type a short name your team will recognize. Examples: **Insurance Card — 2027 renewal** or **NY registration — Porsche 911**. **Why this matters:** The title appears on the document card in **Documents & Contracts** and in search results. Use **Description** for notes such as **Expires March 2027** or **Covers both stored vehicles**. **Document Type** should show the category you picked (for example **Insurance**). You can change it here if needed. If the file applies to one car, open **Associate with Car (Optional)** and select the correct vehicle. **Expected result:** The file is tied to that car on the customer record. Some teams use **Tags** to group renewals or audits. Type a short tag and press **Enter**, or click **Add**. Review the file, title, type, and vehicle link. Click **Upload**. **Expected result:** The window closes and a new card appears in **Documents & Contracts**. Upload Document form filled in with insurance file, title, description, document type Insurance, and optional car association *Fill in **Title** (required), optional **Description**, and link a vehicle when the file applies to one car.* ## Drag and drop (faster for front desk) If a customer emails a PDF and you already saved it to your computer, you can skip several clicks: Go to [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) and open the correct customer. In **Documents & Contracts**, look for a dashed tile labeled **Add document** (or similar wording in the grid). Drag the file from your desktop or downloads folder onto **Add document**. **Expected result:** The **Add New Document** window opens with the file already attached. Continue with **General Document** and the document type. **Drag-and-drop still needs the right type** Dropping a file does not skip choosing **General Document** or the document type. Take five extra seconds to label insurance and registration correctly. ## Open a file after upload (staff check) After you save, you can confirm the upload looks correct: In **Documents & Contracts**, click the new upload card. Use **Open full view** or **Download** in the preview window to make sure the image is readable and shows the right document (not a blank photo or wrong page). **Why this matters:** A blurry insurance photo may not count for your records. Catch problems while the customer is still on the phone. ## What success looks like Customer record Documents and Contracts section showing one uploaded insurance document card *After you save, the header shows an updated count (for example **1 document, 0 contracts**) and a card for the file you uploaded.* * The file appears on the customer record under **Documents & Contracts**. * The **document type** label is correct (Insurance, Registration, and so on). * The linked vehicle is correct when the file applies to one car. * Another team member can open or download the file from the same customer page without asking you for a copy. ## Open, download, or remove a file later Scroll to **Documents & Contracts** on the customer record. Use the search box if needed. Click the document card to open a preview window. **Expected result:** You can view the file and use actions such as **Download** or **Delete** (wording may vary). Use **Delete** when the file was uploaded to the wrong customer or is a duplicate. Ask a manager first if you are unsure—deleted files may not be recoverable. ## Common mistakes to avoid **Chose Contract instead of General Document** Insurance and registration are **uploads**, not signed agreements. If you opened the contract flow by mistake, click **Back** or close the window and start again with **General Document**. **Wrong document type** Do not pick **Other** when **Insurance** or **Registration** exists. Clear labels make audits and renewals much easier later. **Wrong customer or vehicle** Confirm the customer name and linked car before you click **Upload**. Fixing the wrong record takes more time than checking once. **Missing title** **Title** is required. Without it, the upload button stays disabled or the form will not save. ## Troubleshooting **I do not see the document type I need** An admin can add types in [Settings > Contracts & Documents](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/contracts-and-documents). Turn on **Customer Access** only for types customers should upload in the portal. **The file will not upload** Check the file size (max **50 MB**), try a PDF instead of a very large photo, or use a different browser. Slow internet can also cause timeouts on big files. **The customer should upload this themselves** Turn on **Customer Access** for that document type and include it in portal onboarding. See [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements), [Attach contracts to customer workflows](/docs/contracts/attach-contracts-to-workflows), and [Help customers upload documents in the portal](/docs/contracts/help-customers-upload-documents-in-the-portal). ## What to do next * To collect a **signed** agreement, use [Send a contract for signature](/docs/contracts/send-a-contract-for-signature). * To confirm what is already on file, use [Review signed contracts and document history](/docs/contracts/review-signed-contracts-and-documents). * To require uploads during portal setup, see [Attach contracts to customer workflows](/docs/contracts/attach-contracts-to-workflows). ## Related topics - [Help customers upload documents in the portal](/docs/contracts/help-customers-upload-documents-in-the-portal.md) - [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements.md) - [Review signed contracts and document history](/docs/contracts/review-signed-contracts-and-documents.md) - [Help customers complete onboarding paperwork](/docs/contracts/help-customers-complete-onboarding-paperwork.md) - [Track insurance and registration on a vehicle](/docs/cars/track-insurance-and-registration-on-a-vehicle.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.