Documents
Request supporting documents from applicants, review uploads, and manage the reusable documents in your Document Library.
LendAPI handles two kinds of documents: files you ask applicants to upload, and documents you provide to applicants. Contracts that applicants sign are covered separately in Contracts and E-Signature.
Files you ask an applicant to upload, such as a paystub, bank statement or driver's license. You define what can be requested as Doc Upload Templates, request them on an application, and your team approves or rejects each upload.
Documents you provide to applicants, such as terms, disclosures or consent forms. You can show them on application pages or attach them to emails. Library documents are versioned and published.
Key concepts
- Doc Upload Template: a type of document you can request, for example "Most recent paystub". It has a name, description, Document Type and optional AI processing.
- Document Type: Other, Paystub, Bank Statement, W2 Form, 1099 Form, SSN Card, Driver License, Form 1040 (Individual Tax Return), Form 1120 (Corporate Tax Return) or Secretary of State Filing.
- Application document: one requested document on one application, with all its uploaded versions.
- MISC document: a file uploaded to an application without a request template, by an agent or the applicant.
- Library document: a PDF or HTML document you publish for applicants to read.
Document statuses
| Status in the dashboard | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Requested | You have asked the applicant for this document. |
| Pending | Waiting for the applicant to upload. |
| Review | Uploaded and waiting for your team to review it. |
| Approved | Accepted by your team. |
| Rejected | Declined by your team, with a reason. |
| Uploaded | A MISC document. MISC documents don't go through review. |
How it works
flowchart LR
Req[Requested / Pending] -->|Applicant uploads| Rev[Review]
Rev -->|Approve| Ok[Approved]
Rev -->|Reject with reason| No[Rejected]
No -->|Notify borrower| Req
No -->|Mark as notified| Req
The application's stage follows its documents:
| Event | Application stage |
|---|---|
| Documents are requested | Document |
| The applicant uploads a requested document | Doc Received |
| After a review, any document still waits for review | Doc Received |
| After a review, every requested document is approved or rejected | Processing |
| After a review, other documents are still outstanding | Document |
Each upload also sends an in-app notification to the application's assigned agent and fires the application.docreceived webhook. Requests fire application.request_docs. See Webhooks.
Versions. Every upload of a requested document is kept as a version. When you reject a document and ask again, the applicant's next upload becomes a new version. Earlier versions stay visible in the document's version history. The latest version sets the document's status, and you can only approve or reject the latest version.
Work with documents
Create Doc Upload Templates
- In the left sidebar, open Templates → Document Upload.
- Click New Template.
- Enter the Document Name and a Description that tells the applicant exactly what to upload, choose the Document Type, and set the Status to active.
- Optionally turn on AI processing and choose a Provider (Doc AI or Ocrolus). With AI on:
- uploads are checked against the Document Type, and a mismatched file is rejected with a message such as "The document you uploaded appears to be a Bank Statement. Please upload a Paystub.";
- with Map extracted data to variables, values read from the document can be saved to application variables.
- Save.
AI processing requirementsAI processing needs an active Doc AI or Ocrolus integration. The Document Type can't be Other when AI is on. Ocrolus supports Paystub, Bank Statement, W2 Form, SSN Card and Driver License.
Request documents
You can request documents in four ways.
- Open the application and go to the Docs tab.
- Click Request Docs.
- Pick the documents in Doc Requesting, choose an email template or write the message, and click Send.
The email includes an Upload Document button that takes the applicant to a secure upload page for this application. The application moves to the Document stage.
Add the Upload Documents control to a page and choose the documents in Request Documents. Turn on Required if the applicant must upload before continuing. This control can't be on the first page. See Product Studio.
An outcome with the Request Docs action moves the application to the Document stage. To have the applicant asked for specific files, attach those documents in the REQUEST DOCUMENT section of the email template sent for that outcome, and include the Upload Document link. See Email and SMS Templates.
Choosing Doc Requested in Update Stage moves the application to the Document stage. It doesn't ask for any specific files, so use Request Docs when you need particular documents.
What the applicant sees.
The upload page is titled Document Upload. It lists the Required Documents, each with an Upload button, and shows a thank-you message when the applicant is done. Applicants who use the customer portal can also see their documents there.
Accepted file formats are PDF, JPG, PNG and SVG. Files added in the MISC section must be PDFs of 45 MB or less.
Review documents
- On the application's Docs tab, click Start Review, or open a document from the UPLOADED section.
- Look at the file in the preview. The version history is shown alongside.
- Click Approve (a note is optional) or Reject (a Rejection reason is required).
When documents are rejected, the Docs tab shows a banner such as "1 document(s) rejected, notify borrower". You then have two options:
- Notify borrower opens the Request Documents email so you can ask for a new upload.
- Mark as notified reopens the request without sending an email, for example if you contacted the applicant by phone.
Either option puts the document back into the Requested status.
Use the MISC section's Upload action to add any other file to the application.
Manage the Document Library
- Open Workflows → Document Library.
- Click New Document to write an HTML document, or Upload PDF to add a PDF.
- Edit the draft, then click Publish Document and describe what changed.
- Use Versions to see published versions and choose which one is live.
Publishing an HTML document also creates a PDF copy. Only active, published library documents can be used. Deactivating a document also unpublishes it. If you make an older version live while the draft has unpublished changes, those changes are kept as an archived version that can't be made live.
Library documents can be:
- shown on an application page with the Display Document control,
- used as consent forms,
- attached to email templates.
Use the API
Document requests and reviews are managed in the dashboard. To read an application's documents from your system, call Get an application. Its documents array lists each uploaded document's name, a download url and document_type_display. When AI processing is on, it also includes the AI task status and response.
Access and best practices
Permissions
| Area | Module |
|---|---|
| Doc Upload Templates | Document Upload |
| Document Library | Document Library |
| Requesting, uploading and reviewing on an application | Agent Dashboard, Docs tab. Sending the request email also needs the Email tab. |
Best practices
- Write descriptions applicants can follow. "Your two most recent paystubs, showing your name and employer" works better than "Paystub".
- Pick the right Document Type, even without AI, so reports and integrations can tell documents apart.
- Always give a clear rejection reason. It is recorded on the document and helps your team explain what's needed when they notify the borrower.
- Keep document requests off the first page. Ask for uploads after you've collected contact details, so the application exists and the applicant can come back to it.
- Publish library changes on purpose. Applicants see the live version only. Describe each publish so your team knows which wording each applicant saw.
Related guides
See how documents move an application between stages.
Add upload and display controls to pages.
Attach document requests to emails.
Generate loan documents and collect signatures.
Receive document events on your own server.
Updated 12 minutes ago

