One of the questions that we’re often asked at RingCentral by our customers is: “How do I create a custom fax cover sheet that can adhere to my industry’s compliance standards in the app?”
These customers tend to work in finance, healthcare, and for the government; for this reason, one of their top priorities is ensuring that their fax transmissions adhere to industry protocols.
While certain aspects of compliance and document security are addressed by cloud faxing, like network and transmission security, there are still risks that must be taken into account. That’s where cover sheets for fax communications come in.
Consider this scenario: A government employee needs to send sensitive data to another department. They opt to send this via fax for security reasons.
The fax is successfully sent and printed out at the recipient’s office. However, it then remains on the printer’s shelf for a few hours before the recipient can get to it.
The sensitive data is now at risk, as anyone walking past can easily see it.
While we’re presenting this as a hypothetical scenario, it can and does happen on a regular basis within industries dealing with sensitive information. Although you can send a fax from your iPhone, many organizations still use more traditional methods—and so need cover sheets to mitigate these risks.
What is a fax cover sheet?
Fax cover sheets are the first page of your fax message that protects the confidential information within. They also include details such as the sender, recipient, subject, and other information such as time and date.
The benefits of fax cover sheets
The importance of fax cover sheets is easy to understand when you consider the following trio of advantages:
1. Protect privacy
Fax cover sheets mitigate risks associated with sending sensitive data to another organization. In other words, it’s an added step in protecting your organization from external factors leading to a compliance violation.
If a recipient’s documents are received by a traditional fax machine, a cover sheet keeps the information protected from view when that fax lands in the document tray.
Even if the recipient gets faxes via email, the cover sheet will protect the contents from being seen by the wrong user—in situations where multiple users receive emails sent to the same account.
2. Ensure the correct recipient
One more of the main fax cover sheet benefits is that they provide contact info for the sender. If a fax is erroneously delivered to the wrong organization, the cover sheet clearly displays who sent the document and how to reach them.
3. Maintain compliance
Including an industry compliance fax disclaimer on your cover sheet is also important should the fax be mistakenly delivered to someone other than the intended recipient.
For example, a HIPAA fax disclaimer on the cover sheet directly notifies the recipient that reviewing, disclosing, and distributing the information in the document is prohibited. For your organization’s own liability risks, this statement should never be left off your cover sheet.
What does a fax cover sheet look like?
Here’s what to put on a fax cover sheet::
- Your organization’s name and/or branding
- The name of the employee who’s sending the information
- Your organization’s phone number, email address, and address
- The date and time of sending
- The fax number that you’re sending the information to
- A fax cover sheet disclaimer that’s reviewed by your corporate counsel
Many companies have their own template-based fax cover sheets with their names and logos already printed on the page. Many also include their company websites.
Schedule faxes in advance to speed productivity and manage your time if you have high volumes of faxes to send with RingEX.
Free fax cover sheet templates for you to use
We’ve included below two fax cover page templates that you can use. All you need to do is add the relevant details, and it’s good to go. Don’t forget to include a disclaimer!
Classic/modern fax cover sheet template
Facsimile Cover Sheet
| To: | {Recipient Name} |
| Company: | {Recipient Company} |
| Phone: | {Recipient Phone} |
| Fax: | {Recipient Fax} |
| From: | {Sender Name} |
| Company: | {Sender Company} |
| Phone: | {Sender Phone} |
| Fax: | {Sender Fax} |
| Date: | {Date} |
| Pages including this cover page: | 1 |
Comments:
[NOTE…]
Classic fax cover sheet template
Facsimile Cover Sheet
| To: | {Recipient Name} |
| Company: | {Recipient Company} |
| Phone: | {Recipient Phone} |
| Fax: | {Recipient Fax} |
| From: | {Sender Name} |
| Company: | {Sender Company} |
| Phone: | {Sender Phone} |
| Fax: | {Sender Fax} |
| Date: | {Date} |
| Pages including this cover page: | 1 |
Comments:
[NOTE…]
Users of the RingCentral fax feature can find free fax cover sheets like the two above, alongside many more—ready to customize and use at the click of a button.
Add and customize your eFax cover sheets in RingEX
With RingCentral internet fax (included in RingEX), you can send faxes online through the app and easily include a pre-formatted or customized cover page.
For standard cover sheets, simply enter basic information into the preset fields. The cover page will automatically fill and be added to the front of your fax.
For more custom fax cover sheets, check out the varied templates, choose the one that best suits you, add your personalization, and attach it with your outbound fax.
Send an eFax to up to 50 recipients at a time or enable “Fax Broadcasting” in case you need to send more in RingEX.
Internet faxing, reimagined
Unlimited internet fax is included in our RingEX Advanced and above packages, which include message, video, and phone. No separate apps or hardware required.
Our complete eFax solution makes it easy and affordable to send secure and confidential faxes from any device, anywhere in the world. Enjoy customized options for power users and send sensitive documents in a breeze.
View a free demo to see how else RingCentral can help you supercharge your business communications.
Fax cover sheet FAQs
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What is a fax cover sheet?
A fax cover sheet is the first page of a fax. It includes important details such as your organization’s and the recipient’s name, your contact details, the date the fax is being sent, and an industry compliance fax disclaimer.
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Why should I use a fax cover sheet?
Using a cover sheet as the first page of your fax ensures that the contents are protected from view. This is particularly important for those dealing with sensitive data.
The information on a cover sheet also helps if the fax was mistakenly sent to the wrong person—the contact details can be used to send it to the intended recipient or back where it came from. The industry compliance fax disclaimer also provides an added layer of protection should the message be sent to the wrong person.
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How do I make a cover sheet for a fax?
A fax cover sheet should include: your organization’s name and/or branding; the name of the employee who’s sending the information; your organization’s phone number, email address, and address; the date and time of sending; the fax number that you’re sending the information to; and a fax cover sheet disclaimer that’s reviewed by your corporate counsel.
These are all important elements to have on your cover sheet. The example we showed above in the blog post shows how you can format your fax cover sheet and lay out the information.
You can also use our fax template cover sheets featured in this post. Just input your details and customize as you wish.
For an even easier time, why not use RingCentral internet fax (included in RingEX)? It allows you to send faxes online through the app; there, you can include a pre-formatted or customized cover page of your choosing effortlessly.
Originally published Jul 15, 2024, updated Jul 23, 2024
