An employee document is a file kept on one employee. It is separate from the files a hire uploads during [onboarding](/hrms/onboarding/overview), and separate from a [signature request](/hrms/documents-compliance/signature-requests).

Open **Employee Lifecycle**, then **Employee Document**.

## Add a document

1. Choose **New Employee Document**.
2. Choose **Employee**. This is required.
3. Enter **Title** and **Document Type**. Both are required.
4. Under **Document File**, choose **Choose file (uploads on save)**. You can also drop the file on that area.
5. Set **Status** to **Active**, **Expired**, or **Archived**. New documents start as **Active**.
6. Optional dates are **Issued On** and **Expires On**.
7. Choose **Create Employee Document**.

You should see the title as the page name, status **Active**, and **Employee Document created**. The file name appears on **Document File**. Open the name to preview an image or PDF. **Replace** swaps the file. **Remove** clears it.

The list shows **Title**, **Employee**, **Type**, **Expires**, and **Status**. Search with **Search documents...**.

## Update a document

1. Open the row.
2. Change the fields you need, or replace the file. On a saved record with no file yet, the control says **Upload file**.
3. Choose **Save**. You should see **Changes saved**.

## If it fails

- Create stops when **Employee**, **Title**, **Document Type**, or **Document File** is missing. The screen names the required fields.
- If you pick a file before the record can hold it, the message is **Save the document before uploading a file**.
- A rejected file type shows the upload message on the screen. **Upload failed** means the file was not stored. Choose **Upload file** or **Replace** again.
- **Preview is not available for this file type** means the file is stored, and this page cannot draw a preview.
- **Could not load preview** means the file is on the record, and the preview did not open. Try the file name again.
- An empty list says it stores contracts, IDs, and HR files linked to each employee. The button is **New Employee Document**.

## Next

To have someone sign a document, start from a [signature template](/hrms/documents-compliance/signature-templates).