How to track certificates of insurance?


Editorial team Published on

Certificate of Insurance (COI) tracking is the process of collecting, verifying, and monitoring third-party insurance documents to ensure vendors and contractors maintain active, compliant coverage.

📊 How COI Tracking Works

  • Collection: Automated requests are sent to vendors or their insurance brokers.
  • Extraction: Platforms use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) or AI to read policy limits and dates.
  • Validation: System checks extracted data against your specific contract minimums.
  • Monitoring: Expiration alerts trigger automated renewal requests before policies lapse.

💡 Top COI Tracking Platforms

  • SmartCompliance: Best for multi-industry automated verification and risk reporting.
  • bcs: Ideal for property managers and general contractors needing free tiers for small vendor lists.
  • Billy: Strong construction focus with deep ERP accounting integrations.
  • Certificial: Offers real-time continuous policy monitoring via broker integrations.

⚠️ Risks of Manual Tracking

  • Spreadsheets fail and create blind spots once you exceed 25 to 50 active vendors.
  • Expired policies are often only discovered during claims or audits rather than proactively.
  • Unverified endorsements or missing additional insured clauses leave your business financially exposed.