Certificate of insurance tracking: the complete guide

What a certificate of insurance actually is

A COI is a one-page summary issued by an insurer that confirms a party holds specific insurance in specific limits for a specific period. It typically lists the insured entity, the policy type (public liability, employers' liability, professional indemnity, motor, etc.), the coverage limits, the effective and expiry dates and any additional insured parties.

What to check on every COI

1. Insured name matches the entity you're contracting with.
2. Policy type matches what your contract requires.
3. Limits meet or exceed your minimum.
4. Effective date is today or earlier; expiry is in the future.
5. Additional insured / waiver of subrogation clauses are present where required.
6. Issuer is a genuine insurer or broker (spot check the phone number).

The tracking system that actually works

The system is boringly simple: each supplier is a record, each COI is an object with an expiry date and the software nudges you 60, 30 and 14 days before expiry. Credbase does this automatically the moment a COI is uploaded, its AI reads the expiry date, a human approves and reminders switch on.

Handling multi-policy suppliers

Large suppliers may hand over five or six certificates. Store them as separate documents on the same supplier record so each expiry is tracked independently. A single 'blob' PDF hides the fact that the PI has lapsed while the public liability is fine.

Sharing evidence with your clients

Your clients ask for COIs from you. When your record is live, you can share the exact certificates they need in a single link, always current, revocable and easy to refresh next year.