What Is a Fax Cover Sheet?

To put it simply, a fax cover sheet is a sheet that is faxed to the recipients that precedes the actual message or document. It includes information such as the name or fax number of the sender, plus an optional note so that the recipient knows what to do with the document. It is especially useful in companies that have one fax machine for all of their employees, or when the recipient is not expecting the fax.

What Does a Fax Cover Sheet Include?

Different fax cover sheets include different information or fields for the sender to fill out. However, generally speaking, you can expect:

• The name and surname of the recipient
• The fax and phone number of the recipient
• The senders name and surname
• The senders fax and/or phone number
• Date and time of fax transition
• Number of pages of the faxed document
• The subject of the fax and a short note or message about its contents

If the document you are faxing contains some sensitive information that shouldn't be disclosed to anyone aside from the recipient, the fax cover sheet is a good place to state that. Some fax cover sheets include a “Confidential” note within the design. A business fax cover sheet will also most likely include the name and the logo of the company.

The final decision about what to include on a fax cover sheet is up to you and your company. There are plenty of free fax cover sheet templates available online in Microsoft Word (such as ours) that can easily be edited to fit your needs.

Should You Use Fax Cover Sheets?

The truth is that, in the end, it all depends on your personal preference - however, many people believe that using fax cover sheets is very useful. Some companies like to use cover sheets because they believe it makes identification a lot easier. Besides, they think that after seeing the recipient's name, other people won't be as likely to read the faxed message.

Although there are some people who believe that fax cover sheets are a waste, that's actually not the case. Fax cover sheets make you appear more professional and make the communication between you and the recipient faster.