Start with a job your service team recognizes
A client has sent their current dec pages and answered your intake questions. A market needs an ACORD application. You already have much of the information, but someone still has to move it into the form.
This walkthrough uses a homeowners application as the example. The useful result is an editable ACORD 80 draft, supported by the documents you supplied, with the unanswered questions still visible. It is a starting point for your review.
Confirm the form and edition your market needs and its availability in your workspace before you begin.
Make a small source packet
Bring the relevant documents together before asking Relay to fill the form.
| Source | What it contributes | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Current dec pages | Named insured, policy term, property, and coverage details | The pages belong to this client and the relevant term. |
| Homeowners intake | The client's answers about the property, household, and requested coverage | Questions are answered clearly, with unanswered items left visible. |
| Confirmed updates | Changes since the existing policy or application | The change is confirmed and dated. |
| Agency information | Producer and agency details needed on the application | Names and contact details are current. |
Dec pages are useful, but they rarely answer every application question. A policy document can show the dwelling limit without telling you the year the roof was replaced. Give Relay the facts you have and leave the rest for follow-up.
If sources disagree, say which one reflects the confirmed current information. Do not silently mix last year's application with this year's changes.
Give Relay a specific request
Prepare an ACORD 80 draft from the attached homeowners intake and current dec pages. Use the updated client notes for confirmed changes. Keep unsupported answers blank and identify conflicting information. I want to review and edit the form before downloading it.
You do not need to learn a special command. Name the deliverable, bring the sources, and explain how to handle gaps.
Use your configured workspace for client documents. The examples on the public website use fictional information.
Review the form as it is prepared
Relay opens the actual form in the document pane, reads the sources, and fills supported values. The result stays in the same task as the request.
The process can take time while the documents are read and the values are prepared. A form appearing on screen does not mean it is complete. Wait for the draft to be populated, then inspect it.
Check the populated facts as well as the empty fields. In your first few runs, a full review is the clearest way to learn what the workflow handles well.
Check meaning, not just matching words
Similar-looking facts can answer different questions. These examples show the kind of distinction to look for:
- Year built and roof replacement year: A home built in 2016 does not establish that the roof was replaced in 2016.
- Water heater and plumbing system: Replacing a water heater does not establish a full plumbing renovation.
- Mailing and property address: Use the same address only when the source confirms that relationship.
- Distance and units: Check whether the form asks for feet or miles.
- Household and applicant information: Do not infer family details, signatures, or attestations from a name or mailing address.
Relay keeps source information with populated fields. Use it to trace an answer back to the material you provided, and check the original when the meaning is unclear.
Edit directly and gather the remaining answers
Click a field in the draft to make a correction. Review names, addresses, requested dates, limits, and the wording of required questions across the whole form.
Ask for one focused follow-up list:
List the material details that are still missing or conflict with the sources. Group them into questions I can confirm with the client and items our agency needs to review.
Keep that list with the task. It is more useful than asking the client the same questions again in separate messages.
A draft can contain many correct fields and still need important answers. Form availability and review support also differ. ACORD 80 is the most thoroughly validated application workflow; other templates may remain blocked from reporting readiness for producer review.
Download, check, and continue
After making corrections, download the PDF and check the resulting document. Confirm that the changes appear where you expect and that all pages are included.
Complete signatures, attestations, approvals, and submission through your agency's normal process. Keep the reviewed source packet and final version with the client record.
For the first few cases, record the time spent gathering documents, correcting fields, and finishing the form. The value is less hands-on preparation with the same standard of review.