Fax Once / Guide

What to put on a fax cover sheet

Updated October 31, 2026

A cover sheet says who the fax is for, who sent it, how many pages there are and how to reach you. It tells whoever picks up the fax where it should go.

What to include

• To: the person's name, plus their department and fax number.
• From: your name and a phone number or email address.
• Date.
• Pages: the total, counting the cover sheet, so they can tell if a page is missing.
• Subject: a short, plain line, such as a case or reference number.
• A note if they have to do something, such as "Please call when received."

A simple example

Names and numbers here are made up.

What to leave off

A cover sheet is the page anyone can read as it comes out of the machine. Keep these on the later pages:

• Social Security and account numbers
• Medical details
• Anything you wouldn't want a stranger in that office to read

Do I always need one?

Usually not, but check whether the office you are sending to asks for one. It is most useful when the fax goes to a machine that many people share. If the form you are sending says exactly how to fax it, follow that instead.

Does a confidentiality notice help?

A line such as "This fax is meant only for the person named above" tells people what to do if the fax reaches them by mistake. It doesn't make the fax private, and it won't undo a wrong number. Checking the number first does more.

Adding one in Fax Once

Turn on the cover sheet on the details screen and write your note. It counts as one of the 30 pages allowed in each fax.