Creating Your First Deal

Creating a deal is the first step to organizing your due diligence workflow in Vetting Vault. The entire process takes about two minutes, and you can always adjust settings later.

Overview

A deal in Vetting Vault is your central workspace for managing all the requests, documents, communication, and collaboration that go into closing a transaction. Unlike traditional data rooms that separate your request list from your document storage, Vetting Vault combines them into a single, live workspace.

When you create a deal, you are setting up:

• A request list that tracks every item you need from counterparties
• A data room where documents are tied directly to their corresponding requests
• A collaboration space with deal chat, Q&A, and real-time status tracking

Step 1: Create a New Deal

From your dashboard, click the “Create Deal” button in the top-right corner. You will be prompted to fill in the basic deal information:

• Deal name — Choose a clear, identifiable name for the transaction. This is what all participants will see, so use something recognizable like “Acme Corp Acquisition” or “Project Atlas.”
• Description (optional) — Add a brief summary of the deal for context. This helps team members quickly understand what the deal involves.
• Transaction type — Choose the type that best describes your deal, such as buying a business, providing a loan, or evaluating a partner. This helps keep your dashboard organized as you manage multiple deals.

You can choose to start with an empty deal or auto-load with standard due diligence projects. Most people start empty and create their own projects in the next step.

Step 2: Create Projects

Projects organize your deal into workstreams. Each project contains its own request list, so you can separate different areas of diligence while keeping everything under one deal.

Common project structures include:

• Financial Due Diligence — Tax returns, financial statements, projections, bank statements
• Legal Due Diligence — Contracts, corporate documents, litigation history, IP
• Tax — Tax filings, compliance records, tax planning documents
• Operations — Employee records, vendor agreements, processes, IT systems
• Insurance — Current policies, claims history, coverage details
• HR & Employment — Employee agreements, benefits, org charts

To create a project, click “New Project” from the deal sidebar. Give it a name and you are ready to start building its request list. You can create as many projects as your deal requires and reorganize them at any time.

Step 3: Populate Your Request List

Once you have a project, you need to add the requests — the specific documents and information you need. There are three ways to do this:

Import from a Template

The fastest way to get started. Vetting Vault includes standard templates for common transaction types that give you a pre-built request list with industry-standard categories and items.

• M&A Due Diligence — Comprehensive list covering financial, legal, tax, operational, and HR diligence
• SBA Lending — Organized around SBA documentation requirements
• Commercial Lending — Underwriting-focused request structure
• Asset Purchase — Tailored for asset-based transactions

You can also create your own templates from completed deals and reuse them on future transactions.

Import from a Spreadsheet

Already have a request list in Excel or CSV format? Vetting Vault's AI-powered import can read your existing spreadsheet and convert it into a structured request list automatically.

1. Click “Import” from the project's request list view.
2. Upload your Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file.
3. The AI analyzes your spreadsheet, identifies categories and individual requests, and maps them into Vetting Vault's structure.
4. Review the import preview, make any adjustments, and confirm.

The AI handles a wide range of spreadsheet formats, including multi-tab workbooks, color-coded sections, and nested rows. It preserves your existing organization while converting it into a live, trackable request list.

Add Requests Manually

You can also build your request list from scratch:

• Add one at a time — Click “Add Request” to create individual items with a title, description, priority, and due date.
• Bulk add — Add multiple requests at once by pasting a list or typing them in quick succession. Each line becomes a separate request.
• Add categories — Group related requests under section headers like Financial, Legal, or Operations. Drag and drop to reorder.

Step 4: Configure Deal Settings

Before inviting participants, review the deal settings to make sure everything is configured to fit your workflow:

• Deal timeline — Set an expected close date or key milestone dates. This helps keep all participants aligned on the overall schedule.
• NDA requirement — Require team members to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before accessing deal contents. See NDA Agreements for details.
• Custom branding — Apply your firm's logo and colors to the deal workspace so clients see your brand. See Custom Branding for details.
• Cloud storage sync — Connect Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, or OneDrive to automatically sync uploaded files. See External Storage for details.

Using the Sample Deal

Every free Vetting Vault account comes with a sample deal that is pre-populated with example data. The sample deal is the best way to explore the platform before creating your own deal.

The sample deal includes:

• A fully structured request list with multiple categories
• Example documents uploaded against specific requests
• Sample chat messages and Q&A threads
• Simulated status updates and progress tracking

You can interact with the sample deal just like a real one — upload files, change statuses, add comments, and explore every feature. This lets you understand how Vetting Vault works before committing to a paid subscription.

Next Steps

Now that your deal is set up, the next step is bringing your team into the workspace. Head over to Inviting Team Members to learn how to add buyers, sellers, advisors, and other collaborators to your deal.

You may also want to explore:

• Request Lists — Deep dive into managing and tracking requests
• Deal Chat — Set up real-time communication for your deal
• Templates — Create reusable templates from your deals