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 "New 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.

Step 2: Set Up Your Request List

Your request list is the backbone of the deal. It defines every document, piece of information, or task that needs to be completed. In Vetting Vault, your request list is your data room — every item you add becomes a place where documents can be uploaded, discussed, and tracked.

Adding Categories

Categories group related requests together. Common categories for M&A deals include:

• Financial — Tax returns, financial statements, projections
• Legal — Contracts, corporate documents, litigation history
• Tax — Tax filings, compliance records, tax planning documents
• Operations — Employee records, vendor agreements, processes
• Insurance — Current policies, claims history, coverage details
• Real Estate — Leases, property records, environmental reports

To add a category, click "Add Category" and type the name. You can reorder categories by dragging them, and rename or delete them at any time.

Adding Request Items

Under each category, add the specific items you need. For each request item, you can set:

• Request title — A clear description of what is needed (e.g., "Last 3 years of tax returns")
• Due date — When the item should be submitted
• Priority — Urgent, high, medium, or low to help participants focus on what matters most
• Assignee — The team member responsible for fulfilling or reviewing the request
• Notes — Additional context or instructions for the person fulfilling the request

Step 3: 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.
• Access permissions — Control who can see what. You may want certain categories visible only to specific groups (e.g., buyer's team, seller's team, or advisors only).
• Feature toggles — Enable or disable deal-level features based on your needs:
  • Q&A — Allow participants to ask and answer questions on specific requests
  • Deal Chat — Enable the real-time messaging channel for the deal
  • Notifications — Configure email notifications for status changes and new uploads

Step 4: Import from Template or Spreadsheet

If you already have a request list or want a head start, Vetting Vault offers two ways to populate your deal quickly instead of adding items one by one.

Importing 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 deal's request list view.
2. Upload your Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file.
3. The AI will analyze your spreadsheet, identify categories and individual requests, and map 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.

Starting from a Template

Vetting Vault includes standard templates for common transaction types. Templates give you a pre-built request list with industry-standard categories and items that you can customize.

• 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

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