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What Are Document Types?

A document type describes the nature or format of a document — what kind of document it is rather than who it came from. While a correspondent answers who, a document type answers what.

Common Document Types

You define your own document types based on the kinds of documents your organisation handles. Common examples include:

  • Document Type: Invoice
  • Typical Correspondents: Any supplier or vendor


  • Document Type: Receipt
  • Typical Correspondents: Retail stores, online services


  • Document Type: Contract
  • Typical Correspondents: Clients, landlords, partners


  • Document Type: Bank Statement
  • Typical Correspondents: Your bank


  • Document Type: Insurance Policy
  • Typical Correspondents: Insurance company


  • Document Type: Tax Document
  • Typical Correspondents: Tax authority


  • Document Type: Letter
  • Typical Correspondents: Any person or organisation


  • Document Type: Report
  • Typical Correspondents: Internal, regulatory


  • Document Type: ID / Certificate
  • Typical Correspondents: Government authority

Why Document Types Are Useful

When combined with the correspondent, a document type gives you a precise two-axis way to describe any document:

  • Correspondent: Acme Supplies
  • Document Type: Invoice

This combination lets you filter for "all invoices from Acme Supplies" in seconds, regardless of how many total documents exist in your archive.

Document types also appear on document cards in the list view, giving an at-a-glance description of each result.

Document Types vs. Tags

Tags are flexible and can express multiple attributes (status, topic, project). A document type is a single field intended to capture the formal nature of the document.


  • Feature: Document Type
  • Purpose: The formal kind of document (Invoice, Contract, Report…)


  • Feature: Tag
  • Purpose: Status, topic, project, or any other attribute

Use both together. A single document might have: - Document Type: Invoice - Tags: Finance, Pending Payment, Q1 2026

One Document Type per Document

Each document has exactly one document type. Choose the type that best describes the document's primary nature. If a document is both an invoice and a contract, assign the type that reflects its main purpose and use a tag for the secondary attribute.

Auto-Matching Document Types

Like correspondents, document types support matching rules. You can configure a pattern so that Essal Office automatically assigns the correct type to new documents without manual intervention. See Auto-Matching Correspondents and Types for details.