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Getting Started with Fax: What Every Admin Needs to Know

A setup checklist for Updox admins: what to do with your existing fax lines, creating users, organizing the Inbox with queues and tags, and other setup items like signatures, cover sheets, templates, and practice information.

Who is this article for?

This article is for the Admin who sets up Updox for your practice. It covers the main things to plan and set up when you start using Updox Fax.

Most of these settings are in Admin. To get there:

  1. In the left-hand menu, click Inbox.

  2. Click Admin in the top right.


Step 1: Decide what to do with your existing fax lines

Choose one of two options for your current fax numbers:

  • Forwarding: Keep your number with your current carrier and have them forward faxes to Updox.

  • Porting: Move your number to Updox so Updox becomes your fax provider.

Updox can help with either option.

Tip: Porting takes about 4–5 weeks. Forward your number to Updox first, so you start getting faxes in Updox right away.


  1. Decide who needs access to Updox.

  2. Decide on each user's username.

  3. If Updox is connected to your EHR, enter each user's EHR User ID so documents can be imported into the patient chart.

Tip: Use each person's email address as their username. It's easy to remember, and it lets users reset their own password if they forget it.


Step 3: Organize your Inbox with queues and tags

What are queues?

Queues sort incoming documents by purpose.

For example, if you have separate fax lines for Rx refills and medical records requests, faxes to each line can go straight to the right queue.

Why use queues:

  • Saves time: Documents are routed automatically.

  • Notifies staff: Users assigned to a queue can get an email or text message when a new document arrives.

What are tags?

Tags are colored labels on Inbox items. They catch your eye, so you can spot an item's type without reading the subject or opening it.

You can also filter your Inbox by tag color to see only certain items.

Tip: Use your practice's current document triage process as a guide when you create your tags.


Other things to set up

Upload signatures

Users can upload their signature to stamp it on documents in the Document Editor.

Create custom fax coversheets

You can create as many coversheets as you need. This includes your practice's main cover sheet and any special-purpose coversheets.

Create templates

A template is saved text you can reuse for routine messages. Think about the documents you send most often, and create a template for each one.

Check your practice information

Make sure your practice's contact information is correct. It appears on your fax cover sheets by default.

  1. In the left-hand menu, click Inbox.

  2. Click Admin, then Practice Information.

  3. Review and update your information

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