The fastest way to create your first reminder: have a real document handy (insurance, license, contract), upload it through AI SmartDoc to auto-fill the fields, review the data, and save. Five minutes start to finish. If you don't want to use SmartDoc (or your document isn't ready), manual reminder creation works just as well.

Two paths — pick one

Path A: SmartDoc (file in hand)

If you have the document file ready (PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG):

  1. Open AI SmartDoc from the sidebar.
  2. Drag and drop the file (or click to browse) — up to 25 MB.
  3. Click Scan with AI.
  4. Wait for SmartDoc to extract the data (a few seconds).
  5. Review the pre-filled reminder form below the extraction result:
    • Title — adjust to something searchable like "Office 12 Insurance — 2026".
    • Expiration date — verify against the document.
    • Document type — confirm or change. If SmartDoc proposes a new type, pause and check if you already have a close match.
    • Folder, Sequence, Contacts — set as needed.
  6. Click Apply to commit SmartDoc's data into the form.
  7. Click Save.

You now have a working reminder with the file attached. See SmartDoc overview for the bigger picture.

Path B: Manual creation (no file or quick start)

If you don't have the document file ready, or you want to skip SmartDoc:

  1. From the Dashboard or Explorer, click + New Reminder.
  2. Choose Expiration (the most common type — for things that have an expiry date).
  3. Fill in:
    • Title — descriptive, searchable.
    • Expiration date — the renewal/expiry date.
    • Document type — pick from the existing list or create a new one.
    • Folder — where it should live in Explorer.
  4. (Optional) Add Contacts — who should receive notifications. Each contact you select gets the email; for SMS or WhatsApp, also tick those channel checkboxes.
  5. (Optional) Confirm the reminder sequence — when notifications fire (default is fine for first-timers).
  6. (Optional) Attach the document file once you have it.
  7. Save.

See Create a reminder for the full breakdown.

Verify it worked

After saving, your new reminder should appear in:

  • Explorer — in the folder you chose, with the expiry date and "Days Left" visible.
  • Calendar — on the date you set, with a count bubble.
  • Dashboard — counted in your Total Items, In 2 Weeks, etc. (depending on the date).

The status starts as Upcoming — meaning no notification step has fired yet. As the expiry approaches and the sequence fires, the status moves to In Process.

How the notifications work

Your reminder has a sequence attached — by default, the workspace's default sequence. The sequence has steps (e.g. 30 days before, 14 days before, 7 days before, 1 day before, on the day, day after).

When each step's send time arrives:

  • Notifications fire to the contacts you selected, on the channels you ticked (email, SMS, WhatsApp).
  • A double tick appears in the item's reminder queue showing it sent.
  • Recipients can reply to confirm renewal or update status.

To change the sequence on this specific reminder, edit the reminder and pick a different sequence. To change the workspace default sequence, see Set the default reminder sequence.

What happens if you skip the contacts

Saving a reminder with no contacts is fine — Remindax tracks the item but no notifications go out. You'll still see it in Explorer, Calendar, and Dashboard. Add contacts later by editing the reminder.

Three things first-timers most often get wrong

  1. Using a single contact as a "test" email. Your real notifications will fire to whoever's on the contact list, including any test addresses. Edit the reminder to use real contacts when you're ready.
  2. Forgetting to tick SMS/WhatsApp channels. Adding a contact to the email column doesn't auto-add them to SMS. Tick each channel separately. See Assign recipients on a reminder.
  3. Setting a wrong expiration date. SmartDoc can misread; manual entry slips happen. Confirm the date before saving.

What happens next

  • Your reminder is live and will fire notifications per its sequence as the date approaches.
  • You can add more reminders the same way, or bulk-import existing records via the import template — see Migrating from spreadsheets to Remindax.
  • Edit, archive, or duplicate the reminder anytime from the row ⋯ menu in Explorer.

Edge cases & gotchas

  • Add contacts later if you don't have them yet. A reminder without contacts is fine for tracking; just add contacts before you actually need notifications to go out.
  • **The sequence determines when notifications fire — not whether they fire.** A sequence with no steps in the future (e.g. all steps are in the past for a soon-expiring item) will skip those steps. See Why a step won't send.
  • Default Recipients aren't automatic. Even if your workspace has default recipients configured, they're a one-click suggestion — they don't auto-add unless you click them.
  • You can switch from SmartDoc to manual at any point. If SmartDoc's extraction is messy, fill the form manually and save.

Related questions

  • What's the fastest way to create a reminder? SmartDoc if you have the document file; manual creation otherwise. Both take about 5 minutes.
  • Do I have to use SmartDoc? No — manual creation works just as well and gives you more control.
  • What if I don't have the document file yet? Skip SmartDoc, do manual creation, attach the file later when you have it.
  • What if I don't have contacts to notify? Save without contacts. Add them later when you're ready for notifications.
  • How do I know the notifications will go out? When a step fires successfully, a double tick appears in the item's reminder queue. The Dashboard's Recent Activity also logs sends.

Related articles

Getting Started · Create a reminder · SmartDoc overview · Assign recipients on a reminder · How notifications & sequences fit together