# Evidence & controls

> Link a document or a link as evidence to a control and mark it as reviewed. Users and Admins can link evidence, and Auditors can read it.

- URL: https://nextit.tech/docs/evidence-controls/
- Language: English
- Other language: https://nextit.tech/fr/docs/preuves-et-controles/
- Publisher: NextIT (https://nextit.tech/)

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# Evidence & controls

Link a document or a link as evidence to a control and mark it as reviewed. Users and Admins can link evidence, and Auditors can read it.

Link evidence to every control

## Key capabilities

-   Evidence linked to the controls it supports
-   Review status tracked per item
-   See what is covered and what is missing

## Learn more

[Open the feature page Link evidence to every control](https://nextit.tech/features/evidence-controls/) [Ask your AI assistant Use this feature from ChatGPT, Claude or any MCP client.](https://nextit.tech/docs/connect-your-ai-assistant/)

## Be audit-ready without the scramble

Collect evidence, link it to the controls it supports and mark it as reviewed, so you always know what is covered and what is still missing.

Evidence Linked

Evidence per control Linked

Review status Tracked

Control coverage Visible

Evidence for a Law 25 control Awaiting review

MFA enforcement report Reviewed

## Before you start

-   You need a User or Admin account to link evidence to a control. An Auditor can read the controls and the evidence, but cannot link them.
-   Have the document or its link ready before you start.

## How to attach evidence to a control

1.  1

    Open Control Management

    Select `Control Management` on the dashboard. Use the `Search controls...` field or the filters to find the control.

2.  2

    Open the control

    Select the control, then select `Manage Evidence`.

3.  3

    Attach evidence from the repository

    Select `Browse repository` and choose the evidence item to attach.

4.  4

    Add new evidence with a link

    Add a new evidence item in `Manage Evidence` and enter the link to the document.

## How to link an evidence item to more controls

1.  1

    Open the Evidence Repository

    Select `Evidence Repository` on the dashboard.

2.  2

    Open the item

    Select `Open` on the evidence item.

3.  3

    Manage its controls

    Select `Manage Controls`, then choose each control that the item supports.

## What you see

### Control Management

The page starts with eight KPI (key performance indicator) cards: `Total Controls`, `Not Started`, `In Progress`, `Completed`, `Completion`, `Total Evidence`, `Controls with Evidence` and `Evidence Coverage`. They summarize your controls and their evidence.

Use the `Search controls...` field to find a control. Filter by `Category` and by status. Select `Clear Filters` to remove every filter.

Controls come from the questionnaire versions. You cannot edit a control. You link evidence to the controls that already exist.

### Evidence Repository

The page shows four cards: `Total Evidence Items`, `Linked Evidence`, `Unlinked Evidence` and `Controls with Evidence`. Each evidence item shows one status: `Reviewed`, `Implemented` or `In Progress`. Select `Open` to see an item.

Sort the list by expiry to see the expiry dates in order. Admins also see an evidence-expiry widget on the dashboard.

You add new evidence from a control, not from the repository. Open the control, then select `Manage Evidence`.

### Accepted evidence files

If you attach a file as evidence, use one of these types: png, jpg, jpeg, webp, pdf, txt, csv, mp3 or m4a.

## Common tasks

-   Search for a control with the `Search controls...` field.
-   Filter the controls by `Category` and by status, then select `Clear Filters` to reset them.
-   Attach an existing evidence item by selecting `Browse repository` in `Manage Evidence`.
-   Add evidence with a document link from `Manage Evidence`.
-   Unlink an evidence item from a control, or delete it, in `Manage Evidence`.
-   Delete an evidence item from the Evidence Repository when you no longer need it.
-   Sort the Evidence Repository by expiry to find the items to renew.

## Tips

-   Check `Evidence Coverage` after each change. It shows how much of your control set has evidence.
-   Link one evidence item to every control it supports, so that the counts stay accurate.
-   Renew evidence before it expires. Sort by expiry each month.
-   If your Admin allows the AI (artificial intelligence) assistant for your role, you can ask it to add evidence or to answer a compliance question.

## Related

-   [Compliance assessment](https://nextit.tech/docs/compliance-assessment/)
-   [Compliance report](https://nextit.tech/docs/compliance-report/)
-   [Connect an AI assistant](https://nextit.tech/docs/connect-your-ai-assistant/)

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