Quick Start: Carrier Appraiser
A fast path from signup to sent message for appraisers who represent insurance carriers.
You'll learn
- How to set your default representing party so every new file starts right
- Where Business Profile lives and why invoices break without it
- How to connect email so messages go out as you, not from AwardLettr
- How to create your first appraisal and invite the insured appraiser to book
- How to send your first message from inside a file
Quick start
Carrier appraiser, 5 steps to sent
Do these five things in order and you will have a real file open, the opposing appraiser invited to book, and your first message in their inbox.
- 1Set default representing party to Carrier in Account → Profile.
- 2Create a Business Profile in Settings → Business Profiles (rate sheet + branding).
- 3Connect your email in Account → Integrations → Email Connection.
- 4Create your first appraisal from the Appraisals page → New Appraisal.
- 5Invite the insured appraiser to book and send your first message from the Details tab.
Most AwardLettr users represent the carrier side. The product is tuned for you out of the box, but you still want to do five quick things before you create your first real file. Each one saves you re-work later.
What to do first
Set your default party
Account → Profile → Default Representing Party = Carrier. Stops the "which side are you on?" prompt on every new file.
Create a Business Profile
Settings → Business Profiles. Add your firm name, address, logo, and rate sheet. Invoices and reports pull from here.
Connect email
Account → Integrations → Email Connection. Outbound messages then come from your address with your signature, not from the AwardLettr fallback.
Step 1: Set your default representing party
On every appraisal you tell AwardLettr which side you are on. If you set a default, the system stops asking and auto-fills your name and email into the correct slot.
Open your profile
Go to Account → Profile.
Find "Default Representing Party"
Set it to Carrier. Save.
Work both sides occasionally?
Step 2: Create a Business Profile
A Business Profile is the branded "envelope" that wraps everything you send to outside parties. Without it, invoices and reports use generic defaults and your rate calculations have nowhere to read from.
- Firm name, address, phone (printed on invoices and report covers)
- Logo upload (renders on PDF outputs)
- Rate sheet: hourly rate, travel rate, mileage rate, expense rate
- Invoice prefix and starting number
Pending revenue depends on this
Step 3: Connect your email
Until you connect email, outbound messages send from a generic AwardLettr address. Carriers and adjusters routinely flag unfamiliar sender domains. Connect Gmail, Outlook, or any SMTP provider in Account → Integrations → Email Connection.
Step 4: Create your first appraisal
Click "New Appraisal"
Top-right of the Appraisals page.
Confirm "Carrier" is pre-selected
If you set the default in Step 1, this is already done.
Enter insured name, claim number, carrier, property address
You can fill in the rest as the file moves.
Add the opposing appraiser
Insured appraiser name and email. This is who AwardLettr invites to book inspection times.
Save
You land on the appraisal detail page.
Step 5: Invite to book and send your first message
From the Scheduling tab, click "Invite to Book". AwardLettr emails the opposing appraiser a public booking link tied to your availability zones. From the Details tab, the Messages section lets you compose your first outbound email tied to the file.
Every message is logged
Common pitfalls
- •Skipping the default representing-party setting forces a prompt on every new file.
- •Skipping Business Profile leaves invoices and reports without your branding, address, or rate sheet.
- •Connecting email last means your first few messages go from the AwardLettr fallback address instead of yours.
Next steps
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Integrations: Required, Recommended, Optional
A three-tier breakdown of every AwardLettr integration so you know which to set up on day one and which to defer.
Quick Start: Insured Appraiser
A setup path for appraisers who represent policyholders, including how to handle DOAs you receive from the opposing side.