---
title: Understanding Agreement Acceptance Records
description: "When a vendor accepts an agreement in VendorHearth Pro, the system maintains an acceptance record. These records provide a history of the agreements a vendor accepted and should be preserved as part of your VendorHearth data. ## What Is an…"
url: "https://vendorhearth.com/docs/understanding-agreement-acceptance-records/"
updated: "2026-09-23"
category: "Agreements & Documents — agreements, acceptance records, document requirements/uploads"
---

# Understanding Agreement Acceptance Records

When a vendor accepts an agreement in VendorHearth Pro, the system maintains an acceptance record.

These records provide a history of the agreements a vendor accepted and should be preserved as part of your VendorHearth data.

## What Is an Acceptance Record?

An acceptance record documents that a vendor accepted a particular agreement through VendorHearth.

The acceptance is associated with the agreement that was presented to the vendor at that time.

This is different from simply having an agreement available in VendorHearth.

## Why Acceptance Records Matter

Your agreements may change over time.

For example, you might have:

- 2026 Vendor Agreement
- 2027 Vendor Agreement
- 2028 Vendor Agreement

A vendor's acceptance of the 2026 agreement should remain associated with that version even after newer agreements are created.

This provides a clearer historical record.

## Do Not Rewrite Historical Acceptances

Avoid changing an old agreement in a way that makes existing acceptance records appear to apply to substantially different terms.

If your agreement changes significantly, create a new agreement or version.

The goal is for the acceptance record to accurately represent what the vendor was presented when they accepted it.

## Imported Vendors and Applications

Importing an existing vendor or application does not automatically create agreement acceptance records.

VendorHearth does not fabricate an acceptance simply because an imported vendor is:

- Approved
- Confirmed
- Already paid
- Participating in an event

If the vendor did not accept the agreement through the applicable process, VendorHearth should not create a false acceptance record.

## Returning Vendors

Returning vendors may have agreement acceptance history from previous events or seasons.

If your organization introduces a new agreement, the vendor may need to accept the new version.

Their previous acceptance can remain part of their historical record.

## Deleting Old Agreements

Use caution before deleting agreements that have acceptance history.

Even if an agreement is no longer used for new vendors, its acceptance records may still provide useful historical information.

Whenever possible, preserve historical agreements and their associated records rather than deleting them simply because a newer version exists.

## Correcting a Mistake

If you discover an incorrect agreement configuration, correct the configuration going forward.

Do not create or alter acceptance records to make it appear that a vendor agreed to terms they were never presented.

## Reviewing Agreement History

Agreement records can help organizers determine whether a vendor has completed the requirements associated with the appropriate agreement.

When reviewing a vendor, pay attention to the specific agreement or version that was accepted rather than simply assuming that any previous acceptance satisfies the current requirement.

## A Simple Rule

When managing agreement history, remember:

**The acceptance record should reflect what the vendor actually accepted.**

VendorHearth's agreement system is most useful when those historical records remain accurate.

## Next Step

Continue to **Creating Vendor Document Requirements** to learn how to request documents such as insurance certificates, permits, licenses, or other required files from vendors.