IndexableAudit evidenceLast reviewed 2026-05-21

SOC 2 vendor review evidence template

Use this template to turn a vendor source review into an audit-ready record. It is intentionally narrow: vendor, source, commitment, finding, reviewer, and follow-up. It does not decide whether the vendor is acceptable.

Who it is for

Security, GRC, privacy, or founder operators who need a repeatable vendor review record before an audit or customer security review.

Template

SOC 2 evidence table with 5 starter rows.

Download formats

Markdown for docs, CSV for spreadsheet review.

When to use it

  • Before a SOC 2 audit request asks for a vendor monitoring evidence packet.
  • Before reusing an old customer security questionnaire answer.
  • After an AI, DPA, subprocessor, retention, or security source changes.

How to fill it out

  • Create one row per vendor and product path, not one row per parent company.
  • Attach official vendor sources and your own implementation evidence in the same record.
  • Close the review only after unresolved customer commitments have an owner or qualified note.

SOC 2 evidence table

Use these rows as a starting point, then replace the example language with your vendor, source, customer data, and owner details.

4 columns
Item
Vendor and service
What to record
Vendor name, product, workspace, region, and whether the service is production or internal use.
Evidence to attach
Vendor profile page, source links, contract path, and internal system owner note.
Owner
Security or GRC
Item
Customer data categories
What to record
Prompts, files, logs, tickets, billing records, CRM data, or workspace content involved.
Evidence to attach
Data-flow note, architecture note, screenshot of settings, or approved internal system record.
Owner
Engineering owner
Item
Official sources reviewed
What to record
Privacy, terms, DPA, subprocessor, retention, AI data-use, and security links checked.
Evidence to attach
Current source URLs and last reviewed date.
Owner
Privacy or security
Item
Commitment comparison
What to record
Customer-facing statement that may depend on the vendor source.
Evidence to attach
Trust Center text, questionnaire answer, DPA exhibit, or policy excerpt.
Owner
Legal or customer security
Item
Review outcome
What to record
No action, update evidence, change customer answer, pause rollout, or escalate.
Evidence to attach
Reviewer note, ticket link, and due date for unresolved items.
Owner
Review owner

Common mistakes

  • Using a privacy policy as the only evidence for model training, retention, or subprocessors.
  • Listing a vendor without naming the product or account path in use.
  • Marking the review complete while customer-facing wording still needs an owner.

Example entry

OpenAI API Platform, production support summarization, prompts and ticket excerpts, platform data controls reviewed on 2026-05-21, customer training statement still accurate for API use, app logging retention needs a separate engineering note.

AI Vendor Packet organizes review packet evidence and review workflow support. This template is not legal advice.

Related vendor pages

Use these vendor pages to fill in vendor-specific rows before sharing the template with customers or auditors.

Related templates

These templates pair well when the review leads to a customer-facing update, evidence packet, or internal decision.

Turn this template into a review packet.

Select your vendors, customer commitments, and data categories. AI Vendor Packet turns official-source checks into a review packet your team can keep as evidence.