Documented information
Carried over from ISO 9001:2015
Checked — the 'keep what you need' philosophy carries straight over. Vocabulary shift across the whole edition: 'shall be available as documented information' (documents) and 'documented information shall be available as evidence of' (records) replace 2015's maintain/retain pairing — Annex A.2 explains the two phrasings.
Checked against the published text on 27 September 2026.
Plain-language summary
Keep the documents the standard and your own processes need — created properly, identified, current, available where the work happens, protected, and with records that cannot quietly change.
What the clause is really asking
Three parts: maintain what the standard requires plus what YOUR system needs (no minimum binder count); create and update with identification, format and review/approval; control so documents are available and suitable where needed, protected from loss and unintended alteration, with external documents identified and obsolete versions dealt with. Records — documented information kept as evidence, in the 2026 wording — get protection and retention rules.
What auditors look for
Auditors test at the point of use: the instruction at the machine against the master — same revision? Obsolete forms still circulating? Who approved this procedure and when last reviewed? For records: legible, retrievable, retention defined, protected from amendment.
Typical evidence
Master document register; controlled copies at workstations; approval/revision records; external document register; records retention schedule; backup arrangements.
How to comply — recommendations
Go digital-first even simply: master PDFs in one controlled folder, printed copies stamped or dated as uncontrolled. One register, one owner, a yearly purge walk for zombie documents on notice boards and toolboxes.
Common nonconformities
Old revisions at workstations; forms photocopied for years outside control; no retention schedule; shared-drive chaos where anyone can edit the 'master'.
Related clauses
IATF 16949: extended by 7.5.1.1, 7.5.3.2.1, 7.5.3.2.2; ISO 14001/45001 7.5
In the book
Chapter 7 — Support — People, Kit and the Truth About Documents treats this clause family in full: what it is really asking, what auditors look for, the evidence that satisfies, how to make it work on a real floor, and where companies stumble.
Resources for this clause
- ArticleDocument control for ISO 9001: numbering, versions and approvals
- ArticleThe ISO 9001 document numbering system, explained (with examples)
- ArticleSharePoint vs Notion vs a dedicated QMS: where should your documents live?
- Free downloadMaster Document RegisterThe register at the centre of document control: every controlled document with its number, owner, current revision, status and next review date.
- Toolkit · $99ISO 9001 Documentation ToolkitStop writing your QMS from a blank page: a fully-written quality manual, ten complete procedures and the working forms, logs and registers behind them — one numbering scheme, already cross-referenced, ready to adapt.
- Free demoDocument-control demoA live register, revisions, approvals and an audit pack — no sign-up.
- Course modulePractitioner course — Documented InformationClause 7.5
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Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of the relevant standard for the authoritative text.