Clarra Vault – Clarra

Clarra Vault is Clarra's built-in secure file storage, available on its own or alongside a third-party Document Management System (DMS). With Clarra Vault, every file uploaded to Clarra is stored safely within Clarra itself. Everyone on your team can preview and download documents right where they work, whether or not they use your firm's DMS. Your files stay accessible at all times, even if your DMS is temporarily unavailable.

What Clarra Vault Does for You

Everyone can access documents. Team members who don't use your DMS can still preview and download files in Clarra, as long as they have access to the matter.
A secure copy of your files, always in Clarra. When Clarra Vault is enabled alongside a DMS, every file uploaded to Clarra is saved in both places automatically.
No interruptions. If your DMS is ever unavailable, your files remain accessible in Clarra.
Easy transitions. If your firm ever switches from one DMS to another, your files stay safe and accessible in Clarra throughout the change.

How Clarra Vault Works

Clarra Vault is the default storage location for all files uploaded to Clarra. It can be used independently or alongside a DMS as a secondary backup and a way to provide access for users without DMS permissions.

If Your Firm Doesn't Use a DMS

Clarra Vault is where your files live. For new Clarra accounts, Clarra Vault is enabled by default, and all files you upload to Clarra are stored there securely. There's nothing to set up and nothing changes about how you upload, preview, or download files.

If Your Firm Uses a DMS

When your Admin sets up a DMS integration (such as iManage, NetDocuments, SharePoint, Google Drive, or OneDrive), Clarra will ask whether you'd like to keep Clarra Vault enabled as well.

Keep Clarra Vault enabled: every file uploaded to Clarra is saved to both your DMS and Clarra Vault. Users who work from the DMS continue to work exactly as they do today, and users without DMS access can still preview and download files from Clarra Vault.
Turn Clarra Vault off: files are stored only in your DMS, just as they are today.

Either way, you can change your mind later — Clarra Vault can be turned on at any time from Account Settings (see below).

The Clarra Vault Icon

When both a DMS and Clarra Vault are enabled for your firm, you'll notice a new Clarra Vault icon — a teal shield with a checkmark — next to your file attachments, alongside the icons you already see today.

If you're connected to the DMS: you'll see both the DMS icon and the Clarra Vault icon. Clicking the Vault icon opens a menu where you can Preview or Download the file from Clarra Vault.
If you're not connected to the DMS: you'll see the Clarra Vault icon with separate Preview and Download buttons right next to it, so you can open your files with a single click.

If your firm doesn't use a DMS, you won't see any storage icons — everything simply works as it always has.

Turning Clarra Vault On or Off

Clarra Vault is managed by your Admin from a dedicated tile in Account Settings > Integrations > Document Management, shown above the DMS options.

Click on your Profile icon and select Account Settings.
Open the Integrations tab and scroll to the Document Management section.
On the Clarra Vault tile, choose Enable (or Disable).

If you enable Clarra Vault while already using a DMS, Clarra will bring copies of your existing files into Clarra Vault in the background. This sync may take a while for larger file collections — you'll see a notification when it starts and another when it's complete. New uploads are saved to both your DMS and Clarra Vault right away.

Disconnecting a DMS

If Clarra Vault is enabled, disconnecting your DMS is worry-free: all of your files remain saved and accessible in Clarra Vault, and files uploaded going forward are stored there as well.

If Clarra Vault is not enabled, Clarra will ask whether you'd like to copy your existing files into Clarra Vault before disconnecting. We recommend saying yes — files that are not copied will remain in your DMS but will no longer be accessible from within Clarra. Only files uploaded after the disconnect would be available in Clarra.

Good to Know

Your permissions don't change. Clarra Vault doesn't affect who can see what. Access to files is always governed by matter permissions and user roles — if someone doesn't have access to a matter, they can't access its files, no matter where those files are stored.
All files are included. When Clarra Vault is enabled, every file uploaded to Clarra — across all sections and from all sources — is stored in Clarra Vault automatically.
Files edited directly in your DMS. Clarra Vault keeps the copy of the file as it was uploaded to Clarra. Changes made to a file directly within your DMS are not reflected in the Clarra Vault copy.
Deleting files. Deleting a file in Clarra removes it from Clarra Vault; the copy in your DMS is not affected.
Closed matters. Files for closed matters remain safely stored in Clarra Vault.
Pricing. Clarra Vault is included as the default storage for firms without a DMS. When used alongside a DMS, Clarra Vault is a paid feature based on the amount of storage used. Contact your Clarra representative for details.

Need Help?

If you have questions about Clarra Vault or need assistance getting set up, reach out to our support team at support@clarra.com — we're happy to help.