A business sent you a guest link
A business sent you a guest link
A realtor, mortgage broker, lawyer, immigration consultant, clinic, or property manager can send you a guest link to collect the documents they need from you. The link looks like my-id.ca/g/….
You do not need an account to use it.
What to do
- Open the link from the email they sent you.
- Enter the code. A six-digit code is emailed to the same address. It is valid for a short window, so open the email when you are ready to upload.
- Upload what is on the list. The page shows exactly the items the business asked for — ID, proof of income, a signed form, whatever their checklist says. Each item has its own upload control.
That is the whole process. There is no password to create, no app to install, and nothing to pay.
Uploading from a phone
Most people do this on a phone, and that is fine. Open the link in your phone's browser and photograph the document. A few things that make the difference between an upload that is accepted and one you have to redo:
- Get all four corners of the document in the frame.
- Shoot on a flat, contrasting surface in even light — avoid shadow across the text.
- For multi-page documents, upload every page. A missing page 2 is the most common reason a business asks again.
What the business can and cannot see
- They see the files you upload against the items they asked for.
- They can see whether each item is still outstanding, so they know what is left.
- They cannot see other documents, other businesses' requests, or anything else associated with your email address.
A guest link is scoped to one business and one request. That is the point of it.
Why the link expires
Guest links have an expiry date — often around two weeks — and the business can revoke one at any time. That is deliberate: a link that lives forever in an inbox is a link that can be found later by someone else.
If yours has expired, ask the business to resend it. Anything you already uploaded stays with them.
Should you create a my-id.ca account?
You do not have to. But there is a reason people do after their first guest upload: the documents you just gathered — ID, proof of income, references — are the same ones the next business will ask for.
A free my-id.ca account keeps them in one place so the next request is a few taps instead of another evening of scanning. It also fills forms and PDFs from what you have already saved.
If you sign up with the same email address the business used, the documents you sent through the guest link are already yours — there is nothing to move.
If something looks wrong
If you were not expecting a request, or the list asks for something that seems unrelated to your business with them, contact the business directly using a phone number or address you already have — not one from the email. Provide only what you are comfortable sharing.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to create an account to use the link?
- No. A guest link works with just your email address and a one-time code. Creating a free my-id.ca account is optional, and you can do it later if you want to keep the documents you sent.
- Why do I have to enter a code?
- The code proves the link reached the right person. Anyone who forwards or finds the link still cannot open it without the code sent to your email address.
- Can the business see my other documents?
- No. They see only the files you upload against the items they asked for. A guest link is scoped to that one business's request and shows nothing else from your email address or any my-id.ca account.
- Can I upload a photo from my phone?
- Yes. Open the link in your phone's browser and photograph the document. There is no app to install.
- The link expired — what now?
- Ask the business to resend it. Guest links expire on purpose, and resending issues a fresh one. The documents you already uploaded stay with the business.