The Description of Operations box is free text, and it is where most certificate rejections happen. It names the project, cites the endorsement forms, and identifies who is an additional insured and on what basis. It is also the box people try to use to create coverage, which it cannot do. Who this is for: anyone drafting or reviewing certificate wording.
The short version
- The box is free text and carries no legal force by itself.
- It should name the project and cite endorsement form numbers and edition dates.
- Wording here cannot add coverage the policy does not contain.
- Compliance reviewers reject vague wording, so specificity is what gets a certificate accepted.
- There is a length limit, so extremely long contract quotes will not fit.
What good wording looks like
A reviewer wants to match your certificate to a contract requirement without guessing. Wording that does that reads roughly like:
Re: Project 4471, 118 Harbor Street. The named certificate holder and the owner are included as additional insureds on the general liability policy per form CG 20 10 04 13 and CG 20 37 04 13, and on the auto policy per form CA 20 48. Coverage is primary and non contributory per CG 20 01 04 13. Waiver of subrogation applies per CG 24 04 and WC 00 03 13.
Every element there is checkable against an endorsement. That is the standard to aim for.
What gets a certificate rejected
| Wording | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Additional insured as required by written contract | Does not name the party or the form, so a reviewer cannot verify it |
| All coverages are primary | Overbroad claim with no endorsement cited |
| Includes all endorsements required by the agreement | Says nothing about which endorsements exist |
| Blank box on a contract that requires endorsements | Nothing to match against the requirement |
| Project named incorrectly or omitted | Automated portals match on project identifiers |
What must not go in there
- Coverage the policy does not have. Writing it in the box does not create it.
- Promises about cancellation notice the carrier has not agreed to.
- Contract quotations of several paragraphs. There is a practical length limit and reviewers do not want them.
- Anything that contradicts the policy, because the policy controls and the certificate would simply be wrong.
A practical tip
Send your broker the exact wording the client's compliance team wants, if they have supplied it. Half of all certificate rejections are wording mismatches rather than coverage problems, and the fastest resolution is to give the reviewer the sentence they are looking for, provided the endorsements behind it genuinely exist.
What this looks like in practice
Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.
The setup: A vendor uploads a certificate to a client's compliance portal with the description box reading 'additional insured as required by written contract'.
What went wrong: The portal's reviewer could not match that to the requirement, which named two entities and specified ongoing and completed operations wording.
What it cost: Three rejection cycles over eight days, with the vendor's start date pushed twice.
The fix: Give the broker the client's exact required wording up front, and cite the entities and form numbers explicitly.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What goes in the Description of Operations box?
The project or engagement, which parties are additional insureds and under which endorsement forms, and whether primary and non contributory wording and waivers of subrogation apply.
Q: Does wording in that box create coverage?
No. It is free text on a document that states it does not amend the policy. If the endorsement does not exist, the wording is simply inaccurate.
Q: Why does my client keep rejecting the wording?
Usually because it is too vague to verify. Naming the specific parties, form numbers, and edition dates resolves most rejections.
Q: Can I quote my whole insurance clause in the box?
No, and it would not help. There is a practical length limit, and reviewers want the endorsement citations rather than a copy of their own contract.
Q: Should form edition dates be included?
Yes where the contract specifies them. Different editions of the same form differ in scope, and a reviewer checking closely will look for the date.
Q: Who writes the wording, me or my broker?
Your broker writes it, but send them the client's required language if you have it. They will confirm the policy supports it before it goes on the certificate.
How Morrow helps with certificates of insurance
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that specializes in certificates of insurance and the endorsements behind them. Writing description wording that compliance reviewers accept the first time is the kind of thing we handle every day, for clients across construction, trades, professional services, trucking, real estate, and hospitality, so we know what a compliance reviewer will reject before you send it.
- We issue certificates the same day you ask, and usually within the hour.
- We read the contract first, so the endorsements the certificate reports actually exist on your policy.
- We push back on requirements the market will not issue, and give you language your client will accept.
- We keep a record of who was issued what, so renewals go out before anyone chases you.
Get in touch and we will see how we can help. Send us the contract or the certificate request and we will tell you what your current policy can support and what needs to change. Start at morrowinsure.com or reach the team through the contact options on that page.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Certificates report what a policy says, and the policy wording controls in every case. Forms and requirements vary by carrier, by state, and by contract, so have a licensed advisor review your own policy and your own contract before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated August 2026.