Identify the source and the people involved

Record the platform, account information, relevant participants, and connection to the transaction. Display names can change and may not identify a legal entity. Preserve available evidence linking an account to the person or business involved. Explain what you know firsthand and what remains an assumption, especially when a colleague or intermediary forwarded the material to you.

Keep the complete relevant sequence

Save the surrounding conversation, attachments, dates, and related transaction records where you can lawfully do so. Retain the original device or account access when practical, and ask counsel about appropriate preservation methods. Avoid relying only on cropped images or a typed transcript. A summary can help navigate the record, but it should remain clearly separate from the original evidence.

Document handling without changing the material

Note when and how copies were made and where originals remain. Keep original file names and metadata where possible, with working copies for annotation or translation. Do not delete unfavorable messages, fabricate missing content, or edit an image to make it appear complete. If a file has already been converted or modified, disclose that history instead of presenting the derivative as untouched.

Respect lawful access and confidentiality

Preserving evidence does not authorize entry into someone else’s account or indiscriminate collection of personal and confidential data. Limit collection and sharing to appropriate material and obtain advice where access rights are unclear. Some records may need to be requested through a formal process. If a source may disappear, identify it promptly for counsel rather than attempting unauthorized retrieval.

Ask what the procedure requires

The Supreme People’s Court’s civil-evidence rules recognize electronic data, including relevant messaging and transaction records. Recognition as a category does not settle authenticity, relevance, or weight in a particular case. Ask whether additional verification, preservation, a translation, or another procedural step is needed. Keep the evidentiary question connected to the fact you are trying to establish, not simply the volume of files collected.

From reading to preparation

Your preparation notes

  • Identify the account, participants, and transaction context.
  • Preserve complete relevant conversations and original attachments.
  • Record copying, conversion, and translation steps transparently.
  • Ask counsel about lawful collection and procedural requirements.

Reference point: Supreme People’s Court, Several Provisions on Evidence in Civil Proceedings, as amended in 2019. General preservation guidance reviewed September 30, 2026.