BlackLine Controls & Certifications
by BlackLine · SOX & Internal Controls
BlackLine module for SOX controls testing, attestation, audits and certifications.
Updated August 2026 · By the ERP Research Editorial Team · Independent and vendor-neutral.
- Works with
SAP
Oracle
NetSuite
Workday
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance
Sage Intacct- Deployment
- Cloud
- Company size
- Mid-market, Enterprise
- Pricing
- Quote-based
- Founded
- 2001
- Headquarters
- Los Angeles, United States
Overview
BlackLine markets this offering as "Compliance" within its Financial Close Management platform; its legacy product URL (blackline.com/products/controls-and-certifications) still resolves, reflecting the module's earlier "Controls & Certifications" branding. It is a cloud-based control-management and SOX-compliance tool aimed at Accounting, Finance, Compliance and Internal Audit teams who need to run control testing, attestation and certification workflows alongside the rest of BlackLine's close process.
The module centralises a control library (control matrix) with fields such as process/cycle, sub-process, frequency, key/non-key designation, and manual-vs-automatic control type, and supports SOX 302 and 404 compliance, operational and IT audits, and self-assessments (CSAs) for processes like Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Fixed Assets and ITGC. Each control record carries assertions/COSO mapping, external-auditor information, testing and attribute-testing tabs, and links out to associated risks, reconciliations, variance analysis, tasks and issues.
Because it sits inside the BlackLine platform rather than as a standalone GRC product, controls, audit programs (tracked on a Gantt-style timeline with progress, issue and PBC-request counts) and certifications share the same data model as BlackLine's account reconciliations, transaction matching and task management modules. BlackLine describes itself as the only SAP Solution Extension partner in its category, holding a premium SAP qualification and SAP Clean Core certification, and connects to other ERPs including Oracle, NetSuite, Workday, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Sage Intacct.
Screenshots & demo
Screenshots sourced from BlackLine.
Features & capabilities
Control Library & Testing
A centralised control matrix with testing and evidence workflows.
- Control matrix with ID, process/cycle, sub-process, frequency and key/non-key fields
- Manual and automatic control-type classification
- Preventive/detective control classification
- Control testing and attribute testing tabs on each control record
- Assertions and COSO framework mapping per control
- External auditor information tracking on the control record
- Version control on control definitions
SOX & Audit Program Management
Program-level scheduling and tracking of SOX and audit work.
- SOX 302 and 404 compliance program support
- Operational and IT audit support
- Self-assessments (CSAs) by process, e.g. Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Fixed Assets, ITGC
- Gantt-style program timeline with progress, control and issue counts
- PBC (prepared-by-client) request tracking
- Roll-forward testing
Documentation & Risk Management
Centralised evidence and risk linkage across controls.
- Centralised documentation and audit evidence repository in the cloud
- Real-time reporting on risks, audits and remediation activities
- Drill-down into specific controls, procedures and assignments
- Associated-risk linking on each control
- Reconciliations and variance linked directly from a control record
- Conclusion and conclusion-note capture per control
Collaboration & Workflow
Role-based, self-service workflow across stakeholders.
- Self-service access for control owners and reviewers
- Role-based permissions
- Configurable workflows
- Embedded segregation of duties
- Task and issue tracking tied to controls
- Comment threads on controls and tasks
Platform & Connectivity
Shared data model and connectivity with the wider BlackLine platform.
- Shared platform with Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Journal Entry and Task Management
- SAP Solution Extension partner status with a premium SAP qualification and Clean Core certification
- Connectors for Oracle, NetSuite, Workday, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Sage Intacct
- Connectors for CRMs such as Salesforce
- Verity AI intelligence layer applied across compliance workflows
Common use cases
- Running SOX 302 and 404 compliance programs with centralised control testing and attestation
- Managing operational and IT audits alongside financial-close controls
- Running semi-annual or quarterly control self-assessments (CSAs) across Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Fixed Assets and ITGC
- Tracking PBC (prepared-by-client) requests during external audit cycles
- Automatically capturing and retaining audit evidence and certifications for auditor review
- Connecting controls to associated risks, reconciliations and remediation issues for root-cause visibility
- Centralising SOX documentation across multiple entities and ERPs on one platform
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Only SAP Solution Extension partner in its category, per BlackLine, having passed SAP's premium qualification process and holding SAP Clean Core certification
- Controls, audit programs and certifications share the same platform and data model as BlackLine's account reconciliation, transaction matching and task management modules rather than living in a separate GRC tool
- Audit evidence such as sign-offs and certifications is captured and retained automatically in the cloud, with self-service auditor access to audit trails
- Verity AI intelligence layer applied across compliance workflows for agentic automation and predictive intelligence
ERP integrations
BlackLine states it is the only SAP Solution Extension partner in its category
Pricing
BlackLine does not publish self-serve pricing; Compliance/Controls & Certifications is sold as a module of the BlackLine platform and quoted based on entities, users and modules selected, via a scheduled demo. Get an independent shortlist with pricing guidance below.
Technical & security
- Hosting
- SaaS, hosted in third-party data centers with disaster-recovery replication
- Compliance
- SOC 1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701
About the vendor
- Founded
- 2001
- Headquarters
- Los Angeles, United States
- Ownership
- Public (Nasdaq: BL)
- Notable customers
- UGI Utilities
Alternatives to BlackLine Controls & Certifications in SOX & Internal Controls
BlackLine Controls & Certifications — frequently asked questions
What is BlackLine Controls & Certifications (Compliance)?
It is an integrated, cloud-based module of the BlackLine platform, marketed today as "Compliance," that delivers streamlined risk identification, management and global control execution for stakeholders across Accounting, Finance, Compliance and Internal Audit.
What SOX and audit use cases does it support?
It supports a broad range of use cases including SOX 302 and 404 compliance, operational and IT audits, and self-assessments. Users can execute control testing, analyze supporting documentation, and identify issues from a central control center, connecting controls to associated risks, narratives and projects while maintaining version control.
Does BlackLine integrate with CRMs and other software?
Yes. BlackLine provides connectors that integrate with legacy and newer ERPs, AP applications, and CRMs such as Salesforce, to support end-to-end process automation.
How long does onboarding take?
BlackLine states that onboarding typically takes two to four months, based on its experience onboarding thousands of customers, though the exact timeline is tailored to each organization's needs.
What is Verity AI in the context of Compliance?
Verity AI is BlackLine's unifying intelligence control layer woven throughout the platform, including Compliance, providing agentic automation, predictive intelligence and automated content generation across connected workflows.
Evaluating SOX & Internal Controls?
Tell us your ERP and requirements and we'll send an independent shortlist — including BlackLine Controls & Certifications and the best-fit alternatives — with honest pros and cons.