> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hiveku.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send a Contract for E-Signature

> Pick a template, fill variables, route signers, capture signatures, and store the executed PDF

The Contracts module is a built-in DocuSign equivalent — send legally binding contracts for electronic signature without leaving Hiveku. This guide walks through sending your first contract from template selection to executed PDF storage.

<Info>
  Prerequisites: at least one contract template in your account. If you don't have one, your account admin can upload templates from `/dashboard/commerce/contracts/` (Templates tab) — see [Contracts & E-Signatures](/commerce/contracts) for how to build a template.
</Info>

## What you'll do

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a template">
    MSA, SOW, NDA, or a custom one your team has built.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the variables">
    Client name, scope, fees, dates — whatever the template needs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add signers">
    Who needs to sign, and in what order.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send for signature">
    Each signer gets an email with a signing link.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Track until fully executed">
    Watch progress; final PDF stores against the client record.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 1: Pick the template

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Contracts">
    Navigate to `/dashboard/commerce/contracts/`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click New Contract">
    A template picker appears.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the template that fits">
    For most service businesses, the common templates are:

    * **MSA** — One-time, signed at the start of the relationship
    * **SOW** — Per-engagement, scopes a specific project
    * **NDA** — Often signed before sharing detailed proposals
    * **Custom** — Whatever your team has built
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Fill in variables

The template defines variables (placeholders like `{{client_name}}`, `{{scope}}`, `{{fees}}`). Filling them in is most of the work.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick the client">
    Search by name or company. Variables that map to CRM fields (client name, address, primary contact) auto-fill.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in engagement-specific variables">
    Scope, fees, timeline, deliverables — anything specific to this contract. The form shows each variable with its placeholder name and any default value.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview the rendered PDF">
    Click Preview. Read it as the signer will. Catch:

    * Variables that are still showing as `{{placeholder}}` (you missed one)
    * Numbers that don't match the estimate or proposal
    * Date formats that look wrong
    * Pronouns or names that need adjusting
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  If you see `{{client_name}}` literally in the preview, the variable wasn't filled or the placeholder name is misspelled in the template. Always preview before sending — fixing this after a signer sees it is awkward.
</Warning>

## Step 3: Add signers

<Steps>
  <Step title="Map each role to a real person">
    The template defines roles (e.g., "Client", "Hiveku Rep"). For each role, enter:

    * Name
    * Email
    * Optional: title or company
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add additional signers if needed">
    For larger deals, you might need legal, finance, or executive sign-off beyond the template defaults. Add them as additional signers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose routing order">
    * **Sequential** (default for client-facing contracts) — Signer 1 signs, then Signer 2 gets the email, etc. Forces a specific order.
    * **Parallel** — All signers get the email at once. Faster when order doesn't matter.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  For sales contracts, sequential is standard: client signs first, you countersign. This way you don't pre-commit to terms before they accept.
</Tip>

## Step 4: Send for signature

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set expiry and reminder cadence">
    Default expiry: 30 days. Reminder cadence: 3 days, then weekly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a personal message (optional)">
    A short note that goes in the signer email above the signing link. Improves response rates.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Send">
    Hiveku creates a signature envelope (`crm_signature_envelopes`), generates the PDF with placeholders filled, and emails the first signer (or all signers if parallel).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the send">
    The contract status flips to `sent`. The activity log captures the send timestamp and signer emails.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 5: Track until executed

The contract page at `/dashboard/commerce/contracts/` shows live status:

* **`draft`** — Not yet sent
* **`sent`** — Awaiting signatures
* **`partially_signed`** — Some signers done, others pending
* **`executed`** — All signatures complete
* **`voided`** — Canceled before completion
* **`expired`** — Hit the expiry date without all signatures

Each signer's status is visible:

* **Pending** — Email sent, not yet opened
* **Viewed** — They opened the signing link
* **Signed** — They completed signing

## What signers see

When a signer clicks the link in the email:

1. They land on a signing page with the full contract content
2. They see a consent prompt for electronic signature (legal requirement under ESIGN / UETA in the US)
3. They click through their assigned signature, initial, and date fields
4. They click **Finish & Submit**

For sequential routing, the next signer's email goes out automatically after the previous one completes. For parallel, all signers see the contract simultaneously and can sign in any order.

## Sending reminders

If a signer is sitting on the contract:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the envelope">
    From `/dashboard/commerce/contracts/`, click the contract.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Send Reminder">
    From the actions menu. Sends a fresh email to whoever hasn't signed yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customize the reminder message (optional)">
    Add a short note ("Just bumping this — let me know if you have any questions") before sending.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Auto-reminders also fire on the cadence you set (default: 3 days, then weekly).

## When all signatures complete

Once the last signer submits:

* Status flips to `executed`
* Final PDF is generated with all signatures embedded
* Audit-trail PDF is generated separately (timestamps, IPs, user-agents per signer)
* All parties get a confirmation email with the executed PDF attached
* The contract is stored against the client record (and the deal, if linked)

You can download the executed PDF and the audit-trail PDF anytime from the contract record.

## Voiding a sent contract

If you sent it by mistake or the deal collapsed:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the envelope">
    From `/dashboard/commerce/contracts/`, click the contract.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Void">
    From the actions menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a reason (optional but useful for audit)">
    Free-text reason saved to the activity log.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Status flips to `voided`. Signing links go inactive. Signers see "this contract has been voided."
  </Step>
</Steps>

Voided contracts stay in your records for audit purposes but don't count as active agreements.

## Amending an executed contract

You can't edit an executed contract — it's immutable for audit reasons. Instead:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a new contract (an amendment)">
    Pick the appropriate amendment template, or use a blank one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reference the original">
    Include the original contract's name and execution date in the amendment body. Many templates have a built-in "this amends the \[Original Contract] dated \[Date]" clause.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Route through the same signers">
    Send for signature.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Both records stay in the file">
    The original and the amendment together represent the current agreement.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Verify it worked

After all signatures complete:

* Contract status is `executed`
* Executed PDF is downloadable from the contract record
* Audit-trail PDF is downloadable separately
* All signers received a copy via email
* The contract appears on the client's CRM record

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Signer didn't receive the email">
    Check the envelope's activity log. If the email shows "delivered," it's in their inbox or spam. If it shows "bounced," the email is wrong or doesn't exist. If it shows "send failed," your sending domain isn't verified — see [Email Domains](/email/domains). Use **Send Reminder** to resend.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Signer started signing but didn't finish">
    The envelope shows their progress. Send a reminder from the actions menu, or call them. The signing link stays valid until expiry.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Variable showed as `{{placeholder}}` in the PDF">
    The variable wasn't filled at send time, or the template placeholder is misspelled. Void the envelope, fix the variable in a new send. Always preview the rendered PDF before clicking Send.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Need to change a signer after sending">
    You can't reassign a signer mid-flight without voiding. Void the envelope, edit the signers, send a fresh one. The original audit trail is preserved.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Audit-trail PDF is missing data for one signer">
    Audit data captures at signing time. If you're missing IP/user-agent for a signer, they may have signed from an email-client preview pane that didn't fully load. Re-send and ask them to sign in a browser if the audit trail is critical for the contract.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Contract is fully signed but client says they didn't get the executed PDF">
    Check the activity log for the post-execution email. If it bounced, manually download the executed PDF and email it to them. Update their email on the contact record so future contracts route correctly.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What's next?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Contracts Reference" icon="book" href="/commerce/contracts">
    Full reference for templates, audit, and storage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create and Send an Estimate" icon="file-signature" href="/how-tos/create-estimate">
    Pair contracts with pricing approval.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send Your First Invoice" icon="file-invoice-dollar" href="/how-tos/send-first-invoice">
    Bill the deposit after the contract is signed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Client Portal" icon="user-tie" href="/commerce/client-portal">
    Where clients see their executed contracts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>