Get the contract signed before you start the work

The paperwork in a freelance project

• NDA. Before a client shares the details. Keep a standard one ready, or see how to sign an NDA online.
• Contract or proposal acceptance. Scope, price, payment terms, deadlines, who owns the work and what happens if the project is cancelled.
• Statement of work. One per project under a master agreement, so the big contract only gets signed once.
• Change requests. New scope, new price, signed before you start the extra work, not after the invoice is disputed.
• W-9. US clients who need to report what they pay you will ask for one. Here's how to sign a W-9 online.
• Invoice approval. Some clients want an invoice approved in writing. An approve field records it, and there's a guide to signing an invoice online.

From yes to signed

1. 1

   Start from your PDF or a template

   Upload the contract you already use, or save it once as a template with your standard terms. Fillable PDF fields come in with the file.

2. 2

   Let Alana do the filling

   Alana, the AI assistant, fills in the client's name, company and price, and places signature fields next to the signature lines. You check it before anything goes out.

3. 3

   Send it, then countersign

   Your client gets an email with a link and signs on any phone or computer. Add yourself as the second signer to countersign right after them.

4. 4

   Let reminders do the nudging

   Set a sign-by date and automatic reminders follow up, so you don't have to write the awkward email. The envelope's activity shows when the client opened it.

That envelope is SignMaster's word for one send: one or more documents going to one or more signers. A contract and its statement of work can go out together in one.

When the last person signs, you both get the sealed PDF with a certificate of completion showing who signed and when. Need to change something before they sign? Correct the signers or fields after sending, or void it and send a fresh one.

Put your NDA on a link

Turn a standard NDA or intake form into a public signing link or QR code. Put it on your website or in your email signature. Each person who signs gets their own envelope, you can ask for a one-time email code first, and every response shows up in one list. Each response counts toward your plan's envelopes.

Clients in other countries

Clients can read the signing page, emails and e-signature consent in 6 languages, including Spanish, French and Portuguese. E-signature laws outside the US differ, so check the rules for a client abroad before you rely on an e-signed contract there.

What it costs a freelancer

Free covers 3 envelopes a month and 3 templates for one person, which is enough if you sign a couple of new clients a month. Solo is $15 a month, or $150 a year, with unlimited envelopes and templates. It's built for one person, and you can add a collaborator for $8 a month. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free, no card.

What SignMaster doesn't do

• It doesn't send invoices or take payments. Use your invoicing tool, and send its PDF if a client wants it signed.
• It doesn't build proposals with pricing tables. Bring the PDF from the tool you design them in.
• It doesn't come with contract templates or legal advice. Your terms are yours; have a lawyer write them once.
• It sends by email, not text. You can copy the signing link and send it however you like.