How to fix a mistake after you've sent a contract
You hit send, then spot it: a misspelled email, a missing initials box, the wrong person in the second slot. Most of these can be fixed without starting over and without bothering the people who've already signed. A mistake inside the document itself is different. Here's how to tell which is which, and how to fix each in SignMaster.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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What can be fixed in place
| Mistake | Fix | Who notices |
|---|---|---|
| Misspelled email or name | Correct the recipient | They get a new link; the old one stops |
| Wrong person in a slot | Replace signer, or correct the recipients | The new person gets a link; the old one stops working |
| Missing or misplaced field | Correct the fields of anyone who hasn't signed | That signer gets a new link |
| Wrong order, or someone missing | Correct: add, remove or reorder anyone who hasn't signed | Removed people are told they don't need to sign |
| Note, sign-by date or reminders | Correct the message and settings | People whose note changed get a new link |
| Typo in the PDF itself, or the wrong file | Void, then Duplicate as draft | Everyone; it's a new envelope |
Two things are fixed once the envelope is sent: the documents themselves, and when the links expire. Anything a person already signed is locked too, which is what keeps their signature meaningful.
Correct an envelope
Each send is an envelope: one or more documents going to one or more signers. Correcting changes the parts of it nobody has signed yet.
- 1
Click Correct
Open the envelope and click Correct. Signing pauses while you work; anyone who opens their link sees that you're updating the envelope.
- 2
Fix the recipients
Under Who still needs to sign, fix a name or email, add someone, remove someone, or change who signs when. People who already signed are listed separately and stay as they are.
- 3
Fix the fields
Add, move or delete fields for anyone who hasn't signed. Fields someone already signed are locked.
- 4
Adjust the message and settings
Change the note, the sign-by date or the reminders, or a signer's private note or access code.
- 5
Review and send the corrections
Review & send corrections lists exactly what changes. Click Send corrections: anyone whose part changed gets a new link by email, removed people get a short email, and everyone else's link keeps working.
Changed your mind halfway? Discard the correction and the signing links work again as they were. A correction you sent is listed on the activity timeline and on the certificate of completion, so the record shows what changed after sending and when.
Swap a signer without correcting
When the right person is simply someone else, say the office manager is out and a colleague should sign, click Replace signer on that person's line. Enter the new name and email and a reason, plus an optional private note. The new person takes over every field, the original's link stops working, and the swap is kept on the certificate.
When the document itself is wrong
- 1
Void the envelope
Click Void, and give a reason the signers will see, like Corrected price on page 2; new copy coming.
- 2
Duplicate as draft
On the voided envelope, click Duplicate as draft to copy the files, signers, fields and message.
- 3
Swap in the right file
Remove the wrong PDF from the draft, add the corrected one, and check every field still sits where it should.
- 4
Send it again
Tell the signers in the note that this copy replaces the earlier one.
If everyone has already signed
A completed contract can't be corrected or voided. Fix it the way paper contracts are fixed: write an amendment or an addendum that names the original, says what changes, and is signed by the same parties. Send it as its own envelope and file it with the original.
Questions? Answers.
Can I edit a contract after sending it for signature?
You can change the signers, their fields, the message and the dates for anyone who hasn't signed. The document file can't change; void it and send a corrected copy instead.
Will signers who already signed have to sign again?
Not after a correction. What they signed stays exactly as it is. They'd only sign again if you void the envelope and send a new one.
What happens to the old signing link after a correction?
For anyone whose name, email, fields, note or code changed, the old link stops working and a new one arrives by email. Everyone else's link keeps working.
Is a correction recorded anywhere?
Yes. Each correction is on the envelope's activity timeline and on the certificate of completion, along with any signer who was replaced.