How to remind someone to sign a document
Most unsigned documents aren't refused; they're forgotten. The email slid down the inbox, or the person meant to read it properly later. A good reminder routine does the chasing for you and saves the personal nudge for when it counts. Here's how to set one up in SignMaster, and what to say when you have to step in yourself.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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Set reminders before you send
Each send is an envelope: one or more documents going to one or more signers. On the Message & settings step of a new envelope, two settings do most of the work:
- Reminders: choose Daily, Every 3 days or Weekly. SignMaster emails anyone who hasn't signed yet once it's their turn, so a second signer isn't nagged while they're still waiting on the first.
- Sign by: an optional soft deadline. As it gets close, reminders change to Due tomorrow, Due today and then Overdue, and the signing page shows how many days are left. The link keeps working after the date.
Every 3 days with a sign-by date a week or two out suits most contracts. Daily suits time-critical paperwork, like a permit form due tomorrow. Reminders and resends never count as extra envelopes on any plan.
Nudge one person now
- 1
Open the envelope
Find it on the Envelopes page; Waiting on others lists everything still out.
- 2
Find the signer
Their line says Waiting to sign. The activity below shows whether they've opened it yet.
- 3
Click Remind
SignMaster emails them a fresh signing link. Links you sent before keep working, so it doesn't matter which email they open.
Check the activity before you remind. Email to … bounced means the address is wrong: use Correct to fix it, and they get a new link. A delivery failure shows Resend request on their line. If it says Opened by and nothing since, they've seen it and are hesitating, which is a reason to call rather than email.
Change the reminders after sending
Click Correct on the envelope, open Message & settings, and change the reminder schedule or the sign-by date, then send the corrections. Signing is paused while a correction is open, so make the change and send it in one go.
When an email reminder isn't enough
- Text them the link. Click Copy link on their line and send it from your phone with a line of context. People open texts.
- Call. Hesitation usually means a question. Ask what's holding it up; if they want something changed, they can choose Request changes on the signing page and tell you exactly what.
- Offer to do it together. On a video call, or in person with Sign in person, a five-minute walk-through ends weeks of waiting.
- Hand it to someone else. If the signer has left or is away, Replace signer gives their turn to another person, with a reason that's kept on the record.
A reminder that works
Short, specific and about them: "Hi Sam, just checking the install agreement reached you. Signing it holds your April 14 date; it takes about two minutes on your phone. Any questions, call me on 555-0142."
Have dozens out at once? Ask Alana which envelopes are overdue and why a signer hasn't finished; she can suggest reminding the slow ones, and each suggestion waits for your OK.
Questions? Answers.
How often should I send signing reminders?
Every three days works for most contracts, with a sign-by date to sharpen the last few. Daily is fine for urgent paperwork. Weekly suits long, low-priority documents.
Do automatic reminders go to people who already signed?
No. They go only to signers who haven't signed yet and whose turn it is. Copy recipients never get reminders.
What happens after the sign-by date passes?
The link keeps working and reminders switch to overdue. If you want the link to stop working at some point, set an expiry when you send.
Does a reminder send a new link?
Yes, each reminder carries a fresh link, and the older ones keep working, so the signer can use whichever email they find first.