How to sign a PandaDoc document

Sign it in six steps

1. 1

   Open the document

   Click Open the document in the PandaDoc email. Senders can also share the link by text or a messaging app; that link works the same way. Nothing in your inbox? Check spam and promotions.

2. 2

   Pass the check, if there is one

   Some senders protect documents with a passcode or a code sent by text message. Enter it to see the document. If a passcode was never shared with you, ask the sender for it.

3. 3

   Click Start

   Start at the top of the page jumps to the first field assigned to you. Required fields are red and optional ones are grey. Once you start typing in a required field, a Next button appears and takes you to the next required one, skipping the optional fields.

4. 4

   Sign

   Click each signature box assigned to you and create your signature in the box that opens. If the document has no signature box for you, you've probably been copied for information only.

5. 5

   Click Finish

   Click Finish at the top. The document moves to Completed, or to the next person if others still have to sign.

6. 6

   Download your copy

   Click Download in the top right corner to save a PDF. Keep it with your records; it's your proof of what you agreed to.

Read the pricing table twice

PandaDoc quotes often let you pick optional items or change quantities, and the total updates as you go. Before you finish, check the total against what you discussed, the payment schedule, the start date and any line about automatic renewal. Have a question? Leave a comment in the panel on the right; the sender gets an email. Asking before you sign is easier than unwinding a signed contract.

Other actions: forward or decline

• Forward: if someone else should sign, click Other actions, then Forward, and enter their email. Forwarding the email itself doesn't pass on the right to sign. No Forward option means the sender hasn't turned it on.
• Decline: click Other actions, then Decline, give a reason and add a comment if you like. The document moves to Declined, and nobody on it can open it any longer.
• Spam: only pick Spam as the reason if it really is. PandaDoc then declines it and stops that sender's organization from emailing you again.

If the document asks for payment

Some PandaDoc documents collect a deposit or a full payment once everyone has signed. You'll see a Pay button at the top of the document, with the methods the sender switched on, such as a card, PayPal or a bank transfer. When the payment goes through, the document's status changes to Paid. If you weren't expecting to pay online, or the amount differs from the quote, contact the sender before you enter any card details.

When the page won't load

Work networks sometimes block parts of the signing page. PandaDoc's help lists the domains to add to your trusted sites, starting with app.pandadoc.com and pandadoc-static.com. If you can't change that yourself, open the link on your phone instead.

If you send documents yourself

PandaDoc is built around sales documents with pricing tables and payments. If what you need is simpler, like a customer signing your contract or change order on their phone or yours, SignMaster does that with no account for your signers, and the Free plan sends 3 envelopes a month. One honest difference: SignMaster doesn't take payments, so if you want the deposit paid inside the document, PandaDoc can and SignMaster can't. SignMaster vs PandaDoc goes through the rest.