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Sending for Signature

This guide covers the operational side of a document after the draft is ready: sending, tracking, reminders, resends, voiding, and completion.

For the exact API endpoints that mirror these actions, use the API Reference.

Before you send

Papyrus validates that:

  • The document has at least one signer
  • Every signer has a name and email address
  • Every CC recipient has an email address
  • Every field is assigned to a signer

If any of those checks fail, Papyrus tells you what needs to be fixed before the document can move forward.

What happens when you send

When you click Send Document:

  1. Papyrus generates signer-specific access links
  2. The document moves from Draft to Sent
  3. Signer recipients are notified by email
  4. Reminder schedules begin if reminders are enabled

CC recipients do not receive signing links. They are notified when the document is completed.

Parallel vs sequential sending

  • Parallel sends invitations to all signers at once
  • Sequential invites only the active signer, then continues one signer at a time

Sequential signing is useful when approval must happen in order.

What the signer experiences

Recipients do not need a Papyrus account to sign.

They receive a link, open the document, complete the fields assigned to them, and submit their signature. Papyrus keeps each signer focused on only their own fields.

Track progress

From the document detail page you can monitor:

  • Overall document status
  • Each recipient's status
  • Signature timestamps
  • Reminder history

Recipient statuses

Status Meaning
Pending Waiting for their turn in a sequential flow
Sent Invitation delivered and signing is available
Signed Recipient completed their part
Declined Recipient explicitly declined to sign

Resend when a signer cannot find the email or the link has expired.

From the UI:

  1. Open the document detail page
  2. Find the signer
  3. Click Resend

Papyrus generates a fresh link and sends a new email.

Note: Resend applies to signer recipients only. CC recipients do not have signing links.

Send a manual reminder

Manual reminders are separate from the automatic reminder schedule.

Use them when:

  • A signer says they missed the original email
  • You want to nudge someone before the next automatic reminder
  • A deadline is approaching and you need faster follow-up

Manual reminders still respect the document's effective reminder settings. If reminders are disabled for the document or the recipient already reached the maximum reminder count, Papyrus will not send another reminder.

Configure automatic reminders

Papyrus can remind signers automatically while a document is still waiting on them.

Team defaults

Team owners and administrators can set defaults in Settings > Team.

Common reminder controls include:

  • Whether reminders are enabled
  • How long to wait before the first reminder
  • Reminder frequency
  • Maximum reminder count per recipient
  • Whether weekends should be skipped

Per-document overrides

When you send a document, you can override those defaults in the send dialog without changing your team's global settings.

Sequential signing behavior

In sequential flows, only the active signer receives reminders. Waiting signers do not start receiving reminders until it is their turn.

Void a sent document

Void a document when it should no longer be signable.

Once voided:

  • Outstanding signing links stop working
  • Pending reminders are canceled
  • Recipients who have not signed can no longer access the document
  • The document status changes to Voided

If you need the same content signed again, create a new document rather than trying to reopen the old one.

Completion and download

When all required signers finish:

  1. The document becomes Completed
  2. Papyrus finalizes the PDF
  3. Eligible recipients receive the completed copy

You can then download the finalized file from the document page.

Custom email messages

You can customize the invite subject and message when sending a document.

Useful template variables include:

Variable Meaning
{{recipient_name}} Recipient's name
{{recipient_email}} Recipient's email
{{recipient_role}} Recipient role label
{{sender_name}} Sender's name
{{document_name}} Document name
{{company_name}} Team or company name

That lets you personalize invites without hardcoding copy for every signer.

Automating the same lifecycle

Most backend integrations eventually need to:

  • Create and send a document from a template
  • Resend a signer invitation
  • Void a document
  • Download the finalized PDF

Those actions are all available via the API Reference. Pair them with Webhooks when you need your backend to react to sent, signed, completed, or voided events.

Where to go next

Last updated: April 11, 2026