5 Mistakes to Avoid When Sending Contracts for Signature

# 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Sending Contracts for Signature

Sending a contract for signature should be straightforward, but small oversights can lead to big problems — delayed deals, unenforceable agreements, frustrated clients, and wasted time. Whether you're sending your first contract or your five-hundredth, these five common mistakes trip up businesses of all sizes.

Here's what to watch for and how to get it right every time.

Mistake #1: Missing or Incomplete Signature Fields

The Problem

You send out a beautifully drafted contract, the signer opens it, and... they can't figure out where to sign. Or worse, the document has signature fields for one party but not the other. Maybe the date field is missing entirely, or the initials line on page three was forgotten.

Incomplete signature fields are the number one cause of signing delays. Signers get confused, send emails asking for clarification, and the whole process grinds to a halt.

The Fix

Before sending any contract, do a complete field audit:

• Signature fields for every party that needs to sign
• Date fields next to each signature
• Initials fields on every page (if required by your process)
• Text fields for any information the signer needs to fill in (address, title, company name)
• Checkbox fields for acknowledgments or selections

With SignQuick, you can place fields visually on the document using a drag-and-drop editor. Each field is assigned to a specific signer, so there's no confusion about who fills in what. The platform also highlights any empty required fields before the signer can complete the document.

Pro tip: Create templates for contracts you send regularly. Set up the fields once, and they're ready every time you need to send a new contract.

Mistake #2: Sending to the Wrong Signers (or Missing a Signer)

This mistake is more common than you'd think, and it can invalidate an entire agreement.

The Problem

You send a vendor contract to the sales rep you've been working with, but they don't have signing authority — only the VP of Operations can bind the company. Or you draft a partnership agreement that needs three partners' signatures but only send it to two.

A contract signed by someone without authority isn't enforceable. And a contract missing a required party's signature is incomplete.

The Fix

• Verify signing authority before sending. Ask: "Are you authorized to sign contracts on behalf of [Company]?" This simple question prevents weeks of back-and-forth.

• List all required signers during document preparation. Think about:
• All parties to the agreement
• Witnesses (if required)
• Guarantors (if applicable)
• Co-signers

• Set a signing order if it matters. Some contracts require the service provider to sign first; others need the client's signature before the vendor countersigns. SignQuick lets you define signing order so each signer receives the document only after the previous signer has completed their portion.

• Double-check email addresses. A typo in an email address means the contract goes nowhere — or worse, to the wrong person. Verify every email before sending.

Mistake #3: No Expiration Date on the Signing Request

The Problem

You send a contract and... silence. Days pass. Weeks pass. The signer forgot about it, the terms are no longer valid, but the signing request is still sitting in their inbox. Meanwhile, you don't know if they're reviewing it, ignoring it, or never received it.

Contracts without expiration dates create legal ambiguity. If someone signs a proposal three months after you sent it, are the prices still valid? Are the terms still applicable? The answer should be clear from the document itself.

The Fix

Always set an expiration date on your signing requests. Here are reasonable timeframes by document type:

SignQuick lets you set expiration dates when sending documents. Signers see a clear deadline, and you receive a notification if a document expires unsigned. You can then follow up or send a fresh request with updated terms.

Bonus: Enable automatic reminders. SignQuick sends gentle email reminders to signers who haven't completed their documents, reducing the need for manual follow-up.

Mistake #4: No Audit Trail

The Problem

You get a signed contract back, but weeks later the other party claims they never signed it, or that the document was modified after signing. Without a detailed audit trail, it's your word against theirs.

A PDF with a signature image pasted on it is not the same as a properly executed e-signature with a full audit trail. If a dispute goes to court, the first thing a judge will ask for is evidence of:

• When the document was sent
• When it was opened
• When it was signed
• Who signed it (and how they were identified)
• Whether the document was modified after signing

The Fix

Use an e-signature platform that automatically generates comprehensive audit trails. A good audit trail should capture:

• Timestamps for every action (sent, viewed, signed)
• IP addresses of all participants
• Device and browser information
• Email verification records
• Geolocation data (where available)
• Document hash (a unique fingerprint that proves the document hasn't been tampered with)

SignQuick's audit trail is embedded in the signed document itself, creating a self-contained record that travels with the PDF wherever it goes. You don't need to log into a platform to prove a document's authenticity.

Never rely on email-based signatures ("Just reply YES to confirm") for anything important. While technically valid in some cases, they're nearly impossible to enforce in a dispute.

Mistake #5: Sending in the Wrong Format

The Problem

You send a contract as a Word document, and the signer "accidentally" edits the payment terms before signing. Or you send a JPEG screenshot of a contract that can't be signed electronically at all. Or the document is a 50MB scan that takes five minutes to download on mobile.

The Fix

Always send contracts as PDF files. PDFs preserve formatting across devices and operating systems, prevent accidental editing, and are the standard format for e-signatures.

Before sending, check:

• File size — Keep it under 10MB. Compress scanned documents if needed.
• Text is selectable — Avoid sending scanned images of text. Use native PDFs whenever possible.
• Pages are correctly oriented — Rotated pages confuse signers and look unprofessional.
• Quality is readable — Make sure the text is sharp and legible, especially on mobile devices.

SignQuick accepts PDF uploads and optimizes them for mobile viewing. If you don't have a PDF, you can use our contract generator to create professional contracts directly in the browser.

Bonus: A Pre-Send Checklist

Before hitting "Send" on any contract, run through this checklist:

• [ ] All signature, date, and initial fields are placed correctly
• [ ] Every required signer is included with the correct email
• [ ] Signing authority has been verified for all parties
• [ ] An expiration date is set on the signing request
• [ ] The document is in PDF format and under 10MB
• [ ] All blank fields that need to be filled are marked as required
• [ ] Contract terms (dates, amounts, names) are accurate
• [ ] You have audit trail capabilities enabled
• [ ] Automatic reminders are configured
• [ ] You've reviewed the document one final time

Start Sending Contracts the Right Way

Avoiding these five mistakes doesn't require extra tools or expensive software — just attention to detail and the right process. SignQuick helps you avoid all of these pitfalls with built-in field validation, signer management, expiration dates, comprehensive audit trails, and PDF optimization.

Send your first contract free — up to 5 documents per month on the free plan.

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*Looking for contract templates? Check out our contract generator with six pre-built templates for common business agreements.*