Contract Records
Create, send for e-signature, and track contracts through their full lifecycle.
A contract is the core record in the Contracts module. It holds the parties, dates, obligations, and signature history for a single agreement.
Creating a Contract
Go to Contracts > All Contracts > New Contract. Choose how to start:
- From template — Pre-filled structure with locked and negotiable sections
- From scratch — Blank editor
- Upload a PDF — For third-party contracts you want to archive and summarize
Required fields: title, contract type, effective date, expiry / renewal date, counterparty (CRM contact or company, or enter manually).
Contract Properties
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Descriptive name for the agreement |
| Contract Type | Categorizes for analytics (Service Agreement, NDA, Employment, MSA, Other) |
| Status | Current lifecycle stage |
| Effective Date | When the contract becomes active |
| Expiry / Renewal Date | When it ends or must be renewed |
| Value | Total contract value (used in analytics) |
| Currency | Contract currency |
| Owner | Internal owner responsible for alerts and CRM connection |
| CRM Link | Linked deal or company |
| Counterparty | Signing party name and email |
| Custom Fields | Additional fields per contract type (configurable in Settings) |
Editing Contract Content
The contract editor supports rich text, tables, and variable placeholders such as {{counterparty_name}}, {{effective_date}}, and {{contract_value}}.
Sections marked as locked (set in the template) cannot be edited by non-admin users. Unlocked sections can be freely edited for each deal.
Adding Signatories
Open the contract, go to the Signatories tab, and add each signer:
- Name and email
- Title
- Signing order (1, 2, 3…)
The contract sends to signers in sequence — signer 2 only receives their link after signer 1 has signed.
Sending for E-signature
Click Send for Signature. Each signatory receives an email with a unique signing link. They open it in a browser, review the document, and sign using:
- Typed name
- Drawn signature
- Uploaded image
A full audit trail is recorded: IP address, timestamp, geolocation, and browser/device for each signature.
Contract Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being drafted internally |
| In Review | Sent for internal legal or manager review |
| Sent for Signature | At least one signatory has been emailed |
| Partially Signed | Some signatories have signed |
| Fully Signed | All signatories have signed |
| Active | Signed and currently in effect |
| Expiring Soon | Within the renewal alert window |
| Renewed | Renewed into a new contract |
| Terminated | Ended early |
| Expired | Passed end date without renewal |
Obligations
Track commitments inside a signed contract. On the contract record: Obligations tab > Add Obligation.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Obligation Type | Payment, delivery, SLA, reporting, or renewal |
| Due Date | When this obligation must be met |
| Amount | Monetary value, if applicable |
| Responsible Party | Internal user accountable for this obligation |
| Description | Details of the commitment |
Overdue obligations generate alerts and appear in the Renewals dashboard.
AI Contract Summary
For third-party contracts (uploaded PDFs): open the contract and go to the AI Summary tab. Copilot extracts:
- Parties and counterparty details
- Effective date and term length
- Auto-renewal clause and notice period
- Payment terms and schedule
- Key obligations
- Unusual or high-risk clauses (e.g., "uncapped liability", "unilateral amendment right")
The result is a plain-English summary alongside the flagged items.
Contract Archive and Search
All contracts — draft and signed — are stored permanently. Search by:
- Party name
- Clause text (full-text search across indexed PDF content)
- Value range
- Contract type
- Owner
- Status
Set the Renewal Date even for contracts with no automatic renewal clause — this triggers the renewal alert window and ensures someone reviews the contract before it expires.