Signature workflow for a contract request

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 7 minutes to read
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    Summary of Signature workflow for a contract request

    Contract Management Pro supports three signature types for contract requests: electronic, wet (manual), and offline signatures. These workflows enable efficient processing of contract documents through various signing methods, ensuring proper tracking and status updates throughout the signature lifecycle.

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    Electronic Signature Workflow

    • Finalized contracts are sent to signatories in a predefined order using configured e-signature providers like DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign.
    • Signatories receive email notifications containing links to sign or decline the contract document electronically.
    • Signatory fields (Name, Title, Email) are dynamically populated when accessed via the e-signature provider.
    • The workflow updates signatory statuses sequentially from Pending Signature to Signed; after all signatories sign, the contract is stored in the repository and the request status updates to Contract Signed.
    • If a signatory opts for a wet signature during the electronic flow, the signed PDF is uploaded manually, and the workflow continues with remaining signatories, ultimately marking the signature type as Mixed signature.
    • Declined signatures and delivery failures trigger notifications and status changes enabling contract fulfillers to retry, cancel, or upload manual signatures.
    • Contract changes can be managed by contract users or fulfillers who resend updated documents for signature, with optional generation of a certificate of completion if enabled.

    Wet Signature Workflow

    • Contracts are sent as PDFs to signatories who manually sign and return them.
    • The contract fulfiller uploads the signed documents and routes them to subsequent signatories if any remain.
    • If a signatory declines, collaboration occurs to finalize the document before proceeding.
    • Once all signatories have signed, the signed contract is uploaded to the repository and the request status updates to Contract Signed or Closed Complete for self-served contracts.

    Offline Signature Workflow

    • Used when contracts are signed completely outside Contract Management Pro (e.g., physical signatures or external applications).
    • The contract fulfiller uploads the signed document without sending signature request emails.
    • The request and signatory statuses update to Contract Signed and Completed respectively once the document is uploaded.
    • Signature type must be set to Offline signature when initiating or changing the signature method on a contract request.

    Modify Signatories During Workflow

    • Allows adding, removing, editing, or reordering of pending signatories while pausing the signature process temporarily.
    • Available in wet signature workflows and electronic workflows with DocuSign integration; participant-based templates have limited modify capabilities.
    • The signature workflow must be resumed manually; otherwise, changes revert after a configured timeout.

    Contract Document Access and Management

    • Contract fulfillers can view and update documents; only contract administrators can delete them.
    • Requesters and watch list users have restricted view access based on their involvement.
    • Field validation occurs when generating contract repository records; errors trigger email notifications to contract fulfillers for correction.

    Practical Actions for ServiceNow Customers

    • Send a contract document for signature: After finalizing, initiate signature requests per the desired workflow.
    • Initiate offline signatures: For externally signed contracts, record the signed document without triggering signature emails.
    • Upload signed documents: Required for wet signatures, offline signatures, or if electronic signatories switch to manual signing.
    • Modify signatories: Adjust signers mid-process when necessary while pausing the workflow.
    • Resend signature requests: Manually trigger signature emails if delivery fails or reminders are needed.
    • Cancel signature processes: Stop ongoing signature workflows to restart or switch signing methods.

    Contract Management Pro supports electronic signature, wet (manual) signature, and offline signature for a contract request.

    • Electronic Signature: Enables signatories to sign the contract document electronically. For more information, see Configure an e-signature provider.

      To generate a certificate of completion, you must select the Electronic Signature as signature type in the contract request. For more information, see Activate a system property to generate a certificate of completion.

    • Wet Signature: Enables signatories to sign the contract document manually. You can then upload the signed document to a contract request. For more information, see Upload a signed contract document.
    • Offline signature: Records a contract that has been signed outside Contract Management Pro. Signature request emails are not sent to the signatories. The fulfiller or contract user uploads the signed document directly.

    Electronic signature workflow

    • Send the finalized document to the signatories for signing.
      • The state and contract status updates to Awaiting Signature and the electronic signature flow is triggered as configured in Configure an e-signature provider.
      • An email notification that the contract document is available for signature is sent to the first signatory. The email contains a link to the contract document that the signatory can open and sign the document through the Docusign or Adobe Acrobat Sign electronic signature provider.

        Signatories receive signature request emails according to the order set in the signatories tab.

      • The signatory fields—such as Name, Title, and Email—are not pre-filled in the contract document before it is sent for signature. These fields are populated by the electronic signature provider when the signatory accesses the document to sign it.
    • Signatories can sign or decline the contract document.
      Table 1. Signatories action on the contract document
      Signatories action Workflow
      All the signatories choose to do an electronic signature
      • First signatory signs the contract document

        If there is more than one signatory, the contract document is sent to the next signatory in the order.

        The status of the current signatory in the request updates from Pending Signature to Signed. The status of the next signatory updates from Not Started to Pending Signature.

      • After the last signatory signs the document, the contract repository record is created and the signed document is attached to it.

        For contract requests containing multiple contract documents, the signed contract document is split into individual documents and attached to the contract repository record for the respective contract type.

        The state of the requests updates to Contract Signed.
      One or more signatories decide to do a wet signature
      • One or more signatories decided to do a wet signature instead of electronic signature.
      • The wet signed contract document in PDF format is shared with the contract fulfiller.
      • The contract fulfiller uploads the signed document, selects the signatories who have shared the wet signed contract document and proceeds with the signature workflow by sending the document to the next signatories.

        The status of the signatory in the request updates from Pending Signature to Signed. The status of the next signatory updates from Not Started to Pending Signature. The signature type is updated to Mixed signature after all the signatories have signed the document.

      • After the last signatory signs the document, the contract repository record is automatically created and the signed document is attached to it.

        For contract requests containing multiple contract documents, the signed contract document is split into individual documents and attached to the contract repository record for the respective contract type.

        The state of the requests updates to Contract Signed.

      The document is declined by the signatory.

      		 An email notification that the signer has declined to sign the document is sent to the requester.

      The Signatory status in the request updates to Declined.

      The State changes to Work in progress and the Contract status changes to Signing Declined.
      The signature request is not delivered to a signatory.

      The Signatory status in the contract request changes to Delivery failed.

      The state of the contract request changes to Signature delivery failed.

      An email notification is sent to the contract fulfiller informing them that the signature request could not be delivered.

      A notification appears on the contract request informing about the undelivered signature request and the available actions for the fulfiller.
      • For Docusign, you can update the signatory's information and retry, cancel the signature process to restart it, or upload a manually signed contract.
      • For Adobe Sign, you can cancel the signature process to restart it, or upload a manually signed contract.
      The contract document is resent for signature.

      For contract request fulfilled by the contract user: A contract user can submit a change request. The contract fulfiller works on the change request and sends the updated document back to the contract requester. The updated contract document is sent for signature by the contract user.

      For contract request fulfilled by contract fulfiller: The contract fulfiller creates a document revision manually or by using the Regenerate option and resends the document for signature.

      If the system property sn_cm_core.enable_executed_contract_audit_certificate is set to true, the certificate of completion is generated and attached to the contract repository record.

    Wet signature workflow

    • Send the finalized document to the signatories for signing.
      • The state and contract status are updated to Awaiting signature.
      • An email notification is sent to the first signatory in order and the contract documents are attached as PDFs in the email.

        The current signatory is placed in the To field of the email. The contract fulfiller, the person who opened the contract, the person for whom the contract was requested, and the initiator of send for signature action are placed in the CC field.

    • Signatories accept or decline the document.
      Table 2. Signatories action on the contract document
      Signatories action Workflow
      The current signatory accepts the document and there are pending signatories
      • The signatory prints the contract document, signs it, and then returns it to the signature requester.
      • On receiving the signed contract document, the contract fulfiller uploads the signed contract and sends the document to the pending signatories.

      The signatory declines the document

      		 The signatory sends the document back to the requester for necessary correction. The signatories and the contract fulfiller can collaborate and finalize the contract document.
      All the signatories have signed the document
      • On receiving the contract document signed by all the signatories, contract fulfiller uploads the signed contract document in PDF format.
      • The contract document is added to the repository after it is uploaded.

      For self-served contracts, the state of the request updates to Closed complete and the contract status updates to Contract signed.

      For non-self-served contracts, the state of the request and the contract status updates to Contract signed. To close the contract request, select Close complete.

      For more information, see Upload a signed contract document.

    Offline signature workflow

    Use the offline signature workflow when the contract is signed outside Contract Management Pro — for example, the parties physically sign the contract document or through a third-party application, and to record the signed document against the contract request.

    • Set up a contract request for offline signature.
      • Create a contract request with Offline signature selected as the signature type.
      • On an existing contract request, change the signature type from Electronic signature or Wet signature to Offline signature.
    • The fulfiller or contract user selects Initiate offline signature.
    • The state and contract status update to Awaiting signature. Signature request emails are not sent to the signatories.
    • The signatories sign the contract document outside Contract Management Pro.
    • The contract fulfiller uploads the signed document.
    • The state and contract status update to Contract signed. The status of all signatories updates from Pending to Completed.

    Modify signatories when the signature workflow is in progress

    The Modify Signatories option enables you to add, remove, edit, or reorder pending signatories while a signature workflow is in progress. Initiating this action pauses the signature workflow for a duration defined by the system property maximum_signature_pause_duration. To continue the signature workflow after making changes, use the Resume Signature option to resume the workflow.

    The workflow might progress as follows:
    • Use Modify signatories option to modify the signatories.
    • Add, remove, modify, or reorder signatories.
      Note:
      • For signature block-based contract templates, you can add, modify, remove, and reorder actions, whereas for participant based templates, only modify and reorder actions are enabled.
      • The Modify signatories option is available in the wet signature workflow and the electronic signature workflow with Docusign electronic signature provider integration.
    • Select Resume signature to resume the signature workflow after modifications are complete.
      Note:
      If the signature workflow is not resumed within the configured time duration, any changes made to the signatories are reverted, and the signature workflow resumes from its previous state.
    • Signature request email notifications are sent to the signatories.
    • After the last signatory signs the document, the contract repository record is created and the signed document is attached to it.
    For more information, see Modify signatories and Resend signature request.

    Contract document access

    Access to a contract document is based on the following user roles and conditions:
    • A contract fulfiller can view and update contract documents.
    • Only a contract administrator can delete contract documents.
    • Requesters can view only the contract documents for which they submitted the contract request.
    • Users added to the watch list can view only contract documents for contract requests they have added.

    While generating the contract repository record, mapped fields and their values are validated for data type and correctness. If validation errors are found, an email notification is sent to the contract fulfiller. The email also displays the list of fields that have not been copied into the final contract document and the link to the contract repository record. The fulfiller then opens the record using the link and corrects the values to resolve the validation errors.