Signing guides
Email attachment or signing link: which PDF should you send?
An attachment is a file copy. A signing invitation opens a specific request. A completed signed PDF is the result. Decide which stage you are at before choosing what to send, because these three items serve different purposes.
DocAISign paid checkout is not currently enabled. Self-signing is free; check your available sends and the Pricing page before planning a request.
When an attachment is a document hand-off
An unsigned attachment can be useful for review or for a recipient who will use their own accepted signing process. But simply emailing the file does not create a tracked DocAISign request or assign fields to a named signer.
Tell the recipient which version it is and what you expect next. If they return a signed copy outside a request platform, do not assume that copy has the same activity record as a request completed inside one.
When a private invitation is the intended action
DocAISign sends an email link for one other recipient after a confirmed sender account submits a prepared request with available sends. The recipient reviews the document and fills assigned fields without registering. The link is for that request; it is not a public reusable form.
Do not forward one person’s invitation to collect another person’s signature. If you need several external signers or public intake, evaluate a workflow designed for that requirement.
When sending the completed result
After completion, use the downloaded signed PDF rather than the original upload. Save the corresponding audit record and decide who should receive it. The audit may include contact and activity information, so do not attach it to unrelated messages by default.
A private invitation is temporary access to a process, not a permanent archive or a substitute for the completed attachment. Keep your own retrievable copies before the retention deadline.
If a link is missing or closed
A missing invitation calls for checking the request status, addressee and mailbox filtering. A cancelled, declined or expired link is a different situation: opening the same message again does not revive it. Contact the sender for the current request.
Do not post the private URL in a public forum or paste it into an unrelated online checker. Use non-sensitive diagnostics such as the visible status, approximate time and browser details.
If you chose the wrong file or person
Check whether the request is pending or completed before acting. In DocAISign, a pending request can be revoked by its owner before signing. Sending a corrected attachment or another invitation does not close the earlier link automatically.
Keep a completed original and arrange any correction as a clear new version. A file already downloaded or received as an attachment is not recalled by closing an invitation.
A quick send check
- Is this for review, a new signature, or delivery of the completed result?
- Does the filename and content identify the intended version?
- Is the destination address correct?
- Does the recipient need this specific file, link or audit?
- For fax, use the completed PDF in the separate fax workflow and check its preview.