Getting Started with Free eSign

This course will show you how to quickly and easily send documents for signature using PandaDoc. We will then explore how PandaDoc can help you automate tasks across your organization.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Configure your PandaDoc account
Send a document for signature
Understand how PandaDoc can automate tasks

LESSON 1: CONFIGURING YOUR ACCOUNT

You and Your PandaDoc Account

The PandaDoc Platform

PandaDoc allows you to create, manage, and eSign documents with ease. You can enhance existing proposals, quotes, and HR documents, to name a few, by uploading them into PandaDoc and using fields to collect information and payments.

Let's look at how you can do this with the Free eSign plan:

Manage Crucial Documents

You can upload as many documents as you need into PandaDoc with unlimited storage. Fields can then be added to these documents to efficiently collect important information from your recipients.

This includes contact information, personal records, and more!

Getting Documents Signed

PandaDoc allows you to securely send up to 5 documents per month for eSignature. PandaDoc eSignatures are safe, encrypted, and legally binding. Once a document has been signed by all participants, a certificate authenticating the signature is provided in the PDF copy of the document.

Receive Payments

PandaDoc's integration with payment software, such as Stripe and PayPal, enables your customers to easily send payment when signing a document.

Note: Word documents can be edited in PandaDoc. PDFs, Images, and PowerPoints will be uploaded as images and will not be editable.

Safe & Secure Document Storage at your Fingertips

Fully signed documents will be saved in your PandaDoc account for future reference. You are also able to download completed documents as PDFs for your own records.

Setting up Your Workspace

Configuring your Workspace

Your Free eSign plan gives you access to various options for personalizing your workspace. You can also control who has access to documents in your account (see below):

Team

Team allows you to manage the members of your workspace.

You can invite new users into your workspace via an invitation link or email.

Settings

Settings gives you options to customize your eSignature workflow in PandaDoc.

Saved Messages

Saved Messages allows you to create templates that can be included in the email message sent with your document.

Note: You can customize you personal settings within the Profile section of your account settings.

LESSON 2: WORKING WITH DOCUMENTS

Creating and Sending Documents

Creating Documents in PandaDoc

Creating documents in PandaDoc is easy! Just upload a Word Document, PDF, image, or PowerPoint slide to get started. Once you add and assign some fields, you can add your recipients and send the document off for signature. It's that simple!

Using PandaDoc to optimize your Business Operations

PandaDoc can be used to send documents to customers as well as internal employees. Let's take a look at what this looks like in practice with an example of a common HR document - a deposit form.

We will start by uploading this PDF into PandaDoc. Once that's done, we'll prepare to send it to our new employee (see below).

Step 1: Upload the Document

You can select a file from your computer or connect to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive to pull in a document.

Note: Word files, such as .doc or .docx will be uploaded as editable documents, while PDFs, PowerPoints, and images will be uploaded as images that cannot be edited in PandaDoc.

Step 2: Add Recipients

Once the document is uploaded, select your recipients. You can always add more by selecting Add recipient.

Step 3: Add Fields to your Document

Once you have uploaded your document, you can add fields by specifying a recipient and dragging and dropping them into your document. New fields can also be created by duplicating existing fields.

You can add the following types of fields into your document:

Text
Signature
Initials
Date
Checkbox
Card Detail
Stamps

Step 4: Customize your Fields

Fields can also be customized for you and your recipient's needs. For example, the Text Field will allow you to place validation rules that require a recipient to enter specific information, such as phone numbers and emails. Fields can also be toggled to be required or optional.

Step 5: Assign Fields to Recipients

Note: The Place Fields tool can be used to automatically place fields onto your documents.

Sending a Document using PandaDoc

Our direct deposit form now has all of the necessary fields assigned to the correct recipients. Let's send the document so our new employee can get paid on time and save a trip to the bank!

It's time to send the document to your recipients! You have two options available:

Send via email
Share via link

Option 1: Send Via Email

This will send an email to your recipient with a link to the document and an email message.

You can send the document by using the Send document button once you are ready.

Option 2: Send Via Link

This will generate a unique link to the document. The document will change to a Sent status to show that it can now be viewed by your recipient via the link at any time.

You will then be able to send this link directly to the recipient.

Note: Feel free to use your own document in lieu of the example as you are limited to sending a maximum of 5 documents per calendar month while using the Free eSign Plan.

Tracking document progress

Documents you send via PandaDoc can be easily tracked from the Your Activity tab. You can also view the progress of specific documents by selecting the Info button next to each document you have added to PandaDoc as shown below.

The Recipient Experience

Receiving a document sent via PandaDoc

PandaDoc makes it easy by prompting recipients to complete the fields they have been assigned. As long as the document remains in an active state, it will be available for our recipients to complete.

Completing assigned fields

The recipient experience is different from what we see on the back end.

Let's take a look below at how it works by checking on the direct deposit form we sent earlier.

View 1: Document sent via email or a shared link

The email message prepared earlier will be included along with an option to open the document or forward it to another recipient for viewing.

When using the document link, they are taken directly to the document to complete it.

View 2: Completing the Document

The PandaDoc document viewer will allow your recipient to fill in the fields they have been assigned. These fields will typically be highlighted in the color red.

The document will change to a Completed state once all assigned fields have been completed by all recipients.

Managing your completed document

Your completed documents are accessible from both the Home and Documents tabs. Completed documents will contain the information entered by your recipients and includes a signature certificate.

This certificate details the date the document was sent, viewed, and signed by all participants.

Congratulations!

You have completed the Getting Started with Free eSign course.

Summary

In this course, you learned how:

To configure your PandaDoc account
To send a document for signature

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