What your clients see when you send a document with PandaDoc

Sending a document through PandaDoc doesn’t require the recipient to have an account to view or sign it. They get an email with a link that takes them through a guided signing experience. Plus, they have access to a recipient inbox where all their documents live permanently. In this article, we’ll take you through the step-by-step journey.

Step 1: The email your client receives

As soon as you send a document, the recipient will get an email from PandaDoc with a link to open the document. To make it even easier, they don’t need an account to view or sign it on their end.

The email includes the document name, your personalized message if you’ve configured one, and a clearly labeled button they can click to open the document. Because it’s the first thing your client will see, it’s worth treating it like a first impression.

If you’re on a Business or Enterprise plan, you can send it from your own email domain so the notification comes from a trusted sender address instead of a PandaDoc address. A client is more likely to open an email from a name they recognize. To do this, just click the link “send from your own email.” See more details here. 

You can also fully customize the subject line and message body when it’s time to send it off. This is the first opportunity to set the tone for your client, so don’t skip it. 

You can also send via SMS or a shared link if email doesn’t work for a certain recipient. 

Sender tip: Take a minute to personalize your message before sending. The AI Assistant can draft a personalized intro for you if you're short on time.

Step 2: The document signing view

When your client clicks the link, the document will open in their browser. No downloads, no plugins, and no account is needed.

Any required fields are highlighted clearly, and the client is guided through each field in sequence with a “Next” button. Optional fields are shown in grey, whereas required fields will be highlighted in red if skipped. The UI makes it very difficult for your client to miss something important. 

The entire experience is fully responsive, meaning the same document works on desktop, mobile, or any other device that’s convenient for them. 

Your client can leave comments or ask questions directly inside the document using the comment box. You’ll be notified immediately when they do, removing the need for a follow-up email thread.

Once all fields are completed, your client will click “Finish” and the document moves to Completed status. Both of you will get a signed PDF with a Signature Certificate confirming the document was accepted and signed. At no point in the process do recipients need a PandaDoc account. 

Sender tip: Assign every field to the right signer before you send it off. If more than one person needs to sign, set a signing order so the document reaches people in the right sequence automatically.

Step 3: The Recipient Inbox — your client's permanent document history

This is the part that a lot of senders don’t know about, and it’s one of the highlights of sending through PandaDoc. After your client completes their first PandaDoc document, they’ll be prompted to sign up for a free recipient account at recipient.pandadoc.com. This is a passwordless login via email link.

When they’re signed up, every PandaDoc document ever sent to that email address will become available in their inbox, including proposals, contracts, NDAs, onboarding forms, and more, all in one central place.

Plus, your client can even store their eSignature in the inbox for faster signing on future documents. For you, this means your clients will never lose a document, never have to ask for a re-send, and always will have access to the signed copy. This gets rid of the all-too-common post-signing friction.

Read more about how it works in our Recipient Inbox announcement. 

Sender configuration tip: After a client completes their first document with you, encourage them to activate their Recipient Inbox. It's a small nudge that saves you both a lot of back-and-forth later.

Step 4: What happens after signing

Once the document is signed, both you and your client will automatically receive a signed PDF copy of the completed document, including the Signature Certificate on the last page. This confirms who signed, when, and from where.

You’ll then get a real-time notification when the recipient opens the document, and again when they complete it. That means no need to chase on your end.

The signed document is stored in PandaDoc with a full audit trail, including timestamps for every action, all recipient engagement data (like the time spent per section), and a complete signing record. You can read more on document tracking or check out our proposal analytics guide for more details on how to track. 

The cherry on top is that you’ll be able to set up an automatic email to deliver the signed PDF to all recipients on completion, so no need to manually forward anything. 

How to configure PandaDoc for the best possible client experience

Some small settings can make a real difference in how the entire experience feels. You want to make it as polished as possible for your clients. Here’s how:

1. Custom branding. Upload your logo and brand colors so the document and emails look like they came from your brand, not from PandaDoc. This is available on Business and Enterprise plans.

2. Personalized sending message. Write a specific message to each client before you send. The AI Assistant can draft one for you if you're pressed for time.

3. Set a clear signing order. If multiple people need to sign, set the signing order so the document reaches each person automatically, in the right sequence.

4. Auto-reminders. Set up automatic reminder emails so you never have to chase a client who hasn't signed yet.

5. Completion email. Have the signed PDF sent automatically to everyone involved once the document is done, so your clients don’t have to ask for a copy.

With those five actions set, your client’s experience will feel thought-through from the very first email to the final signature.

Try PandaDoc free for 14 days — see how your clients experience it →