Turn contract renewals into a systematic process

Contract renewals fall through the cracks without systematic tracking. Teams rely on manual reminders or scattered spreadsheets, missing revenue opportunities and risking lapses in customer agreements. By the time someone remembers to send a renewal, the contract has already expired.

When you automate renewals, contracts never expire unnoticed. Your system tracks expiration dates and triggers renewal documents automatically: 60 days out, 30 days out, or on whatever schedule you define. Customers receive renewal agreements proactively, and your team always knows the status of in-flight renewals.

What this means for your business:

• Renewals become proactive, not reactive ("We're renewing next month" vs. "Your contract expired last week")

• Revenue is protected because contracts don't lapse

• Customer success teams spend time on relationship-building, not chasing paperwork

• You have real-time visibility into renewal pipeline and completion status

Is automated renewal via API right for you?

You’re a strong fit if:

• You manage recurring contracts or subscriptions (annual agreements, service contracts, licenses)

• Contract dates are tracked in a CRM, billing system, or database

• Missing renewals costs you revenue or creates compliance gaps

You have development resources available (typically 1-2 weeks of engineering time)

Consider alternatives if:

• You only have a handful of contracts (manual tracking might be sufficient)

• Your contracts don't have predictable renewal cycles

• Renewals require heavy negotiation before documents are sent (automation may not fit the workflow)

Common questions before you build

How do you determine when to trigger a renewal?

You decide the timing. Most teams trigger 30-90 days before expiration, but you can set any timeframe based on your sales cycle. Your system checks contract dates and triggers document creation when the renewal window opens.

What if contract terms or pricing change at renewal?

Your system passes the updated terms or pricing from your CRM or billing system into the renewal template. You can also generate drafts that require internal review before sending, giving your team a chance to adjust terms before the customer sees them.

Can you handle different renewal types?

Yes. Create different templates for standard renewals, expansions, or downgrades, and trigger the appropriate template based on renewal type or customer segment in your system.

What happens if a customer doesn't respond?

Use webhooks to track document status. If a renewal sits unviewed for a certain period, trigger a follow-up notification to your team or send an automated reminder to the customer.

Do renewals send automatically or require approval?

You decide. Some teams send renewals automatically for speed and scale. Others generate drafts that notify account managers for review before sending. Your trigger logic and workflow determine which approach fits your process.

How automated contract renewals work: Step-by-step

1. Create a reusable renewal template

Build a standard renewal agreement with placeholders for customer name, contract dates, pricing, and terms. Using a consistent template means every renewal follows the same structure while adapting to each customer's specific details.

Here’s how with PandaDoc API:

• Set up a PandaDoc template with placeholders like {{Customer.Name}}, {{Contract.EndDate}}, {{Renewal.Price}}

• The API fills these placeholders automatically from your CRM or billing system data.

Example: A subscription software company creates a renewal template with their standard terms, product details, and legal language. Each renewal pulls the customer's current plan, pricing, and contract end date from Stripe, then generates a document ready for their account manager to review.

2. Set up renewal triggers in your system

Your system needs to detect when a renewal window opens and trigger document creation automatically. How you implement this depends on where your contract data lives and whether you want real-time triggers or scheduled checks.

Three common trigger approaches:

CRM-based workflow (real-time)

Set up a workflow rule in your CRM that fires when conditions are met. For example, in Salesforce: create a workflow that triggers when an Opportunity's Close Date is 60 days away AND Stage equals "Customer - Active." The workflow calls a webhook endpoint in your system, which then calls PandaDoc's API to create the renewal document.

Scheduled job (batch processing)

Run a nightly or weekly script that queries your database for upcoming expirations. For example: query for all contracts where contract_end_date = current_date + 60 days and renewal_sent = false. For each result, call PandaDoc's API to create a renewal document, then mark that contract as processed.

Billing system webhook (event-driven)

If you use a billing system like Stripe or Chargebee, listen for subscription renewal events. When a subscription is approaching renewal, the billing system sends a webhook to your endpoint. Your system receives the event, pulls contract details, and calls PandaDoc's API to generate the renewal document.

Here’s how with PandaDoc API:

Regardless of trigger approach, your system calls PandaDoc's document creation endpoint with the template ID and customer data when the renewal window opens.

Example: A professional services firm runs a nightly job at 2 AM that checks its database for contracts expiring in the next 60 days. For each upcoming expiration, the system creates a renewal document with updated pricing and sends a Slack notification to the assigned account manager that a renewal is ready for review.

3. Generate renewal documents with customer data

Once your trigger fires, the API creates a renewal document populated with customer information, contract terms, and pricing from your system. PandaDoc processes the template and merges in your data. The document is ready in seconds.

Here’s how with PandaDoc API:

• Call the document creation endpoint with your template ID and customer data

• Map data from your CRM or billing system (customer name, contract dates, pricing, terms) to your template's placeholders

• Send renewal documents for signature

Once the document is generated (and reviewed if your workflow requires it), send it automatically to the customer with the appropriate recipients and email message. You control whether renewals send immediately or wait for internal approval.

Here’s how with PandaDoc API:

• Use the send document endpoint once the document is ready

• Configure recipients, email subject, and message

• Your system can send immediately after creation or wait for a manual trigger, depending on your approval workflow.

Take it further: You can also embed signing directly in your app so customers complete renewals without leaving your platform, which increases completion rates.

4. Track renewal status and update your system in real time

Know the moment a renewal is viewed, signed, or declined, and update your CRM, billing system, or renewal pipeline automatically. Real-time tracking means your team can follow up on stalled renewals immediately, and billing can process completed renewals without delay.

Here’s how with PandaDoc API:

• Subscribe to document status change and recipient completion webhook events.

• When a customer views, signs, or declines a renewal, PandaDoc sends notifications to your system. Your code receives these events and updates opportunity stages, triggers billing workflows, or alerts account managers.

Common workflows you can automate:

• Renewal viewed → Update CRM stage to "Renewal - In Review" → Send Slack notification to account manager

• Renewal signed → Move to "Renewal - Closed Won" → Trigger billing system to process renewal charge → Update customer record

• Renewal declined → Update stage to "Renewal - At Risk" → Create urgent task for account manager → Trigger retention workflow

• Renewal sits unsigned for 14 days → Create follow-up task → Send automated reminder email to customer

Example: A technology company's Salesforce opportunities automatically update when renewals are signed. The webhook triggers their billing system (Stripe) to process the renewal charge immediately. The account manager receives a Slack notification: "Great news! Acme Corp just signed their renewal for $50K." The customer receives an automated thank-you email with next steps.

Implementation timeline and requirements

Typical scope: 1-2 weeks for a production-ready renewal automation integration

Team requirements:

• One backend engineer (API integration, trigger logic, and webhook setup)

• RevOps or customer success operations involvement for renewal workflow design and template setup

• Optional: Salesforce/CRM admin if building triggers within your CRM platform

• Ongoing maintenance: Minimal once implemented. Most teams only revisit when renewal templates change or adding new contract types.

Results

No missed renewals, proactive outreach.

Teams that automate renewals see immediate improvements in renewal rates and operational efficiency:

• No missed renewals - Contracts are tracked systematically, and renewal documents trigger automatically before expiration

• Faster processing - Renewal documents are generated in minutes instead of days of manual work

• Proactive customer engagement - Renewals are sent 30-90 days in advance, not scrambled at the last minute

• Better visibility - Real-time tracking shows exactly which renewals are pending, signed, or at risk

Resources and examples

• Create and send your first document

• How to set up webhook notifications

• Document status tracking

Next Steps

• Ready to try it yourself? → Try it in the API Sandbox - See embedded signing hands-on with test data

• Want to see it in action with your workflow? → Request a demo - We'll show you embedded signing for your specific use case