Docusign Reminders: How to Automate Reminders and Expiration Settings

It’s hard to keep agreements moving when documents are waiting on signatures. Docusign helps teams streamline the signing process with tools that automate follow-up, manage deadlines, and reduce manual administrative work.

In this guide, we'll explore how Docusign reminders, notifications, and expiration settings help businesses improve agreement workflows and complete electronic signatures faster.

Key takeaways

• Docusign reminders help automate follow-up when recipients have not completed a signature request.

• You can customize the timing and frequency of reminders to support different agreement workflows.

• Expiration settings help prevent documents from remaining open indefinitely and encourage timely completion.

• Notifications help senders and recipients stay informed about agreement activity.

• Using reminders, notifications, and expiration settings together can help reduce delays and improve signing efficiency.

What are Docusign reminders?

Docusign reminders are automated notifications that prompt recipients to review and complete an agreement that is still waiting for their signature. Instead of manually following up with each recipient, senders can use Docusign eSignature to automate reminders and help keep agreements moving. 

Because electronic signatures are legally valid opens in a new tab in many jurisdictions, maintaining an efficient signing process is important for organizations managing contracts and other business documents.

When setting up a reminder, senders can choose when the first reminder is sent and how frequently additional reminders are delivered. This flexibility allows teams to tailor follow-up based on their workflow, whether they are managing sales agreements opens in a new tab, NDAs opens in a new tab, oremployment contracts.

By automating routine follow-up, Docusign reminders help reduce administrative work, improve the signing experience, and make it easier to complete agreements on time.

How to set up Docusign reminders

Setting up reminders in Docusign eSignature helps automate follow-up for agreements that are still waiting for signatures. Before sending an agreement for signature, senders can configure reminder settings and review the Docusign envelope details to help keep the signing process moving.

1. Enable reminders

When preparing an agreement for signature, enable reminders to activate automated follow-up notifications for recipients who have not yet completed the signing process. Check the box next to "Reminders Enabled" to turn on automated follow-up notifications for recipients who haven't yet signed.

2. Choose your reminder schedule

Select when the first reminder should be sent after the agreement is delivered. This allows you to choose a follow-up timeline that fits your workflow and the urgency of the agreement.

3. Set reminder frequency

Choose how often additional reminders should be sent after the initial reminder. Teams can adjust the frequency based on their process and the type of agreement being completed.

4. Review and send

Before sending the agreement, review your reminder settings to make sure the schedule matches your needs. Docusign will then automatically follow up according to your selected settings.

Notifications and expiration settings

Docusign eSignature includes several features that help teams manage agreement workflows more effectively. While reminders help prompt recipients to complete outstanding agreements, notifications and expiration settings provide additional control over agreement activity and deadlines.

Notifications

Docusign eSignature notifications help senders and recipients stay informed about agreement activity. Users can customize which updates they receive, while administrators can set default notification preferences across their organization.

For time-sensitive workflows, SMS notifications provide another way to reach signers and help ensure important updates are seen promptly.

Expiration settings

Expiration settings allow senders to set a deadline for completing an agreement. This helps prevent documents from remaining open longer than intended and reduces the risk of recipients signing agreements with outdated information.

Senders can also configure reminders before an agreement expires, giving recipients time to complete the required action before the deadline.

Best practices for using Docusign reminders

The right reminder settings can help teams keep agreements moving without creating unnecessary follow-up for recipients. Consider these best practices when configuring reminders, notifications, and expiration settings.

Match reminder timing to your workflow

Different agreements may require different reminder schedules. Time-sensitive documents, such as sales agreements, may benefit from more frequent reminders, while agreements requiring multiple reviews may need more time between notifications.

Set expiration dates that support timely completion

Expiration settings help ensure agreements do not remain open indefinitely. Choose expiration timelines that give recipients enough time to review and sign while maintaining a clear deadline.

Review notification preferences

Customizing notifications helps ensure senders and recipients receive the updates they need without unnecessary messages. Organizations can adjust notification settings to better support their agreement workflows.

Get agreements signed faster with Docusign

Docusign reminders, notifications, and expiration settings help teams reduce manual follow-up and create more efficient agreement workflows. By automating reminders and setting clear deadlines, businesses can keep agreements moving and improve the signing experience for recipients.

Want to spend less time following up on unsigned agreements? With Docusign eSignature, you can automate reminders, customize expiration settings, and keep agreements moving without manual emails. Start exploring reminder features or try Docusign for free to streamline your signing workflows.

Frequently asked questions

Can I edit reminder settings after sending a document for signature?

In most cases, you can update your reminder settings after you have sent your signature request, provided the agreement is still in progress. Depending on your permissions and account settings, you may be able to adjust the reminder schedule, send a reminder immediately, or modify the expiration date. If your Docusign administrator enforces organization-wide policies, some settings may not be editable.

What's the best reminder schedule for different agreement types?

The ideal reminder schedule depends on the urgency and complexity of the agreement. Time-sensitive documents, such as sales contracts, may benefit from more frequent reminders, while agreements that require legal review or multiple approvals may need a longer interval between reminders. Choosing a reminder schedule that matches your workflow helps keep agreements moving without overwhelming recipients.

Do reminders stop automatically after a document is signed?

Yes. Once all required recipients have completed the signing process, Docusign automatically stops sending reminders for that document. If a document expires before it is completed, reminder emails also stop, and you'll need to send a new signature request or update the existing one, depending on your organization's settings.