Help Center

Getting Started

Set up your company profile

Go to Settings in the sidebar to update your company name. Your logo and accent colour (which appear on the signing page and signer emails) are part of the Branded feature.

Invite agents

Agents are team members who can send documents on behalf of your company. Go to Agents → Invite Agent and enter their email address. They'll receive an invitation email to set up their account.

Your first document

1. Create a template (see Templates section below)
2. Go to Documents → Send Document
3. Select your template, enter the signer's details and send
4. The signer receives an email with a secure link to sign

Signing in

Enter your email and password, then the 6-digit code we email you. Codes are valid for 10 minutes and work once. After 5 incorrect codes, sign-in pauses for 15 minutes.

Sign in with a passkey

A passkey lets you sign in with Face ID, Touch ID, your device PIN or a hardware security key — no password and no emailed code. It only works on app.signlab.app, so it can't be phished. Passkeys are optional, and your password and emailed code keep working as a fallback.

1. Go to My Profile → Manage passkeys
2. Confirm it's you: enter your password, then the 6-digit code we email you
3. Optionally name the passkey (e.g. "MacBook"), click Create passkey and approve on your device
4. Next time, click Sign in with a passkey on the sign-in page

Set your date and time format

In Settings you can choose how dates and times appear when placeholders are auto-filled into your documents (e.g. {{signing_date}}, {{start_time}}). Defaults are DD/MM/YYYY and 24-hour time; the alternatives are DD Mon YYYY (e.g. "01 Jan 2026") and 12-hour AM/PM. The setting applies to every document sent from that point on.

Templates

Creating a template

Go to Templates → Create Template. Write your document content using the rich text editor. Use the toolbar to format text, adjust font size, add alignment, or insert a divider line.

Pasting from Word or Google Docs

If your document already exists in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you don't need to retype it. Just open the doc, select the content (Cmd/Ctrl + A), copy it (Cmd/Ctrl + C), and paste it into the editor (Cmd/Ctrl + V). SignLab automatically cleans up the Microsoft-specific formatting cruft while preserving what matters:

• Headings, paragraphs, and lists (numbered and bullet)
• Bold, italic, underline, font colour
• Tables with column widths and cell alignment
• Indentation and text alignment

Page-level layout (margins, headers, footers, page breaks) is not preserved — signing templates are continuous documents, not paged ones. You'll generally want to do a quick visual review after pasting to check that everything looks right.

Using placeholders

Placeholders are tags in your template that get replaced with real values when a document is sent or signed. Click any placeholder in the guide panel to insert it at your cursor position.

Archiving and restoring

Archiving a template hides it from the active list but keeps all previously sent documents intact. You can restore an archived template at any time from Templates → View Archived, subject to your plan's template limit.

Choosing a signing method

Each template specifies how the signer completes the document. Pick the option that matches your legal / process requirement:

• Drawn signature only (default) — the signer draws their signature. Drawing implies agreement to the document's terms.
• Tick to agree only — the signer ticks an "I agree" checkbox. No drawing required. Useful for click-through agreements, internal policies, or low-friction acknowledgements.
• Both required — drawn signature and the agreement checkbox. Stricter. Use for formal contracts where you want both the signature and an explicit affirmative tick.
• Signer chooses — either method is sufficient. The signing page shows both; ticking the box when drawing is also recorded.

The chosen method is locked onto each document at send time, so changing the template later doesn't change documents already in flight.

Email the signed copy to the signer

By default, both the sender and the signer receive the final signed PDF by email after completion. You can turn off the signer's copy per-template via the "Email signed copy to signer" toggle in the template editor.

Turn this off for confidential or internal documents — HR contracts, NDAs, performance reviews — where you'd rather the signed PDF stay on SignLab's servers only. The sender always receives a copy regardless. The signed PDF is also always available from the document detail page in SignLab.

Requiring a countersignature

When creating or editing a template, toggle Require countersignature. Documents created from that template need both the recipient and a designated team member (admin or agent) to sign before they're finalised. Useful for contracts, agreements, or anything where two parties need to put their name on the document.

Sending Documents

Sending a document

1. Go to Documents → Send Document
2. Select a template from the dropdown — a preview appears on the right
3. Enter the signer's full name, email address, and optionally their WhatsApp number
4. Click Send Signature Request

The signer receives an email with a secure, unique link. The link expires after 30 days.

Sending your own PDF

Instead of using a template, you can upload a ready-made PDF: go to Documents → Send PDF, choose your file and add your signers. You then pick where people sign:

Sign on the certificate page (recommended). Your document is left exactly as it is. Each party's signature, name, email and signing time appear on the signature & audit page that SignLab adds after your document — the same page that carries the verification details, so the file only grows by one page. Because nothing is placed on your own pages, this works whatever the document says or how long it runs — useful when you regenerate the same form with different content each time.

Place fields on the document. Click and drag on the pages to place Signature, Text or Date zones — best when your document already has its own signature lines. Each zone belongs to a specific party, so pick who it's for before drawing it. Date zones fill in automatically with the date that party completes the document (the send date for your own fields, or the day each signer signs) — no one types a date. Zones are positioned relative to the file you upload, so if you later regenerate that document with more or less text, place the zones again on the new file.

Multiple signers: add up to 5 signers, each with their own email (and optional WhatsApp number). Everyone is invited at once and can sign in any order; each signer gets their own private signing link and only completes the fields assigned to them. You're notified as each one signs, and the final document — with every signature stamped on your original pages plus an appended audit-trail page — is generated and emailed to everyone once the last signer finishes. Every signer needs at least one signature zone.

Vendor fields (your side): assign zones to Vendor (you) to have your own content stamped automatically when you send — text and date values are typed in while placing, and vendor signature zones use your saved profile signature (add one under Profile → Your signature first). The uploaded file itself is never altered. Uploaded-PDF documents always use the drawn-signature method and don't support countersignatures. Up to 15 MB; password-protected PDFs aren't supported.

Resending a document

Open the document and click Resend. A new email is sent to the signer with the same link. Use this if the signer didn't receive the original email — this is independent of automatic reminders (see next section), so you can nudge a signer manually at any time.

WhatsApp sharing

If you entered a WhatsApp number when sending, a Share via WhatsApp button appears on the document page. Clicking it opens WhatsApp with a pre-filled message containing the signing link.

Revoking a document

Open the document and click Revoke. The signing link is immediately invalidated and the signer can no longer sign. This cannot be undone.

Automatic Reminders

SignLab automatically nudges signers who haven't completed a document yet, so you don't have to chase them manually. Each pending document can receive up to four reminder emails on this schedule:

1. 3 days after sending — gentle nudge
2. 7 days after sending — second reminder
3. 14 days after sending — third reminder
4. 48 hours before expiry — "last chance" reminder, styled in red

Each reminder uses the same visual style as the original signature request but with a "Reminder" banner. Every reminder is recorded in the document's audit trail and appears in the final signed PDF.

What stops reminders

• The signer signs the document
• The document expires or is revoked
• The company's subscription is paused

What you'll see as the sender

Open any pending document — the side panel shows Auto-reminders: X / 4 sent · last X days ago once at least one reminder has fired. The full timeline at the bottom of the page also logs each reminder.

The Signing Experience

What the signer sees

The signer receives an email with a secure link. Clicking it opens a clean signing page showing your company name (or logo), the document content, and a signature pad. No account or login is required.

Drawing the signature

The signer draws their signature using their mouse, trackpad, or finger on a touchscreen. They can click Clear to start over.

Agreeing and submitting

What the signer needs to do depends on the signing method set on the template:

• Drawn signature only — the signer draws their signature on the canvas. Drawing is treated as agreement; no separate checkbox.
• Tick to agree only — the signer ticks an agreement checkbox. No signature canvas is shown.
• Both required — the signer draws a signature and ticks the agreement checkbox. Stricter — useful for contracts.
• Signer chooses — either drawing OR ticking is enough. The most flexible mode.

Once submitted, the document is finalised. A signed PDF is generated server-side and (by default) emailed to both the signer and your company — see Templates for how to suppress the signer's copy for confidential documents.

If the template requires a countersignature

After the recipient signs, the document moves to Awaiting Countersign and the designated countersigner (admin or agent) gets an email. They open the document in their dashboard and either click Use Saved Signature (if they've saved one on their profile) or draw a new one — both signatures then appear side-by-side on the final PDF.

After signing

The document status changes to Signed. You can download or preview the signed PDF from the document detail page. On every plan, Free included, the signed PDF ends with a Signature & Audit Record: the signature(s), document and signer details, the full event timeline (every view, signature, reminder, etc. with IP address and timestamp), and a Verify Authenticity card with a QR code.

• Business AI and Business Plus — the same record in premium certificate styling (navy chrome and wax seal).

The full event timeline is always available inside your SignLab dashboard regardless of plan, so you can audit everything from the document detail page.

Placeholders Reference

Placeholders are inserted into your template using double curly braces, e.g. {{signer_name}}. They are automatically replaced with real values when the document is viewed or signed.

Filled in by sender Sender provides

Auto-filled Automatic

Placeholder format

Placeholders use double curly braces with a key inside. The key can be lower or upper case and may contain letters, digits, and underscores — for example {{Position}}, {{client_id}}, or {{ reference }} (spaces inside the braces are fine). When the template is saved, all keys are normalised to lowercase, so {{Position}} and {{position}} behave as the same field.

If a placeholder isn't filled in when the document is sent, it shows up in the signed document as a subtle [not provided] note rather than the literal {{key}} text.

Dropdown placeholders

You can turn any placeholder into a dropdown by listing the options after the name, separated by pipe characters (|). When sending a document, you'll pick from the list instead of typing the value freely — useful for fields like job titles, departments, or anything with a fixed set of valid answers.

Example — in the template:

Position: {{role|Manager|Director|VP|CEO}}

Using the @ shortcut: type @role|Manager|Director|VP|CEO and press Enter or click outside the editor. The text converts automatically. Options can contain spaces (e.g. Senior Manager) — pipes are the only separator.

Typed placeholders

Add a type after the placeholder name (separated by a colon) to control what kind of input the send form shows:

• {{notes:textarea}} — multi-line text box (up to 5,000 characters, line breaks preserved)
• {{probation:yesno}} — a simple Yes / No choice
• {{monthly_rent:currency}} — numeric amount input
• {{agreement_date:today}} — auto-filled with the date the document is signed; no input shown

The @ shortcut works too: @notes:textarea converts to {{notes:textarea}}.

Signer-completed fields

Start a placeholder name with signer_ (or type @signer- in the editor) and the field is completed by the signer on the signing page rather than by you at send time — useful for details only the signer knows, like an ID number or emergency contact.

Example: {{signer_id_number}} or {{signer_comments:textarea}}. Until signed, these show as an amber [Completed by signer] marker in previews; the signer must fill every one before they can sign. (signer_name, signer_email, and signer_phone are exceptions — those are system fields you provide when sending.)

Billing & Plans

Free trial

When you create a new account and choose a paid plan (Pro, Team or Business), you automatically get a 14-day free trial — no credit card required to sign up. During the trial, you have full access to your plan's features and limits.

The trial is granted once per company at the time of registration. You'll receive a reminder email 3 days before it ends. After the trial, your plan activates and your card is charged — or you can leave your account on the Free plan without entering payment details.

To activate your subscription during the trial, go to Billing in the sidebar and click Subscribe to [Plan]. This saves your payment method and schedules the first charge for when the trial ends. If the trial expires before you subscribe, your account moves to the Free plan — you can still subscribe to a paid plan after that, but no trial will apply.

Understanding your plan

Your plan determines how many documents you can send per month, how many templates you can have, and how many agents you can invite. Your current usage is shown on the Dashboard and in the sidebar quota bar — visible to admins and agents on every page.

Changing your plan

Go to Billing in the sidebar to view available plans. All changes take effect immediately and are prorated to the day. Upgrades charge the difference to your card straight away. Downgrades apply the unused credit to your Stripe account balance, which reduces your next invoice — no refund is issued to your card. Yearly plans save 20% versus paying monthly.

Document limits

The monthly document limit resets approximately every month from your billing start date. If you reach your limit, you can still send 2 more documents as a grace allowance (an amber banner tells you when you're using it). Beyond that, buy a document pack in Billing — packs never expire and are used after your monthly allowance — or upgrade your plan.

Payment issues

If a payment fails, your account stays fully active for 2 days while we wait for the payment to clear — you'll see an amber banner with the deadline. After 2 days, the account is automatically paused: existing signed documents stay accessible, but you can't send new ones until the payment method is updated. Use Manage billing in the banner to update your card.

Need a custom plan?

If your needs don't fit a standard plan — higher limits, multiple teams, or specific requirements — contact us and we'll set up a custom plan for you.

Verifying a Signed Document

What is document verification?

Every signed document, on every plan, includes a unique QR code and verification code. Scanning the QR code or visiting https://app.signlab.app/verify lets anyone find the signing record without a SignLab account. Compare your PDF on that page to confirm its bytes match the signed copy.

How to verify a document

There are four ways to verify a signed document at https://app.signlab.app/verify:

1. Scan the QR code — it's in the Verify Authenticity card of the Signature & Audit Record at the end of the signed PDF. Scan it with any camera or QR reader to go directly to the verification page.
2. Enter the verification code — the 10-character code printed next to the QR code (e.g. 1NGLNMFRQE). Type it at https://app.signlab.app/verify to see the document details.
3. Upload your PDF copy — on the verify page, drop your PDF into the upload zone. The SHA-256 hash is computed locally in your browser and compared to the hash stored when the document was signed. This confirms the file has not been modified since signing.
4. Paste the SHA-256 hash — if you have computed the hash yourself (e.g. via sha256sum document.pdf), paste it on the verify page to check it matches.

What the verification page shows

The verification page confirms: the signer's name, the company that requested the signature, the date and time of signing, and the document template name. It also shows the SHA-256 hash of the signed PDF for integrity checking.

Signed PDFs are never publicly downloadable — the verification page shows metadata only. To obtain a copy of the signed document, contact the company that requested your signature.

"Verification code" vs "Document ID" on the PDF

The signed PDF shows two identifiers in the Verify Authenticity card on the certificate page:

• Verification code — a short 10-character code (e.g. 1NGLNMFRQE) that's also printed as the Ref in the page footers of documents created from templates. This is the verification key — type it at https://app.signlab.app/verify, paste it into a URL like https://app.signlab.app/verify/1NGLNMFRQE, or scan the QR code.
• Document ID — the document's internal identifier (a longer UUID-style string). It exists for SignLab support staff and admin record-keeping. Recipients don't need this; the verification code is what verifies.

Understanding the hash check

A SHA-256 hash is a cryptographic fingerprint of a file. If even one character in a PDF is changed after signing, the hash changes completely. By comparing your copy's hash to the one stored at signing time, you can confirm the document is authentic and unmodified.

• Green "Hash matches" — your copy is identical to the original signed PDF.
• Orange "Hash mismatch" — the file has been modified since signing. Contact the company directly for the authentic copy.