If you're drowning in email chains and Slack threads just to get a contract approved, you're not alone. This guide is for anyone who wants to spend less time chasing signatures and more time doing actual work. We’ll go step by step through building a contract approval workflow in Juro, and I’ll flag the pitfalls and shortcuts you actually need. Let’s cut through the fluff and get your approvals running on autopilot.
Why Automate Contract Approvals in the First Place?
Before you jump in, know this: automating contract approvals isn't just about being fancy. It's about:
- Stopping contracts from vanishing in inboxes
- Making sure the right people see the right docs, every time
- Auditing who approved what (so you aren’t playing detective later)
But don’t expect magic. Automation won’t fix broken processes or unclear roles. If your team isn’t already agreeing on what "approved" means, fix that first.
Step 1: Map Your Approval Process (Don’t Skip This)
It’s tempting to jump right into the tool, but you'll regret it. Spend 20 minutes sketching out:
- Who actually needs to approve what? (Legal? Finance? Just the manager?)
- Does the order matter? (E.g., Finance before Legal, or can they run in parallel?)
- Are there exceptions? (Like, contracts over $50k need the CFO’s sign-off?)
Write this down. Use a doc, a whiteboard, napkin—whatever works. If your process is a mess, automation will just make the mess faster.
Pro tip: Less is more. Only add steps you really need. Every extra approver slows things down.
Step 2: Get Your Juro Account Ready
Assuming you’ve got a Juro account (if not, set one up—it’s straightforward), make sure:
- Everyone who needs to approve contracts has an account and right permissions.
- Your templates are up to date. Approval rules hook onto these.
- You have admin access, or know who does.
If you’re stuck waiting for IT or admin rights, get that sorted first. No tool can fix internal bottlenecks.
Step 3: Build Your Contract Templates
Juro’s automation revolves around templates. Here’s what to do:
- Go to Templates in Juro.
- Either create a new one or pick an existing contract template.
- Make sure all fields you’ll need for approvals (like value, department, contract type) are included as smart fields.
Why? Approvals can be conditional—maybe contracts over a certain value need extra review. If you don’t capture those details, you can’t automate the logic.
Don’t overcomplicate. Start with your most common contract. You can always add more templates (and conditions) later.
Step 4: Set Up Approval Workflows
Now for the fun part. Here’s how to actually build your workflow in Juro:
1. Go to “Workflows” or “Approval Settings”
- In Juro, these settings live under your template editor.
- Look for “Approvals” or “Approval workflow”—the UI changes sometimes, but it’s pretty obvious.
2. Add an Approval Step
- Click “Add approval.”
- Choose who needs to approve—by name, role, or even a group.
3. Set Conditions (Optional, But Powerful)
- Want Legal to approve only if the contract is over $25k? Add a rule:
“If [Contract Value] > 25000, require [Legal Team] approval.” - This is where those smart fields pay off.
4. Decide on Order and Parallel Steps
- You can make approvals happen one after the other (sequential), or at the same time (parallel).
- Sequential is safer—parallel can save time, but increases chance of confusion. Pick what matches your real process.
5. Save and Test
- Don’t just save and walk away. Test it.
- Run a dummy contract through. Make sure notifications go out, approvals are required, and nothing slips through.
Watch out for:
- Notification overload. If everyone gets pinged for every contract, they’ll start ignoring alerts.
- Missing fallback. What happens if someone’s on vacation? Set up backup approvers or clear substitution rules.
Step 5: Train Your Team (Yes, Really)
You can have the slickest workflow in the world, but if your team ignores it, it’s useless.
- Run a quick walk-through (screenshare, lunch and learn, whatever).
- Show them where to approve, how to delegate, and what happens if they stall.
- Remind them: contracts won’t move forward until approvals are done.
Shortcuts that backfire:
- Don’t just send a Slack and hope for the best. People need to see it in action at least once.
- Don’t rely on “read the doc I sent”—no one will.
Step 6: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Set and Forget
Even the best workflow will need tweaking. Here’s how to keep it running smoothly:
- Check stuck contracts. Every week or two, look for contracts sitting in limbo. Is someone always slow to approve? Is the process too complicated?
- Ask for feedback. Not in a survey—just ping the team. What’s annoying? What’s unclear?
- Adjust the workflow. Don’t be precious about the first setup. Remove unnecessary steps, add clarifications, or reassign roles as you learn.
What to ignore:
- Vanity metrics. “Number of contracts automated” doesn’t matter if they’re still getting stuck.
- Overbuilding. Don’t try to automate every possible exception from day one.
Step 7: Integrate with Other Tools (Optional, But Handy)
If you want to get fancy, Juro plays decently with other tools:
- Slack/Email notifications: Make sure approvals show up where people actually work.
- CRMs or HR systems: Push contract status or create records automatically.
- Zapier or API: For edge cases, you can connect Juro to almost anything, but only bother if you have a real use case.
Honest take:
Integrations are cool, but don’t waste hours wiring up systems unless it saves you real time or headaches. Start simple.
Step 8: Document the Process (So You Don’t Have to Explain It 10x)
Put your approval process somewhere obvious—wiki, Notion, whatever. Include:
- Who approves what
- Where to find the contract templates
- What to do if someone’s out
- Who to bug if the workflow breaks
This isn’t busywork—it’ll save you endless “how do I…” questions later.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Automating your contract approvals in Juro can save you serious time, but only if you keep the process straightforward. Don’t fall into the trap of building a monster workflow to cover every edge case. Start with your most common contract, get it working, and refine from there.
Automation works best when it’s boring, predictable, and invisible. That’s the goal. So, get the basics right, launch it, and tweak as you go. You’ll spend less time chasing signatures—and more time on the work that matters.