If you’re sending contracts, agreements, or any kind of paperwork for e-signature, you know the waiting game can be maddening. Who’s signed? Who hasn’t? Did someone miss the email? If you use Adobesign, tracking and managing document status is supposed to be easy. But let’s be real: there’s a fair bit of clicking around, and some features are more useful than others. This guide is for anyone who wants to keep their document process moving without losing their mind. Whether you’re new to Adobesign or just want a more efficient routine, read on.
1. Understanding Document Statuses in Adobesign
Before you can track or manage anything, you need to know what the statuses actually mean. Adobesign uses a handful of straightforward terms, but they’re not always as obvious as you’d think.
- Out for signature: You’ve sent the doc, and it’s waiting for someone to sign.
- Signed: All parties have signed. You’re done.
- Waiting for you: You need to sign or take action.
- Cancelled/Declined: Someone bailed or rejected the request.
- Expired: The signing window closed before everyone finished.
- Completed: A catch-all for “everything’s wrapped up,” which usually just means “Signed.”
Pro tip: Don’t overthink the difference between “Signed” and “Completed.” For most workflows, they’re the same thing.
2. Step-by-Step: Tracking Document Status
Here’s how you actually see where your documents stand—without digging through old emails or guessing.
Step 1: Log in and Go to ‘Manage’
- After logging in, click on the ‘Manage’ tab. This is your command center.
- You’ll see a dashboard split into sections: In Progress, Waiting for You, Completed, Cancelled, etc.
Step 2: Filter and Search
- Use the filters on the left to find docs by status (e.g., “In Progress” for unsigned stuff).
- Search by recipient name, document title, or even by date if you’re dealing with a mess of files.
Step 3: Drill Down for Details
- Click on any document to open a sidebar with all the info: who’s signed, who hasn’t, timestamps, and even the audit trail.
- If you sent the doc to multiple people, you’ll see who’s holding things up.
What works: The real-time updates are reliable. You don’t need to refresh obsessively; Adobesign does a decent job pushing status changes to your dashboard.
What doesn’t: The search is basic. If you don’t remember the exact name or email, finding older docs can be a slog.
3. Managing Documents in Progress
Once you know where everything stands, you might need to nudge, fix, or even cancel a document.
Step 4: Send Reminders
- In the document’s sidebar, you’ll see an option to ‘Send Reminder.’
- You can send reminders to everyone or just the stragglers.
Reality check: Don’t spam folks with reminders. One every few days is plenty. Too many, and you’ll get ignored—or worse, end up in spam.
Step 5: Replace or Correct Recipients
- If you sent a doc to the wrong person or they’re out sick, you can swap them out—if the document hasn’t been signed yet.
- Click ‘Edit Recipients’ or ‘Correct’ (the wording changes depending on your version).
- Make your changes and save.
Limitations: If someone’s already signed, you usually can’t edit recipients or the document. You’ll need to cancel and resend.
Step 6: Cancel or Decline
- To pull back a document, hit ‘Cancel’ from the sidebar.
- The recipient gets a notification, and the document is moved to the ‘Cancelled’ section.
Heads up: There’s no “undo” for canceling. Only do this if you’re sure.
4. Keeping Tabs with Notifications and Reports
You can’t (and shouldn’t) live in your dashboard. Here’s how to set up notifications so you don’t miss critical updates.
Step 7: Set Up Email Alerts
- By default, Adobesign emails you for big events—sent, signed, canceled, etc.
- You can tweak these in Account > Personal Preferences > Notifications.
- Turn off the noise for things you don’t care about (like “Document Viewed” if you don’t need it).
Step 8: Use Reports for a Bird’s-Eye View
- Go to Reports (sometimes under “Tools” or “Manage”).
- Run a report for a date range, user, or document status.
- Export to CSV if you want to work your spreadsheet magic.
What’s useful: Reports are good if you manage lots of agreements or need to show your boss “look, we’re waiting on Legal—again.”
What’s meh: The reporting isn’t exactly pretty or flexible. You’ll probably want to clean up the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets.
5. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
Even with a solid workflow, things go sideways. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Lost in spam: Recipients missing emails is the #1 headache. If someone claims they never got it, have them check spam/junk. You can also copy the signing link and send it directly.
- Wrong email address: Double-check before you send. Correcting after sending is a pain.
- Expired documents: If your signers wait too long, the doc expires. You can set longer windows in advanced settings, but don’t make them endless—security matters.
- Multiple versions floating around: When you cancel and resend, make it clear which doc is the “real” one. Otherwise, you’ll get signatures on the wrong file.
6. What to Ignore (Unless You Really Need It)
Adobesign has a lot of features aimed at big companies—think workflow automation, integrations with obscure tools, or custom branding. Most people don’t need these for basic tracking and managing.
- Bulk Send: Only useful if you’re sending the same doc to dozens of people at once.
- Advanced workflow templates: Nice if you’re pushing hundreds of contracts, overkill for small teams.
- APIs and integrations: Unless you have a dev team or use Salesforce, don’t bother.
Stick to the basics first. Fancy features are great for demos, but they add complexity you probably don’t need.
7. Quick Tips for Staying Sane
- Keep your ‘Manage’ dashboard tidy. Archive or delete old docs you don’t need.
- Name your documents clearly. “Q2 NDA – [Client Name]” beats “Document_2024_v3.pdf.”
- Set reminders for yourself, not just signers. Put a calendar note to check in if something’s been stuck for days.
- Test your workflow. Send a doc to yourself or a coworker first to iron out any kinks before involving clients.
Wrapping Up
Don’t let tracking and managing documents in Adobesign become a chore. Most of what you need is right in the ‘Manage’ tab and your inbox. Skip the bells and whistles until you’ve mastered the basics. Start simple, tweak as you go, and you’ll spend less time chasing signatures—and more time doing your actual job.