If you’re tired of chasing signatures, wrangling messy email threads, and getting lost in version hell every time you send a contract for approval, you’re not alone. B2B contract approvals are a pain, especially if you’re still doing things the old-fashioned way. Good news: you don’t need to shell out for a fancy “enterprise contract lifecycle platform” just to get documents signed and tracked. With a bit of setup, Jotform can make the process a lot smoother.
This guide is for people who want to set up a no-nonsense, repeatable contract approval workflow using Jotform—without the usual headaches or getting lost in a sea of features you’ll never use.
Why Jotform for B2B Contracts?
Let’s get the honest stuff up front:
- Jotform isn’t DocuSign or Adobe Sign. It’s not built just for contracts, but it does e-signatures and approvals surprisingly well—especially if you want something simple and customizable.
- It’s affordable and flexible. You don’t need to talk to a sales rep or buy a 5-figure “solution.”
- It plays nicely with other tools. You can hook it up to Slack, Google Drive, or your CRM with relatively little fuss.
But, if you need ironclad legal compliance in multiple countries or have super-complex approval chains, you’ll probably need to look elsewhere. For most small and mid-sized B2B teams, though, Jotform is plenty.
Step 1: Map Out Your Contract Approval Process First
Don’t start building forms until you know your steps. Take 10 minutes and sketch out (on paper or a whiteboard):
- Who needs to fill out the contract? (e.g., client, vendor)
- Who approves internally before it goes out?
- Who needs to sign, and in what order?
- What happens after it’s signed? (Does it go to legal, finance, get stored somewhere, etc.)
Pro tip: If your process is “whoever, whenever,” stop and fix that first. Automation won’t save a broken process.
Step 2: Set Up Your Contract Template in Jotform
2.1 Create a New Form or Use a Template
- Log in to Jotform and create a new form.
- You can start from scratch or use one of their contract templates. Templates are fine, but don’t get distracted by bells and whistles—keep it as simple as you can.
2.2 Add All the Necessary Fields
- Static text: For the contract terms. Use the Paragraph field for your actual contract language.
- Input fields: For anything that needs to be filled out (names, dates, company info, payment terms).
- E-signature field: Drag in the “Signature” widget for electronic signing.
- File upload (optional): If you need people to attach supporting docs.
- Hidden fields: Useful for tracking internal stuff, like approval status or deal IDs.
Don’t overdo it: Only ask for what you really need. Every extra field is a reason for someone to bail or make mistakes.
Step 3: Add Workflow Logic for Approvals
3.1 Use Jotform Approvals
Jotform has a built-in Approvals feature. Here’s how to set it up:
- After building your form, go to the Form Builder and click on the “Settings” tab.
- Click “Approval Flows” and create a new flow.
- Drag in the “Approval” element. Assign it to the person or people who need to sign off internally (e.g., your legal or finance team).
- Set up notification emails so approvers get pinged automatically.
- Decide what happens if someone rejects the contract—does it go back for edits, or is the process stopped?
3.2 Multi-step Approvals
Need more than one approval? You can chain them together:
- Add extra Approval steps (e.g., manager → legal → finance).
- You can set conditions (e.g., “If contract value > $10k, send to VP”).
Heads up: If your approval chains get too complicated, Jotform’s visual builder can feel clunky. For really tangled workflows, you’ll start hitting its limits.
Step 4: Set Up E-signatures for All Parties
4.1 For External Signers (Clients, Vendors)
- Add a Signature field for each external signer.
- Use the “Assign Form” feature if you want to send a unique link to each signer.
- Or, just send the form link directly if you’re not worried about strict access control.
4.2 For Internal Signers
- You can add signature fields for your team, too.
- If you want a specific order (client signs, then your CFO, for example), set up the approval flow to route the form accordingly.
- Each signer gets notified when it’s their turn.
Legal note: Jotform’s signature widgets create a basic e-signature, which is legally binding in most places (like the U.S. and EU). But if you need advanced audit trails or compliance with things like eIDAS “qualified” signatures, this isn’t the tool.
Step 5: Automate Notifications and Document Storage
Nothing slows things down like “I didn’t see the email.” Set it up so nobody can miss their to-do:
5.1 Email Alerts
- Set up autoresponder emails for everyone involved (approvers, signers, admins).
- Make sure the emails say exactly what’s needed and clearly show what’s next.
5.2 Integrate with Your File Storage
- Use Jotform’s integrations to automatically push signed contracts to Google Drive, Dropbox, or wherever you keep your documents.
- Save a copy in your CRM if you’re tracking deals.
Pro tip: Don’t rely on Jotform alone to keep your contracts safe. Download copies or sync to your own storage regularly.
Step 6: Test Your Workflow (Don’t Skip This!)
Before you send a contract to a real client:
- Fill out the form yourself, or with a colleague’s email.
- Walk through the entire approval and signing process.
- Make sure notifications go to the right people, signatures are captured, and the final document lands where you expect.
Find what’s clunky, fix it, and only then roll it out for real deals.
What Works Well (and What Doesn’t)
What Works
- Fast setup: You can get a basic contract approval flow running in a couple of hours.
- Flexible templates: Easy to clone and tweak for different contract types.
- Decent e-signature basics: Good enough for most day-to-day B2B deals.
- Integrations: Plays well with email, storage, and Zapier.
What Doesn’t
- Complex, multi-branch approvals: Gets messy fast. If you need more than 2–3 layers of approval, expect headaches.
- Advanced compliance: Not for industries with heavy legal or regulatory requirements.
- Bulk sending: Not great if you need to send 50 contracts at once and track them all individually.
What to Ignore
- Over-customizing: Don’t waste hours making your form look beautiful. Focus on clarity and function.
- Every integration under the sun: Set up what you’ll actually use, skip the rest.
A Few Practical Tips
- Template everything: Once you have a workflow that works, clone it for every new contract type.
- Limit signers: The fewer people who need to sign, the faster things move.
- Keep it human: Sometimes it’s faster to just call the approver if things get stuck.
Wrapping Up
Getting B2B contracts approved and signed doesn’t need to be a circus. Jotform makes it easier, but only if you keep your workflow simple and clear. Start with the bare minimum, test it, and tweak as you go. Don’t fall for shiny features you’ll never use. The best workflow is the one everyone actually follows.