If you've ever lost track of a contract renewal date, you know the pain: surprise invoices, awkward client calls, even service lapses. It's not glamorous work, but getting contract reminders sorted saves you headaches—and money. If you're using Contractbook to manage contracts, the good news is, you can set up automatic reminders so you don't have to rely on sticky notes or your memory. This guide walks you through the process, step by step, with a focus on what works, what doesn't, and how to avoid unnecessary complexity.
Why bother with automated reminders?
Let’s keep it real: contract renewal reminders aren’t exciting, but missing them costs time and credibility. Manual calendars and email flags are easy to ignore (or forget to set). With automated reminders, you get:
- Fewer missed renewals or accidental service lapses
- Less admin time spent hunting for dates
- More headspace for actual work
But don’t get sucked into setting up reminders for everything. Focus on contracts where the renewal actually matters—think recurring vendors, key client deals, or anything with penalties for missing a date.
Before you start: What you need
Contractbook has a lot of features, but you only need a few to get reminders working:
- A Contractbook account (obviously)
- Contracts stored digitally in Contractbook (drag, drop, or draft them in)
- At least one contract with a clear renewal or expiration date
- (Optional) Team access, if you want others to get reminders too
You don’t need fancy integrations or a paid add-on for basic reminders. If you already have contracts in Contractbook, you’re halfway there.
Step 1: Make sure your contract has a renewal date field
Automated reminders only work if Contractbook knows when your contract needs attention. That means you need a proper date field.
Here’s the trick: - When you upload or create a contract, look for a field like "Renewal Date," "Expiration Date," or similar. - If your template doesn’t have one, add a custom date field. Don’t just write the date in the body of the contract—it won’t trigger anything.
Pro tip:
Be consistent with naming. If you call it "End Date" on some contracts and "Renewal Date" on others, you’ll make bulk reminders harder later.
Step 2: Set up a reminder in Contractbook
Contractbook lets you add reminders to any document with a date field. Here’s how, in plain language:
- Open the contract you want to set a reminder for.
- Find the relevant date field (usually in the summary on the right, or in the contract body if you added it yourself).
- Hover over or click the date field. You should see an option like “Add reminder” or a bell icon.
- Set your reminder. Pick a time—like “7 days before” or “30 days before.” You can usually set multiple reminders if you want a heads-up more than once.
- Decide who gets the reminder. By default, it’s you. But you can add teammates or external collaborators if they’re involved.
That’s really it—you don’t need to build a workflow or zap anything unless you want to get fancy.
What works:
- Setting multiple reminders for critical contracts (e.g., 30 days and 7 days out).
- Keeping reminder text simple (“Heads up: Contract X renews soon”).
What doesn’t:
- Overloading your inbox with reminders for every contract you’ve ever signed.
- Relying on reminders set “on signature”—that won’t help with renewals unless the renewal date is tied to the signature.
Step 3: Check your notification settings
A reminder is useless if you never see it. Take a minute to check how Contractbook notifies you:
- Email: The default for most users. Make sure Contractbook emails don’t land in spam.
- In-app notifications: Easy to miss if you don’t log in often.
- Integrations: If you use Slack, Teams, or another tool, you can connect notifications there—but it’s optional.
Honest take:
For most folks, email gets the job done. If you’re drowning in email, consider setting up a custom filter or label in Gmail/Outlook so reminders don’t get buried.
Step 4: Automate reminders for new contracts (optional, but smart)
Manually adding reminders to every contract is tedious. If you use templates—or want to get a bit more advanced—Contractbook lets you add reminders by default to new contracts.
Here’s how to set it up:
- Edit your contract template.
- Add a renewal or expiration date field if it’s not already there.
- Attach a reminder to that field (e.g., “30 days before renewal date”).
- Save the template.
Now, every time you use that template, the reminder comes along for the ride. You can always tweak or delete it on a case-by-case basis.
Pro tip:
If you’re in charge of contract ops, do this once for your main templates and save your team a ton of grunt work.
Step 5: Review and update reminders regularly
Life happens—contracts get amended, terms change, dates shift. If you set and forget reminders, you’ll eventually get pinged about the wrong date.
- Schedule a quick check-in: Once a quarter, skim your active contracts and make sure the dates/reminders are still right.
- Archive old contracts: No point in getting reminders for stuff that’s long done.
- Update when you renegotiate: If a renewal date changes, update the reminder the same day.
What to ignore (and what to watch out for)
Like any software, Contractbook has bells and whistles. Here’s what you can safely ignore for basic reminders:
- Workflows and automations: Unless you have a lot of contracts or complex approval chains, you don’t need to set up full-blown workflows just for reminders.
- Integrating with external calendars: It’s tempting, but these connections can break or clutter your calendar fast. Stick to email unless you have a real reason.
- Mass reminders for every document: Not every contract needs a renewal reminder. Be ruthless—set reminders for the big stuff, not every NDA.
Watch out for: - Multiple date fields: Double-check you’re attaching reminders to the right field (e.g., “Renewal Date,” not “Signature Date”). - Notification overload: If you set reminders for everything, you’ll start ignoring them. Choose wisely.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Not getting reminders?
- Check your spam folder.
- Make sure the reminder is actually set (Contractbook will show a bell icon or similar).
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Double-check that your contract has the correct date field.
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Reminders going to the wrong person?
- Edit the recipient list in the reminder settings.
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Remove ex-employees or external collaborators if they no longer need notifications.
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Can’t find the reminder option?
- Make sure you’re working in a supported contract format (some imported PDFs may not allow field-based reminders).
- Update your browser or try a different one if the UI isn’t loading right.
Quick checklist for sanity
- [ ] Does each important contract have a clear renewal/expiration date field?
- [ ] Have you set at least one reminder for each critical contract?
- [ ] Are your notification settings correct?
- [ ] Do you review reminders once in a while to keep them current?
Stick to these basics and you’ll avoid 95% of contract renewal headaches.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, tweak as you go
Automated reminders in Contractbook aren’t magic, but they’re a solid way to stop missing renewal dates you care about. Set them up for the contracts that matter, avoid cluttering your inbox, and revisit your setup a few times a year. Don’t worry about getting every workflow perfect on day one—start simple, see what actually helps, and adjust as your needs change. Your future self (and your team) will thank you.