What it does
Sends PDF documents for legally binding e-signature. Upload a contract, drag signature fields onto the page, add one or more signers, and email it off. Nautis tracks every signature in real time, stores the signed copy, and generates an audit log for your records.
Who can use it
- Founders and team members with DocSign permissions in their organization.
- Signers themselves don't need a Nautis account — they receive an email link, open it in their browser, and sign directly.
- Read-only members can browse existing documents but can't upload, send, or revoke them.
Where to find it
From the sidebar, open Legal and click DocSign.
Upload a document
- Click Upload Document in the top of the workspace.
- The Upload Document dialog opens.
- Enter a Title for the document — this is required.
- (Optional) Add a short Description to remind yourself what it covers.
- Drag a PDF file into the upload area, or click to pick one. Only PDF files are accepted, and the file size must be under 25MB. Nautis auto-fills the title from the filename if you haven't typed one.
- Click Upload. The document is created with the status Draft and opens in the detail pane.
Add signers and send for signature
- Open the document in Draft status.
- Click Send for Signing in the action bar.
- A side panel opens titled Send for Signing.
- Add signers using one of three buttons at the top:
- Add Myself — adds you as a signer using your account name and email.
- Add from Contacts — opens a picker so you can pull people from your Contacts.
- Add Signer — adds an empty row to fill in by hand.
- For each signer, enter their Full name and Email address. Both are required. Drag the trash icon to remove an extra signer. The number to the left of each row is the signing order — the first signer signs first, then the next, and so on.
- (Optional) Add a Message to include in the signing email — up to 2,000 characters.
- Set Expiry (days) — how long the signing link stays valid. Default is 30 days, range is 1 to 365.
- Click Send for Signing.
Place signature fields on the document
- After you click Send for Signing, Nautis opens an in-app editor where you place the actual signature, date, name, and checkbox fields on the PDF.
- Drag a Signature field from the toolbar onto the spot where the first signer should sign. Drop additional fields wherever each signer needs to act.
- Assign each field to a specific signer using the dropdown that appears with the field. Each signer can have several fields.
- When the layout is correct, click Send at the top of the editor. Nautis emails each signer a unique link in the order you set.
- If you need to step away mid-layout, exit the editor — the draft saves itself. Come back and click Resume Sending to finish placing fields. You can also click Edit Signers if you still want to change the recipient list.
Track signing status
- The document list shows a colour-coded Status badge for every record:
- Draft — uploaded but not yet sent.
- Sent — out for signature; waiting on signers.
- Completed — everyone has signed.
- Declined — a signer declined.
- Expired — the link ran out before everyone signed.
- Revoked — you cancelled the request.
- Open any document to see each signer's status side by side and exactly who you're waiting on.
- For sent documents, click Sync Status if you want to force an immediate refresh — otherwise Nautis updates in real time as signers act.
- Filter the list using the Status dropdown above it, or use Search to find a document by title.
Download the signed PDF and audit log
- Once a document is Completed (or Sent with at least one signer), open it.
- Click Download to save the latest version of the PDF — including all collected signatures.
- Click Audit Log to download a tamper-evident PDF report listing every action: who opened it, who signed it, when, and from what IP. Keep this for your legal records.
- To file the signed copy in a deal room, click Save to Data Room and pick either the Signed document or the Audit log. See Data rooms.
Revoke or delete a document
- To cancel a sent request before signing finishes, open the document and pick Revoke from the action menu. Signers can no longer act on the link, and the status changes to Revoked.
- To remove a draft you never sent, open it and click Delete. You can only delete documents in Draft status — sent and completed records stay locked for audit purposes.
Tips & limits
- Each document you upload counts toward your monthly DocSign creation limit. Check Account Settings > App Usage to see how many you've used this month and how many remain. Drafts count too — delete unused drafts to free up the quota.
- Set the signing order carefully: signer #1 receives the email first, signer #2 only gets their link once #1 has signed.
- The signing link expires after the Expiry (days) you set when sending. Tighten it for time-sensitive contracts; lengthen it for slower counterparties.
- Add yourself as a signer if a contract needs your countersignature — it's quicker than emailing your own draft back to yourself.
- Keep the Audit Log PDF — it's your legal proof of signing for each completed document.
- There are no shared templates today. If you reuse the same contract often, keep a master PDF in your local files and re-upload each time.
Frequently asked questions
Do my signers need a Nautis account?
No. They receive an email with a secure link, open it in any browser, and sign there. They never have to create an account.
Can I send the same document to several people in parallel?
You can add as many signers as you need. They sign in the order you set in the side panel — first signer first, then the next.
The file won't upload. What's wrong?
Two common causes: the file isn't a PDF, or it's larger than 25MB. Re-export from your source app as PDF, and use a compressor if it's a scanned document with large images.
Can I change signers after I've sent it out?
If the document is still in Draft with a saved layout, click Edit Signers to update the list. Once it's been sent, you'll need to Revoke and re-send a new request.
Are signatures legally binding?
Yes — DocSign uses e-signature standards that are accepted in most jurisdictions, and every signing event is logged in the Audit Log PDF. Check your local legal requirements for documents that need wet ink.
Why is my document stuck on "Sent"?
It's waiting for one or more signers to sign. Open the document to see exactly whose turn it is, and use Sync Status to force a fresh check. If the link has expired, you'll see the Expired badge instead.
Can I undo a completed signature?
No. Once a document is Completed, it locks. You can re-upload a new version and send it for a fresh round if you need to amend the agreement.
Still need help?
Our team answers every message. Already a customer? Open a support ticket from inside Nautis.