A contract is not finished until it is signed. In many organisations that still means: download the PDF from SharePoint, upload it to a signing portal, type in the signers again, chase them, download the signed version and file it back in the right place. For a Benelux customer we removed all those steps. In their SharePoint contract management on Shareflex, a contract manager sends a contract for signature with Oodrive Sign or DocuSign – without leaving SharePoint – and gets the signed contract back in the same place.
This article explains what PDF Sign does, how it works for the user and what it delivers. Updated November 2026 with signing packages (agreement plus attachments), CC recipients, automatic follow-up and the PDF Sign report.
The problem: signing happens outside the contract
Most contract registers stop at the moment of signing. The signing itself happens in a separate portal, by e-mail or on paper. The result: no overview of what is still waiting for a signature, signed versions that end up in mailboxes instead of in the contract file, and an audit trail spread over several systems. PDF Sign brings the whole signing process into the contract file in SharePoint.
One flow, two signing providers
PDF Sign works with Oodrive Sign and DocuSign. The user sees the same buttons regardless of the provider; the organisation chooses which provider to use, and both can run side by side. The connection details stay on the server side, in a protected settings list – never in the user’s browser.

How it works for the contract manager
1. Prepare the signing package
A contract rarely consists of one PDF. On the contract’s Documents tab, the user marks the main document as Agreement and the files that belong to it – annexes, conditions, schedules – as Attachment. They are signed together as one document, in a fixed order.

2. Choose signers and CC recipients
With Set Recipients the user enters the signers, who sign in the order entered, and optionally CC recipients who receive a copy without signing – for example legal or finance.

3. Check and send
Before anything is sent, Shareflex shows exactly which documents go out and in which order. One click and the signers receive their e-mail; the documents are marked as pending signature.

4. Follow-up without chasing
The status is visible in the contract’s document list – for example “Signed by …, 1 of 2” and later “2 of 2 – Completed”. Shareflex checks the status automatically every hour, so nobody has to log in to a portal to see where a contract is.

5. The signed contract files itself
As soon as everyone has signed, the signed PDF and the signature certificate are stored in the contract automatically. The signed version becomes the active document; the unsigned originals are set to inactive, but stay available with their full history.

Proof and control: the PDF Sign report
Every signed contract carries a PDF Sign report: which documents were signed and in which order, who signed and when, who received a copy, and when the e-mails were sent and opened. That is the audit trail an auditor, a court or your own legal department asks for – stored with the contract itself.

When something goes wrong, someone knows
Renaming a file or changing its type during signing causes no problems. If a document is deleted from the contract while it is out for signature, Shareflex cannot finish the automatic update. In that case the responsible contract managers receive an e-mail with clear instructions, and the issue is recorded in the PDF Sign report. Nothing fails silently.

Overview across all contracts
The central document overviews show the signing status of every contract, with filters on signers, CC recipients and status. Management and contract managers see in one place which agreements are still waiting for a signature – within the rights each user has.

What it delivers
- Faster signing: from contract to signed contract without leaving SharePoint, and no more downloading, uploading or re-typing.
- Complete packages: an agreement plus attachments, signed as one document, with CC recipients.
- Less chasing: hourly status updates in the contract list and an overview of everything still open.
- Proof in the right place: signed PDF, certificate and PDF Sign report are stored with the contract, automatically.
- Freedom of provider: Oodrive Sign and DocuSign behind the same buttons.
- Secure: connection details stay server-side; documents stay in your own Microsoft 365 tenant.
Signing contracts from SharePoint?
Digital signing is part of the contract management we build on Shareflex Contract. Also read about our Shareflex DigitalSign API for DocuSign, the AI PDF scan and the Copy Contract feature in the same module. Get in touch for a demo.
