Creating a New Document

Upload your PDF document to SignNXT and prepare it for secure electronic signatures. This is the first step in your document signing workflow.

⚡ Quick Start

Have your PDF ready? You can upload and send a document for signature in under 5 minutes.

Before You Start

What you'll need:

✅ PDF document - Finalized and ready (max 25MB)
✅ Document name - Clear and descriptive
✅ Signer information - Names and emails (for the next step)

Two-Stage Process

Stage 1: Upload your document (this guide)
Stage 2: Add signers and place signature fields (next guides)

This approach lets you prepare documents at your own pace.

💡 Pro Tip

Keep PDFs under 5MB for faster loading and a better signing experience.

File Requirements

Requirement	Details
Format	PDF files only (.pdf)
Size	Maximum 25MB
Pages	Unlimited
Resolution	Any (optimized for screen viewing)

🔐 Secure Uploads

All documents are uploaded securely and remain private until you send them for signature.

⚠️ PDF Only

Only PDF files are supported. Convert Word documents (.docx), Excel files, or other formats to PDF before uploading.

How to Upload a Document

Navigate to Documents

Click Documents in the left sidebar to access your document library.

Here you'll see all your documents organized by folders: drafts, completed, shared, and more.

Document editor showing Add Signer button

Your document library with all folders and files

Click Upload Document

In the top-right corner, click the Upload Document button to begin.

Upload Document button highlighted in top-right corner

Click the Upload Document button

Name Your Document

Enter a clear, descriptive name for your document.

Examples of good names:

Employee Offer Letter - John Smith
Sales Agreement - Acme Corp - Q1 2025
NDA - Vendor Partnership - Dec 2025

Why naming matters:
This name appears in your document list, email notifications, and activity logs.

Document Name field with example name entered

Give your document a descriptive name

💡 Naming Convention

Use this format: Document Type - Recipient/Company - Date

This keeps your documents organized and easy to search.

Upload Your PDF

Choose your upload method:

🖱️ Drag & Drop
Drag your PDF file directly into the upload area

📁 Browse Files
Click the upload area to open your file browser

The file name and size will display once selected. Upload progress is shown for larger files.

PDF upload area with drag-drop zone and file size limit indicator

Upload your PDF using drag & drop or file browser

📄 File Requirements

Format: PDF only
Size: Maximum 25MB
Status: File name and size shown after selection

Select Save Location (Optional)

Choose where to save your document:

Default: My Drafts (Private)
Your personal draft folder - only you can see it

Shared Folders:
Save to a team folder for collaborative access

Save to Shared Folder dropdown showing My Drafts (Private) selected

Choose a save location - defaults to My Drafts

🔒 Privacy Note

Documents in "My Drafts (Private)" are only visible to you until you share them or move them to a shared folder.

Set Reminders & Expiry (Optional)

Expand the Reminders & Expiry section for advanced options:

📧 Automatic Reminders

Enable to send reminders to signers who haven't completed
Useful for time-sensitive documents

⏰ Document Expiry

Set expiration in days (e.g., 30 days)
Prevents signing after the deadline
Leave blank for no expiry

Reminders & Expiry section expanded showing checkbox and day input

Optional: Configure reminders and expiration

Upload and Continue

Click Upload and Continue to proceed to document preparation.

Your document is now saved as a Draft and you'll be taken to the preparation screen.

Upload and Continue button at bottom-right of form

Complete the upload and move to preparation

✅ What's Next

You'll now see the 3-step preparation flow:

Add Signers - Who needs to sign?
Place Fields - Where do they sign?
Send - Deliver the document

What Happens After Upload?

After uploading, SignNXT guides you through a 3-step preparation workflow:

1. Add Signers

Add the people who need to sign your document:

• Name - Full name of each signer
• Email - Where they'll receive the signing link
• Signing Order - Sequential

The document shows "Signers (0)" until you add at least one signer.

Learn how to add signers →

2. Place Fields

Use the field palette to drag signature fields onto your document:

• Signature - Electronic signature field
• Initials - Initial field for quick acknowledgment
• Date - Auto-filled signing date
• Text - Custom text input fields

Each field is assigned to a specific signer. The system tracks "0 placed" until you add fields.

Learn how to place fields →

3. Send for Signature

Review everything and send:

• Preview the document as each signer will see it
• Click "Send for Signature"
• Track progress in real-time

Learn how to send documents →

📊 Progress Tracking

The preparation screen shows your progress with a visual indicator:
Add Signers → Place Fields → Send

You must complete each step before moving to the next.

Document Status Guide

Understanding document statuses in your Documents list:

Status	Meaning	Progress Indicator
Draft	Uploaded but not sent	Can be edited or deleted
Pending	Waiting for signatures	Shows "0/1 signed"
Completed	All signers finished	Shows "1/1 signed" ✅
Declined	A signer declined	Requires new document
Voided	Cancelled by sender	Cannot be reopened
Expired	Expiry date passed	Can be resent if needed

✅ Draft Status

Your document starts as a Draft until you send it. Draft documents can be edited, modified, or deleted anytime without affecting signers.

Folder Organization

SignNXT provides a comprehensive folder structure to keep your documents organized:

My Folders(System Folders)

Default folders created automatically:

• All Documents - View all documents across folders
• Drafts - Documents not yet sent
• Sent Items - Documents sent and awaiting signatures • Completed - All signatures collected ✅
• Scheduled - Documents with scheduled reminders/expiry
• Declined - Documents refused by signers
• Voided - Cancelled documents
• Deleted - Removed documents

👥 Shared Folders

Collaborate with your team:

• All Company - Documents shared with your entire organization
• Custom Shared Folders - Create folders for team collaboration

🔒 My Folders

Your private workspace:

• My Drafts (Private) - Your personal draft documents (default save location)

💡 Organization Tips

Create custom folders by:

• Department - HR, Sales, Legal
• Project - Q1 Onboarding, Client Contracts
• Status - Urgent, Archive, Review

Best Practices

✅ Document Preparation

✅ Do

•Finalize all content before uploading

•Use clear, readable fonts

•Ensure adequate white space for signature fields

•Test PDF opens correctly on different devices

•Remove password protection from PDFs

•Flatten existing form fields

❌ Don't

•Upload documents with editable form fields

•Use password-protected PDFs

•Include unnecessary pages

•Upload extremely large files

📝 Naming Conventions

Good examples:

✅Employment Contract - Sarah Johnson - 2025-01-15

✅NDA - Acme Corp - Q1 2025

✅Lease Agreement - 123 Main St - Unit 4B

✅Offer Letter - John Smith - Dec 2025

Avoid:

❌Document1.pdf

❌Untitled.pdf

❌final_FINAL_v3_revised.pdf

❌doc.pdf

Troubleshooting

🚫 PDF Won't Upload

Problem: File upload fails or gets stuck

Solutions:

✅Check file size (must be under 25MB)

✅Ensure file is a valid PDF

✅Try a different browser (Chrome or Firefox recommended)

✅Check your internet connection

✅Try compressing your PDF using online tools

🐌 Upload is Very Slow

Problem: Upload takes several minutes

Solutions:

✅Check your internet connection speed

✅Compress your PDF to reduce file size

✅Refresh cache and try again

📦 File is Too Large

Problem: PDF exceeds 25MB limit

Solutions:

1. Compress the PDF:

•Use online tools like SmallPDF or PDF Compressor

•Reduce image quality in the PDF

•Remove unnecessary pages

2. Split the document:

•Divide into multiple smaller PDFs

•Send as separate documents

3. Optimize images:

•Reduce image resolution before creating PDF

•Convert color images to grayscale if appropriate

❌ Wrong File Uploaded

Problem: Uploaded the wrong PDF

Solutions:

✅Delete the document (if still in draft status)

✅Create a new document with the correct file

✅Or continue to the editor and void the document later

Adding Signers

Add multiple signers to your document

Placing Signature Fields

Drag and drop fields onto your PDF

Sending Documents

Send your document for signature

Managing Folders

Organize documents with custom folders

Next Steps

Document uploaded successfully? 🎉

Continue to Adding Signers to learn how to add people who need to sign your document.

Creating a New Document

Before You Start

File Requirements

How to Upload a Document

Navigate to Documents

Click Upload Document

Name Your Document

Upload Your PDF

Select Save Location (Optional)

Set Reminders & Expiry (Optional)

Upload and Continue

What Happens After Upload?

Document Status Guide

Folder Organization

Best Practices

✅ Document Preparation

✅ Do

❌ Don't

📝 Naming Conventions

Good examples:

Avoid:

Troubleshooting

🚫 PDF Won't Upload

🐌 Upload is Very Slow

📦 File is Too Large

❌ Wrong File Uploaded

Related Articles

Next Steps