Everyone sends a document with a mistake eventually: the wrong email address, a deadline that passes before the signer gets to it, a missing person, or the wrong PDF altogether. Most of these can be fixed in place without starting again. One cannot, and knowing which is which saves a lot of awkward emails.
What you can fix, and what you can't
| Mistake | Fix in place? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong email address | Yes | Edit the recipient; the old link stops working |
| Wrong name or phone number | Yes | Edit the recipient |
| Link expired before they signed | Yes | Extend the links |
| Email didn't arrive | Yes | Resend, or share the link by WhatsApp or SMS |
| Wrong or outdated document | No | Cancel, then send the corrected document |
| Missing signer or wrong fields | No | Cancel, then send again with the right setup |
The rule behind the table: who receives the document can change; what they are signing cannot. Once a document is sent, its content and fields are fixed, because a signature only means something if the signer and the sender saw the same document.
Wrong email address
This is the most common mistake and the easiest to fix. On the document's page, choose Edit beside the recipient, correct the address and save.
Two things happen. The old link stops working immediately, so whoever received it by mistake cannot sign. And the corrected address gets a fresh link, with the same fields assigned to them as before. The change is recorded in the audit trail.
If the wrong address belonged to a real person outside your business, a short note to them is courteous: "Sorry, that was sent to you by mistake; the link no longer works."
The link expired
Signing links should expire, so an old offer cannot be signed months later. When someone runs out of time, extend the links from the document's page. Every unsigned recipient gets more time, and a document that has already expired comes back to life. Signatures already given stay in place, so nobody has to sign twice. Pick an expiry that matches the document next time: thirty days for most contracts, less for time-limited quotes.
The email didn't arrive
Check the address first: a typo means editing the recipient, not resending. If the address is right, resend the invitation, ask the person to check their spam folder, or skip email altogether and share their link from the Share menu by WhatsApp, SMS or your own email app. Sending documents for signature on WhatsApp explains how.
The wrong document
If you attached the wrong PDF, or the right PDF with a mistake in it, the document must be replaced:
- Cancel the document from its page straight away. Every signing link stops working, so nobody signs the wrong version.
- Tell the recipients in a line: "Please ignore the agreement I sent this morning; a corrected version follows."
- Send the corrected PDF as a new document.
If someone had already signed the wrong version, their signature does not carry over. That is deliberate: a signature applies to the exact document the person saw. Keep the cancelled document and its audit trail; it shows what happened and when.
A missing signer or wrong fields
Recipients and fields are set when the document is sent, so adding a forgotten signer or moving a misplaced signature box also means cancelling and sending again. To avoid it, check the Send step before sending: every signer listed, each with their own fields, and signing order set if it matters (sequential vs parallel signing explains when it does).
When the signer finds the mistake
Sometimes the signer spots the problem: a wrong date, a misspelt name, a clause you agreed to remove. A well-designed signing page lets them decline with a reason rather than sign something wrong. You will see the reason on the document's page, fix the document, and send the corrected version. Our guide on what to do when someone won't sign shows what that looks like.
Habits that prevent most mistakes
- Copy email addresses from a previous email rather than typing them.
- Name files clearly so the right PDF is the obvious one to attach.
- Read the Send step once before pressing send.
- Send to yourself first when you set up an important document for the first time.
For the whole sending process, see how to send a document for signature.
Try it
Create a free account and send a document to yourself to see the editing, extending and cancelling tools; the free plan sends 3 documents a month. Paid plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit a document after sending it for signature?
You can correct who it goes to: a recipient's name, email or phone. You cannot change the document's content once it has been sent; for that, cancel it and send a corrected version.
What happens to the old link when I correct an email address?
In Salsox it stops working immediately, and the corrected address receives a new link. The recipient's fields stay as they were.
Can I extend the deadline on a document?
Yes. Extending the links gives every unsigned recipient more time, and revives a document that has already expired. Signatures already given stay.
What if someone has already signed the wrong version?
Cancel the document, send the corrected version to everyone, and keep the cancelled one for your records. A signature on one version never carries over to another.