Asking for a signature by email used to mean attaching a PDF and writing "please sign and return". The other person then printed it, signed it, scanned it, and sent back a blurry photo, if they did it at all. With electronic signatures the request is still an email, but it carries a link that takes the signer straight to the right place on any device. What you write around that link still decides how quickly you get it back.
The two ways to request a signature by email
Attach and ask is the old way: you email a PDF and ask the person to sign and return it. It is free and needs no tools, but it puts all the work on the signer, gives you no idea whether they have opened it, and the result, a scan of a signature, is weak evidence of who signed and when.
Send through an e-signature service is the better way. You upload the document once, enter the signer's email, and the service emails them a personal signing link. You see when they open it and when they sign, reminders go out on their own, and everyone gets the signed copy at the end. The rest of this guide assumes this second way.
What a good signature request email contains
When you send a document with Salsox, the email your signer receives already covers the basics:
- A clear subject. "Ama Mensah sent you “Website design agreement” to sign": who it is from and what it is.
- Your message, if you add one.
- A single button, "Review and sign".
- Reassurance that it works on any phone with no account or app.
- The deadline: the date the link is valid until.
Your part is the message, and the title of the document, which appears in the subject line. A title like "Website design agreement, Boateng Studio, October" gets opened; "scan_0042" looks like spam.
In Quick Send, open Title, message and expiry to write your message and set how long the link stays valid.
Email wording you can copy
Keep it to two or three sentences. Say what the document is, why it needs a signature, and when you need it.
New client contract
Hi Kofi, here's the service agreement we discussed on Tuesday. Could you review and sign it by Friday? Once it's signed I'll book in the kick-off for next week.
Quote acceptance with a deposit
Hi Efua, your quote for the kitchen refit is ready to sign. Signing it and paying the 30% deposit secures your start date of 3 November.
Offer letter
Hi Daniel, congratulations again. Your offer letter is ready to sign; please return it by the 20th. Any questions about the terms, just reply to this email.
Lease renewal
Hi both, your lease renewal for Flat 4 is ready. Each of you will receive your own link; the renewal takes effect once you've both signed.
Internal approval
Hi Sam, this supplier agreement needs your approval before it goes to the supplier. It's the version Legal signed off on last week.
Following up without being a nuisance
Most unsigned documents are not refused; they are forgotten. Three habits help.
- Let reminders do the first nudges. Salsox reminds unsigned signers automatically every three days, so you rarely need to chase in person at first.
- Check the status before writing. The document's page shows whether the person has opened it. "Sent but never opened" suggests a spam folder or a wrong address; "opened but not signed" suggests a question.
- Make the personal follow-up a question. "Just checking the agreement reached you. Anything you'd like to change before signing?" gets more replies than "Reminder: please sign."
If the email address was wrong, correct it on the document's page: the old link stops working and the right person gets a new one. If they read everything on their phone, share the link by WhatsApp or SMS from the same page. And if a deadline has passed, extend the links rather than sending a new document; signatures already given stay.
What to avoid
- Attaching the PDF as well. Two copies invite signing the wrong one.
- Forwarding someone's signing link to another person. A link signs as the person it was sent to.
- Vague subjects such as "Please sign" or "Document". They look like phishing and get ignored or filtered.
- Long messages. If the email needs a page of explanation, the document probably needs a call first.
- No deadline. "When you get a chance" tends to mean never.
Sending to more than one person
When several people must sign, each receives their own email and link, so you can see exactly who is still to sign. If order matters, for example an approver before the client, use signing order on the Business plan. If the documents are separate, our guide to signing multiple documents online covers how to organise them. For the whole process from preparing the PDF to keeping the signed copy, see how to send a document for signature.
Send your first request
You can prepare a request with the free request a signature tool before creating an account, or sign up free and send 3 documents a month at no cost. Paid plans, with no limit on documents, are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask someone to sign a document by email?
Send the document through an e-signature service, which emails them a personal signing link, and add a short message saying what it is, what you need and by when. Avoid attaching a PDF and asking them to print, sign and scan it.
What should I write when sending a document for signature?
One or two sentences: what the document is, why it needs their signature, and the date you need it back. For example: "Here's the service agreement we discussed. Could you sign it by Friday so we can start on Monday?"
How do I politely follow up on an unsigned document?
Let automatic reminders do the first nudges, then write a personal note that offers help: "Just checking the agreement reached you. Any questions before you sign?" A question gets more replies than another reminder.
Should I attach the PDF to the email as well?
No. Attach nothing and let the signing link carry the document. A second copy invites people to sign the wrong one.