Why documents stall
When a document sits unsigned, it is rarely because the signer said no. More often the email arrived at a bad time, got buried under other mail, or was opened on a phone in a hallway and left for later. Later never came.
A reminder fixes that. But there is a fine line between a helpful nudge and a nag. Too many reminders, or reminders at 11 PM on a Saturday, and people start to resent the sender. Too few and the document stays stuck. This guide explains the schedule we recommend and the settings that make it work.
The 2 and 4 day pattern
Our recommended default is simple: send the first reminder 2 days after the document goes out, then repeat every 4 days, and stop after 3 reminders.
Two days gives the signer a fair chance to act on the original email. Most people who are going to sign quickly do so within the first day or two. Anyone who has not signed by then has probably lost track of it, so a reminder at that point is welcome rather than pushy.
After that, every 4 days is a calm rhythm. It is often enough that the document does not slip out of mind for weeks, and far enough apart that the signer does not feel chased. Stopping after 3 reminders keeps the total to four emails including the first. If someone has not signed after that, an automatic email will not change their mind. It is time for a phone call.
You can change any of these numbers. First reminder after N days, repeat every N days and stop after N reminders are all on the Send step under Reminders and expiry. The preview shows the real dates before you send.
Quiet hours: 9 AM in the signer's time zone
A reminder that lands at 6 AM or late at night is easy to ignore and easy to resent. With quiet hours on, eSora Sign sends reminders at 9 AM in the signer's own time zone. If you are in Toronto and your signer is in Vancouver, their reminder arrives at 9 AM Pacific time, not 9 AM Eastern.
Nine in the morning is when most people are at their desks and working through email. A reminder sent then is near the top of the inbox when they sit down.
Weekdays only
Quiet hours also keep reminders off weekends. If a reminder would fall on a Saturday or Sunday, it waits until Monday at 9 AM. People are less likely to act on work email at the weekend, and a Saturday reminder can feel intrusive, especially for personal documents like leases or offer letters.
Here is what that looks like in practice. You send a document on a Monday afternoon. The first reminder is due 2 days later, so it goes on Wednesday at 9 AM. The next one is due 4 days after that, which is Sunday, so it waits and goes on Monday at 9 AM. The third is due Friday and goes Friday at 9 AM. That is four emails over about ten working days, all at a sensible hour.
Set an expiry date
Reminders work best alongside a deadline. An expiry date tells signers when the document will close, and the reminder emails mention it. Deadlines give people a reason to act now rather than later.
For most documents, an expiry of 14 to 30 days is reasonable. Time-sensitive documents, such as a quote with a price that holds for a week, should expire sooner. When a document expires, signers can no longer open it and you get a notification so you can decide whether to resend.
Different schedules for different people
Not every signer needs the same treatment. A senior executive who signs everything at the end of the week might need only one reminder. A new hire who is eager to start probably needs none.
eSora Sign lets you set per-person schedules. Open the recipient on the Send step and change the reminder settings for that person only. If a signer has told you they are travelling until Thursday, you can push their first reminder back without changing anyone else's.
When to send a reminder now
Sometimes you know a signer is ready. You just got off a call where they said they would sign this afternoon. Rather than wait for the schedule, open the document and choose Send a reminder now. It goes straight away, ignoring quiet hours, because you chose to send it. The automatic schedule continues afterwards.
Write a better first email
The best reminder is the one you never need. A clear first email gets more documents signed on the first try. Say what the document is, why it matters, and when you need it back. Keep it short. Something like: 'Here is your lease renewal for 14 Elm Street. Please sign by Friday so we can confirm your new term.'
eSora Sign lets you edit the subject and message on the Send step and preview it in English and French. Links in your message are turned off, so signers only click the secure signing button.
Set workspace defaults
Admins can set a reminder schedule for the whole workspace in Settings. We suggest 2 days, then every 4, stop after 3, with quiet hours on. Senders can still change it on each document, but starting from a good default means nobody forgets to turn reminders on.
This article is general information, not legal advice.