How to Send Documents for E-Signing

Getting contracts signed should not involve printing, scanning, or chasing. TrustPager's built-in e-signing lets you send any document for electronic signature. There are two delivery modes: a standalone email link the signer opens anywhere, or directly inside the signer's client portal so they sign alongside their other items in one place.

Sending by email (standard)

From the document editor, click Send for Signing. A modal opens where you configure who needs to sign: add their name and email, optionally set a signing order if multiple people need to sign in sequence, and hit send.

Each signer receives a separate email with their own secure link. For security, they first enter a PIN code (sent in a separate message). Once verified, they see the full document and can review it before signing. The signature is captured directly on the screen and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile.

Sign via Portal

Sign via Portal surfaces the document inside the signer's client (or partner) portal instead of emailing a standalone link. The signer gets one portal invite and signs the document under the Documents to sign tab alongside their other portal items. No separate e-sign email is sent.

Turn it on in the Document Builder

1. Open the document template in the Document Builder and go to Settings in the right sidebar.
2. Turn on the Sign via Portal toggle at the top of the panel, then choose a Portal Template. This template is used to create the portal if the linked opportunity or referrer does not already have one.
3. The Send button becomes Portal. Click it to open the Send to Portal flow.

The Send to Portal flow

The flow has three steps:

1. Portal & people — shows the portal that will be created (or used if one already exists) and who will have portal access. Portal members can be more than just signers: you can invite viewers here too.
2. Signers — pick each signer from the portal people list and confirm their name. Names are editable at this step.
3. Review & send — confirm and send. The portal is created (or the existing one is used), the document appears in the portal's Documents to sign tab, and the signer is invited as a portal member.

Partner and referrer portals

If the portal template is a partner type, you link a Referrer instead of an opportunity. Because a document needs an opportunity for CRM data and signers, link one to the referrer first: go to the referrer's page under Growth > Referrals, or follow the warning bar in the Document Builder. The warning is informational and you can still send without linking, but linking the opportunity is what unlocks CRM data merge and lets you pull signers from the deal automatically. For imported-PDF templates no CRM merge is needed, so you can add signers manually in the Send to Portal flow regardless.

After Signing

Once all signers have signed (whether via email or portal), the document is marked as complete. The signed copy, with all signatures embedded, is permanently stored on the opportunity. An activity is logged and you receive a notification confirming the signing.

Managing Signing Status

The Signing Envelopes page shows the status of every document sent for signing: pending, partially signed, completed, or voided. If a signer has not opened the email you can resend it with one click.

Via API, MCP, or Automation

The send_for_signing tool and endpoint accept a deliver parameter that controls delivery mode:

• deliver: "portal" sends to the portal only and suppresses the standalone e-sign email. Requires portal_template_id (creates the portal if none exists) and an anchor: either opportunity_id for a client portal or referrer_contact_id for a partner portal.
• show_in_portal: true is the additive variant: the document surfaces in the portal and the standalone email link is still sent. Useful when the signer may prefer to sign outside the portal.

You can also pass portal_members as an array of {email, name} objects to invite viewers who have portal access but are not signers.

The Send for Signing automation action supports the same deliver, portal_template_id, referrer_contact_id, and portal_members options, so you can trigger portal-delivery signing automatically when an opportunity reaches a stage.

Tip: Sign via Portal works with both section-based document templates and imported-PDF templates. Build your proposal with sections and merge fields, turn on Sign via Portal, and send, all without leaving TrustPager.