Create and send an envelope

Create Envelope is the core workflow for sending documents in WoltSign. It is where document structure, signer routing, and field assignment come together. If you build this process carefully, your team will send faster with fewer corrections and less follow-up. If you rush it, errors appear later as stalled signers, incomplete packets, and rework across departments.

This flagship guide walks every step in depth using exact in-app labels: Create Envelope, Details, Documents, Roles, Fields, Review, and Send Envelope. You will also learn when to save drafts, how to validate routing, and how to hand off tracking after send. For a complete workspace baseline, start with Set up your workspace.

Before you click Create Envelope

Good sends start before the first click. Gather your final PDF files, confirm signer identities and emails, and decide signing order. Write the envelope title in your approved naming format so colleagues can find it later. If your organization sends similar packets often, decide whether this should become a template after completion by using Save Template in a follow up iteration.

Keep this operational checklist visible:

• Final PDF versions approved and ready.
• Signer names and emails verified.
• Signing order confirmed by process owner.
• Folder destination selected.
• Reminder owner assigned in advance.

Step 1: Start with Create Envelope and complete Details

Open Envelopes and click Create Envelope. In Details, enter a clear title and choose the correct folder. Add optional internal description text if it helps reviewers understand context. If your process uses carbon copies, add CC addresses carefully. This step determines discoverability and internal coordination, so avoid vague titles like Contract Draft.

Use titles that encode the business event, counterpart, and date. This enables quick filtering in busy workspaces and reduces accidental duplicate sends. If folder structure needs improvement, review Organize envelopes with folders.

Step 2: Upload packet files in Documents

Move to Documents and upload one or more PDFs. Give each document a readable title that recipients can recognize in the signer view. If multiple files are present, verify order before continuing because signers often complete documents in sequence. Replace any outdated upload immediately rather than trying to correct later in Fields.

For teams with recurring packet formats, this is where one-off sending starts to show friction. If you repeat the same packet every week, convert it into a template after this send. Reusable packet structure cuts setup time and field placement errors. See Create a reusable template for that path.

Step 3: Define recipients in Roles

Roles controls who signs and in what order. Add one role per recipient. Enter role label, recipient name if available, and recipient email. Keep role labels task-focused, such as Buyer Signer, Seller Signer, HR Manager, or Finance Approver. Clear role names make field assignment easier in the next step and help troubleshoot quickly if someone stalls.

The order of roles matters for sequential routing. If your process requires one signer before the next, place them in that exact sequence now. For deeper routing strategy, read Sequential signing order. A frequent mistake is entering all signers correctly but in business order that does not match legal or operational requirements.

Step 4: Place signer actions in Fields

Fields is where recipients get concrete tasks. Select a document tab, choose a role, then place field types on the PDF. Required fields block completion until filled. Optional fields are available but skippable. At minimum, each signing role should have all legally and operationally required actions represented clearly.

Practical field placement guidance:

• Assign role first, then place fields. This avoids ownership mistakes.
• Keep fields aligned with visible instructions on the PDF.
• Use consistent spacing and sizing across pages.
• Test that every role has at least one required action when needed.
• Avoid placing fields on scanned text that is hard to read.

For a full field-by-field walkthrough, continue with Configure signing fields on a PDF. If field behavior looks unexpected, check /help-center/configure-signing-fields.

Step 5: Validate in Review before Send Envelope

Review is your quality gate. Confirm titles, folder, document list, role assignments, and field coverage. This is the best time to catch mistakes while correction is still fast. If warnings appear, return to the relevant step and fix root causes rather than bypassing quality checks.

Use this final pre-send checklist:

1. Envelope title and folder are correct.
2. All documents are final versions and correctly ordered.
3. Every role has correct recipient email.
4. Signing order matches business process requirements.
5. Required fields exist for every mandatory signer action.
6. No duplicate or overlapping fields remain.

Send Envelope and hand off responsibly

Once validation passes, click Send Envelope. This action notifies recipients and starts live tracking. Immediately open envelope detail to confirm first statuses are visible and that the expected roles appear in the right order. Copy sign links if your process also distributes links through another channel. Assign one owner for follow-up and reminder actions.

The handoff step is often skipped, which causes delayed response when a signer misses email. Build handoff into your standard operating procedure. See Track signers and send reminders for a complete follow-up cadence.

When to save draft instead of sending now

Sometimes the right decision is to pause. Save draft when legal review is pending, recipient details are not final, or key documents are still being revised. Drafting keeps structure without notifying signers. Returning later is usually faster than rebuilding from scratch and lowers the risk of sending with outdated information.

A disciplined draft policy prevents accidental sends under deadline pressure. Require one final verification by the document owner before Send Envelope is permitted on high-risk workflows.

Create Envelope vs Use Template decision rule

Use Create Envelope when document structure, recipient count, or fields change often. Use Template when the packet and role structure repeat. From a template, choose Quick Send when only recipient details change. Choose Customize Before Sending when you need wizard-level edits before dispatch.

This decision rule keeps teams efficient without forcing everything into one mode. If you are uncertain, start with templates for the highest-volume process first, then expand gradually.

Common mistakes and fast fixes

Most problems are preventable with checklist discipline. Here are frequent issues and corrective actions:

• Wrong recipient email: return to Roles, correct email, then revalidate in Review.
• Missing required action: add role-specific fields and verify assignment.
• Signers out of order: reorder roles to match process and legal sequence.
• Stalled completion: open detail, inspect status, then use Send Reminder.

For additional operational troubleshooting, bookmark /help-center/send-your-first-envelope and /help-center/track-signers-and-reminders.

Operational standard you can share with your team

Teams that send reliably use one standard: prepare with intention, validate in Review, then track actively after send. Put this sequence in your onboarding material and reinforce exact UI labels so handoffs are clear. Once this baseline is stable, expand with templates and structured routing.

Continue with Create a reusable template and Sequential signing order to improve speed while keeping quality high.