Automatic signature reminders in SignZA send follow-up emails to your signer on day 3, day 7, and day 14 after you send a document. If your signer hasn't signed yet, they receive a clear reminder with their signing link — no manual chasing required.
How automatic reminders work
When you send a document through SignZA, the platform schedules three automatic follow-up emails to your signer. Each reminder is spaced to give the recipient enough time to act while keeping the document front of mind. The schedule works as follows:
- Day 3 — first nudge: A friendly reminder that the document is still awaiting their signature. This is the most effective reminder, as it catches signers who simply forgot after receiving the initial invite.
- Day 7 — second reminder: A follow-up email sent if the document is still unsigned. By this point, the signer has had a full week to act, and the reminder creates a soft sense of urgency.
- Day 14 — final reminder:A last automated follow-up before the document approaches expiry. This is the system's final attempt to prompt the signer without any manual effort on your part.
Each reminder email is sent from SignZA on your behalf and contains the signer's unique signing link along with a prominent call-to-action button. The emails are professional and clear — they look like a natural follow-up from you, not a generic automated message.
Reminders stop automaticallythe moment the document is signed or voided. There is no risk of a signer receiving a reminder after they have already completed the document — the system detects the signed status and cancels all pending reminders immediately.
How do you enable or disable reminders when sending?
Reminders are controlled at the point of sending, giving you flexibility for every document. Some documents — like a quick internal request to a colleague — don't need automated follow-ups. Others, like contracts with new clients, benefit from every nudge available.
When you reach the send step of the SignZA workflow, you will see an Auto-reminders toggle. This is turned on by default. To disable reminders for that specific document, simply toggle it off before clicking Send. The signer will still receive the initial invite email with their signing link — they just won't receive the day 3, day 7, and day 14 follow-ups.
This setting is per-document, not a global preference. Disabling reminders on one document does not affect any other documents you have sent or will send in future. Each document you send has its own independent reminder schedule.
For more detail on the full sending process, see how to send a document for signature.
How do you send a manual reminder from your dashboard?
Sometimes you need to follow up outside the scheduled cadence — immediately after a phone call where the signer confirmed they would sign, or just before an important deadline. SignZA lets you send a manual reminder at any time from your Documents dashboard.
To send a manual reminder:
- Open your Documents dashboard and locate the pending document.
- Click the document to open its detail view.
- Click the Send reminder button.
- SignZA immediately sends a follow-up email to the signer containing their unique signing link and a clear call-to-action.
There is no daily limit on manual reminders. You can send one immediately after a call, again the following morning, and again before a deadline — whatever the situation requires. Manual reminders run alongside the automatic schedule; sending a manual nudge does not reset or cancel the day 3, day 7, and day 14 automatic emails.
Your dashboard also shows each document's status: Pending, Opened, Signed, or Expired. An “Opened” status means the signer clicked their link but has not yet signed — this is the ideal moment for a manual nudge while the document is fresh in their mind.
Why follow-ups via WhatsApp work better in South Africa
In South Africa, WhatsApp is the primary communication channel for most people — both personally and professionally. Open rates for WhatsApp messages are significantly higher than email, and most people read and respond to WhatsApp before they open their inbox. For time-sensitive documents, combining SignZA's automatic email reminders with a direct WhatsApp message is the most effective approach available.
After sending your document, you can copy the signing link directly from your dashboard. This link is the same unique link that appears in every reminder email — it takes the signer straight to their signing page, no login required.
This approach works especially well for estate agents, attorneys, insurance brokers, and anyone whose clients are more active on WhatsApp than email. The automatic reminders handle the email channel for you; WhatsApp covers the personal channel. Together, they maximise the chance of getting the document signed quickly.
If you frequently send documents to the same clients, consider saving them as contacts so their details are pre-filled on future sends. See how to save and reuse contacts for more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Can I customise the reminder message?
Not currently. The reminder emails use a standard professional template sent on your behalf via SignZA. Custom reminder message content is on the product roadmap. The initial invite email does support a personal message — you can add a note to your signer during the send step, which appears prominently in the first email they receive.
What happens if I want to resend the signing link manually?
From your Documents dashboard, open the pending document and click Send reminder. This sends an immediate email to the signer containing their unique signing link. There is no need to re-upload the document or create a new session — the original link remains active until the document is signed, voided, or expired. You can also copy the link directly from the dashboard and send it via WhatsApp, SMS, or any other channel you prefer.
Do reminders work if I sent via WhatsApp instead of email?
Automatic reminders are always sent by email, regardless of how you shared the original signing link. The system sends reminder emails to the signer's email address that you provided when setting up the document. If the signer does not have an email address on file, automatic reminders will not reach them — in this case, use the manual reminder feature to copy the link and send it via WhatsApp directly from your dashboard.
Can I turn off automatic reminders for one document but not others?
Yes — reminders are configured per document, not as a global setting. When sending any document, toggle Auto-reminders off to disable the day 3, day 7, and day 14 schedule for that document only. All other documents you send will continue to use the default reminder schedule unless you also disable them individually. This gives you full control without affecting your broader workflow.
Does sending reminder emails affect the ECT Act audit trail in South Africa?
No. The ECT Act 25 of 2002 audit trail is captured at the moment of signing, not at the moment of sending. Whether the signer receives one initial invite email, three automated reminders, or a manual WhatsApp nudge, the audit certificate in the signed PDF always records the same information: the signer's full name, email address, IP address, timestamp, and explicit consent declaration. The number of reminder emails sent has no bearing on the legal validity of the signature. Read our ECT Act e-signature guide for a full explanation of what makes an electronic signature legally valid in South Africa.