Document Status Explained: Not Sent, Waiting, Signed, Expired
On the Documents page each signer (party) shows a status - Not Sent, Waiting, or Signed - and a document is complete when every party has signed. Every plan.
Prerequisites
- Plan: any plan - Free, Individual, or Agency
- Document: a document with at least one party (see How Multi-Party Signing and Signing Order Work)
What Do the Status Badges Mean?
Each document on Documents lists its parties, and each party has a badge:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Sent | The party has not been sent the document yet. |
| Waiting | The party was sent the document and has not signed yet. |
| Signed | The party has signed. |
The document itself can also show Expires in a number of days, or "Document expired on" with the date.
How Does a Document Move From Upload to Completion?
- Upload - you upload a file (or use a template) and it opens in the editor. Every party shows Not Sent.
- Prepare - you add parties and fields.
- Send - with Send via email, the 1st party is emailed and shows Waiting; later parties are emailed as the previous one signs. With Generate links, every party shows Waiting at once.
- Sign - each party that signs shows Signed.
- Complete - when the last party signs, BreezeDoc creates the completed PDF and emails it to every signer, to you, and to any CC recipients.
Until the document is complete you can still change it with More → Edit; fields of parties who already signed stay locked. After completion the document can no longer be edited - download it or clone it. See How to Download Signed Documents and Activity PDFs.
What Happens When a Document Expires?
- Every document sent by email has an expiration date (90 days by default).
- After the date, signers who have not signed see "Document Expired". Parties who already signed keep their signature.
- The list shows "Document expired on" with the date and "You can clone it and resend it".
- You can end access early with More → Expire, or set a new date.
Details: Document Expiration.
What Happens When I Delete a Document?
- On Documents, open More next to the document and click Delete.
- Confirm "Are you sure you want to delete this document?". You see "Document archived."
The document disappears from your list, and its signing links stop working. Deleted documents cannot be restored from BreezeDoc - download anything you need first.
How Do I Track Status?
- Filters - on Documents, the filter shows All, Sent, Not sent, Completed, In progress, or Expired documents. See How to Search and Filter Your Documents.
- Activity - click Activity next to a document to see when each party was sent the document, viewed it, and signed. See How to Track Document Activity and Download the Audit Log.
Troubleshooting
A party has shown Waiting for days
- Open Activity to see whether they viewed the document.
- Check their email address, ask them to look in spam or junk, and click Resend next to them on Documents.
A later party still shows Not Sent
- With Send via email, later parties are emailed only after the previous party signs. To email one now, click Send next to them on Documents.
One party signed, but the document is not complete
- A document is complete only when every party shows Signed. Check which party still shows Waiting or Not Sent.
The document expired before everyone signed
- Set a new expiration date or clone the document and send the copy - see Document Cloning.
Still stuck? Email support@breezedoc.com with the document name and the party's email address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a document after sending it?
Yes, until every party has signed: More → Edit. Fields of parties who already signed cannot be changed.
What does "In progress" mean?
It is a filter on the Documents page: documents still waiting for at least one signature whose expiration date has not passed.
Can I restore a deleted document?
No. Deleted documents cannot be restored from BreezeDoc, and their signing links stop working.
Can signers still open a completed document?
Yes. Their signing link shows their confirmation page, where they can open the signed document, and they receive the PDF by email.
Need more help? Contact our support team at support@breezedoc.com - we are here to help!