Creating your first document in SignNow is quick and intuitive. Whether you’re sending a contract, agreement, or form for completion, SignNow makes it easy to prepare, assign roles, and collect signatures securely. This feature is perfect for users who are new to electronic signing or want to streamline paper-based workflows. By setting up your first signing document, you’ll learn the basics of uploading, adding fields, assigning recipients, and sending it for eSignature — all in one place, with full visibility from start to finish.
Upload Document
Click on the +Create button on the top left side to upload your first form. If you plan to reuse the same form, you can upload it as a Template right away; alternatively, you can simply upload it as a Document.
Click here to learn more about all supported upload options. You can also upload multiple forms at once — SignNow will automatically combine them into a single document package after the upload.
Supported file formats: ‘pdf’; ‘doc’; ‘docx’; ‘odt’; ‘rtf’; ‘png’; ‘jpg’; ‘jpeg’; ‘gif’; ‘bmp’; ‘xml’; ‘xls’; ‘xlsx’; ‘ppt’; ‘pptx’.
The size of the document shouldn’t be more than 50 MB on the desktop SignNow and 50 MB on the iOS/Android SignNow app. Request attachment field - 9.5 MB, email attachments - 10 MB.
📝 You can also drag and drop a file directly from your computer into SignNow to upload it instantly.
When you upload a document to SignNow, it is automatically scanned for viruses to ensure the safety and integrity of your files. Once the upload is complete, you will be redirected to the edit mode, where you can start adding recipients and assigning fields to them.
Manage Recipients
In SignNow, recipients are the people who will receive your document to sign, fill out, approve, or review.
Once your document is uploaded to SignNow, you will be automatically redirected , you can start adding recipients and assigning their roles. You can include as many recipients as needed for your workflow. Additionally, you can add a CC recipient, who will not sign but will automatically receive a copy of the completed, signed document.
Once you enter an email address, it will appear as assigned to that role. If you are planning to have the form reused as a template, you can remove the email anytime to leave the role unassigned. This way, the recipient's email can be configured dynamically every time the new invite is sent. The recipient's name is visible only to you as the document editor — the signer will not see this information in their invite.
Hit Save and Continue when you are done setting up the recipients to continue adding fillable and static fields to your form.
Auto-detect Fields
When you upload a PDF that already contains native fillable fields, SignNow automatically scans the document and detects any fields that are compatible with its system. You’ll see a prompt offering to add these detected fields automatically. Click Add Fields to let SignNow place them for you, saving time in setup, or choose Skip if you prefer to manually add and customize the fields yourself.
Assign Fields
Fillable fields are interactive elements that allow you to collect information from your signers — such as signatures, initials, dates, names, contact details, or any other required input. These fields make your document dynamic and ensure that all necessary data is captured accurately during the signing process.
To add fillable fields:
Select the correct role — Make sure the focus is set on the intended signing role (e.g., Recipient 1), not on Me (Fill Out Now). The “Me” option is only for adding static text or pre-filling information before sending the document for signing.
Add fields to the document — Simply drag and drop the desired field (Signature, Text Field, Date, Checkbox, etc.) onto the document.
Assign fields to recipients — You can assign each field to a specific recipient to ensure that only the correct signer can fill it out. Alternatively, select a recipient first and then add all their fields directly.
As you add fillable fields to your document, SignNow provides several tools and customization options that make the setup process intuitive and precise:
Left-side panel – Use this panel to switch between recipients and select the type of field you want to add (e.g., Signature, Initials, Text Field, Checkbox, Date). Each field is color-coded based on the recipient, helping you easily identify who will complete which part of the form.
Upper-side panel – This area contains formatting controls, allowing you to adjust font style, size, alignment, and text position within the field. You can use these options to match the document’s design or improve readability for signers.
Right-side panel – Here, you can configure additional field settings, such as adding a label, setting prefilled text, or marking a field as required. You can also save a field as a custom field for future use — perfect for standard fields like “Name,” “Email,” or “Company” that you frequently include in multiple forms.
When you place fields on the document, each field box appears semi-transparent, allowing you to see the underlying text or form lines. This transparency helps you align the field precisely with existing text or blank spaces, ensuring a clean, professional layout and accurate field placement.
Recipient with no fillable fields assigned will be able only to view or approve the document.
Preview Mode
You can open the Preview mode through the Open Preview button to review the form as a signer and ensure that it is set up properly. When done, click the Back to Editing button on the top left side to return to the edit mode.
Send Invite
You can Close and Save your form to get back to it later or choose Continue to proceed to the invite configuration right away.
Once you click Continue, you will be redirected to the Invite Page to fill out signer emails, customize invite email and invite settings.
On the Invite Page, the following configurations become available based on your current plan:
Check the Signing Order.
Choose Customize Message to edit the subject and message of the invite email that the signer will receive, and check the email preview for each recipient.
Manage additional settings to set up Authentication or Reminders.
Add CC Recipient for document or step completion to automatically notify selected individuals once a document or a specific signing step has been completed, and to share the completed document via email.
Edit the document name if required.
You can Close and Save your form to return to it later or click Continue to move directly to the Invite Page and configure your signing settings. Once you click Continue, you’ll be redirected to the Invite Page, where you can enter signer emails, customize your invitation message, and adjust invite settings.
Depending on your plan, the following configuration options are available:
Review or modify the order in which recipients will receive and sign the document.
Customize Message – Edit the subject line and body of the email your recipients will receive. You can also preview the invite email for each signer.
Manage Additional Settings – Configure Authentication and Reminders to enhance security and ensure timely signing.
Automatically notify selected individuals via CC once a document or specific signing step is completed. CC recipients also receive a copy of the finalized document.
Edit the Document Name (top left side of the screen) – Update the document title before sending, if needed.
Aside from email invites, documents and templates can be sent via SMS / Bulk Invite / Invite Links.
Tracking Invite Status
Once the invite is sent, you can track its progress through the document statuses (Waiting for Others / Signed), Quick Access folders, and/or Document History for a detailed action log (whether the document has been opened, signed partially, etc.).
Document Completion
Once all parties have signed the document, you can find it in your Documents folder with the Signed status, or under Completed / Signed in the Quick Access section. As the document sender, you’ll also receive an email notification confirming completion, along with a copy of the signed document (unless the file size exceeds 9.5 MB).