Email Notifications and Automatic Reminders

Keep recipients informed and improve completion rates with email notifications and automated reminders. This guide covers notification types, configuring automatic reminders, customizing email templates, reminder limits, and troubleshooting delivery issues.

Prerequisites

  • Account: Active BreezeDoc account
  • Plan for Reminders: Pro or Agency plan (automatic reminders require paid plan)
  • Plan for Custom Emails: Pro or Agency plan (email customization requires paid plan)
  • Document: Created document with recipients
  • Access: Document owner or editor role

Email Notification Types

Document Notifications

BreezeDoc automatically sends email notifications for key document events:

  • Document Sent – Recipient receives email when document is ready for signing
  • Document Opened – Sender receives notification when recipient opens the document (if enabled)
  • Document Signed – Sender and other parties receive notification when a recipient completes their fields
  • Document Completed – All parties receive final confirmation when all recipients have signed
  • Expiration Warning – Recipients receive alert 3 days before document expires
  • Document Reminder – Automated reminders sent to recipients who haven't completed signing (Pro/Agency only)

Invoice Notifications

  • Invoice Sent – Recipient receives email with invoice details and payment link
  • Payment Received – Sender and payer receive confirmation when invoice is paid
  • Payment Failed – Sender receives notification if payment processing fails

Team Notifications (Agency Plan)

  • Team Invitation – New team members receive invitation email with accept link
  • Role Changed – Team members notified when their role is updated
  • Removed from Team – Notification sent when member is removed

Automatic Reminders (Pro/Agency Plans)

What are Automatic Reminders?

Automatic reminders are follow-up emails sent to recipients who haven't completed their document signing. This feature helps improve completion rates by gently nudging recipients to take action. Key features:

  • Plan Requirement: Available on Pro and Agency plans only (not available on Free plan)
  • Configurable Intervals: Set how often reminders are sent (e.g., every 24 hours, every 3 days)
  • Maximum Reminders: Up to 3 automatic reminders sent per recipient
  • Smart Timing: Reminders stop automatically once recipient completes signing
  • Same Content: Reminders use the same email template as the original document notification
  • Per-Document Setting: Enable reminders individually for each document

Configuring Automatic Reminders

Step-by-Step: Enable Reminders for a Document

  1. Log in to your BreezeDoc account (Pro or Agency plan required).
  2. Go to Documents and select the document.
  3. In the document settings or before sending, look for Email Reminders or Reminder Settings.
  4. Toggle Enable Automatic Reminders to ON.
  5. Select Reminder Interval:
    • Every 24 hours (daily)
    • Every 2 days (48 hours)
    • Every 3 days (72 hours)
    • Every week (7 days)
  6. Save the settings.
  7. Send the document to recipients.
  8. BreezeDoc automatically sends reminders at the specified interval until:
  9. ✅ Recipient completes signing, OR
  10. ✅ Maximum 3 reminders are sent, OR
  11. ✅ Document expires

Reminder Behavior and Timing

  • First Reminder: Sent [interval] after the document is initially sent (e.g., 24 hours later if interval is daily)
  • Subsequent Reminders: Sent at each interval until recipient completes or maximum is reached
  • Maximum Count: 3 reminders total per recipient (after 3 reminders, automatic emails stop)
  • Completion: Reminders stop immediately when recipient signs
  • Multi-Party: Each recipient is tracked independently – one recipient completing doesn't stop reminders for others
  • Expiration: Reminders stop if document expiration date is reached

Reminder Limits and Restrictions

  • Plan Requirement: Free plan users cannot enable automatic reminders (feature shows as disabled/locked)
  • Maximum Reminders: 3 reminders per recipient (hardcoded limit to avoid spam)
  • Minimum Interval: Typically 24 hours minimum (prevents excessive emailing)
  • No Manual Trigger: Reminders run on schedule – you cannot manually trigger a reminder email
  • Already Sent Documents: Reminder settings apply at send time – enabling reminders after sending may not work

Expiration Warnings

What are Expiration Warnings?

Expiration warnings are automatic emails sent 3 days before a document's expiration date. These warnings are distinct from regular reminders and are available on all plans. Key features:

  • Automatic: Sent automatically when document has an expiration date set
  • Timing: Sent exactly 3 days before expiration date
  • All Plans: Available on Free, Pro, and Agency plans
  • Single Notice: One warning per recipient (not repeated)
  • Urgent Tone: Email emphasizes urgency to complete before deadline

Setting Document Expiration

  1. Open the document in Documents.
  2. Look for Expiration Date or Deadline field in document settings.
  3. Select a date when the document should expire (e.g., 30 days from today).
  4. Save and send the document.
  5. BreezeDoc automatically sends expiration warnings 3 days before this date.
  6. On the expiration date, the document becomes inaccessible to recipients.

Expiration Behavior

  • Warning Email: Sent 3 days before expiration to incomplete recipients
  • Access Blocked: Document link returns "Document Expired" message after expiration date
  • No Extension: Recipients cannot access expired documents (owner must create new document)
  • Completed Documents: Expiration does not affect already-completed documents

Customizing Email Templates (Pro/Agency Plans)

Custom Email Templates

Pro and Agency plans allow customization of email notifications sent to recipients. Customize:

  • Subject Line: Personalize email subject
  • Body Text: Customize message content
  • Sender Name: Change "from" name displayed
  • Branding: Add custom logo (Agency plan only)
  • Variables: Use dynamic fields like {{recipient_name}}, {{document_title}}, {{sender_name}}

Step-by-Step: Customize Email Templates

  1. Go to Settings ➜ Integrations or Email Settings.
  2. Find Email Templates or Customize Emails section.
  3. Select the email type you want to customize (e.g., "Document Sent" notification).
  4. Edit the Subject field (e.g., "Action Required: Sign {{document_title}}").
  5. Customize the Message Body with your preferred text and tone.
  6. Use Template Variables to personalize:
    • {{recipient_name}} – Recipient's name
    • {{sender_name}} – Your name
    • {{document_title}} – Document title
    • {{expiration_date}} – Expiration date (if set)
    • {{sign_url}} – Link to sign the document
  7. Preview the email to see how it will appear to recipients.
  8. Click Save to apply changes.
  9. Future documents will use the customized template.

Logo and Branding (Agency Plan)

  • Agency plan users can upload a custom logo for email headers
  • Logo appears at the top of notification emails instead of BreezeDoc branding
  • Upload logo at Settings ➜ Account ➜ Custom Logo
  • Recommended size: 200x50 pixels (PNG or JPG)

Email Delivery and Tracking

Tracking Sent Notifications

Monitor email delivery and recipient engagement:

  • Activity Log: View all sent emails in the document activity log
  • Sent Timestamp: See exact time each notification was sent
  • Opened Status: Track when recipient opened the document (if tracking enabled)
  • Reminder Count: See how many reminders have been sent to each recipient

Step-by-Step: View Email Activity

  1. Go to Documents and select the document.
  2. Click the Activity tab or button.
  3. View chronological log of all events:
    • 📧 Document sent to [recipient]
    • 👁️ Document opened by [recipient]
    • ✅ Document signed by [recipient]
    • 🔔 Reminder sent to [recipient]
  4. Check timestamps to see when each event occurred.
  5. Use this data to follow up manually if reminders aren't working.

Email Notification Best Practices

Reminder Frequency Recommendations

  • Urgent Documents: 24-hour interval (daily reminders for time-sensitive contracts)
  • Standard Documents: 48-72 hour interval (every 2-3 days for typical agreements)
  • Long-Term Documents: Weekly interval (7 days for non-urgent documents)
  • Avoid Over-Reminding: More frequent than daily can feel spammy and reduce trust

Communication Strategy

  • Set Expectations: Tell recipients upfront they'll receive reminders
  • Provide Context: Use custom email templates to explain why the document is important
  • Include Deadline: Always set an expiration date to create urgency
  • Manual Follow-Up: After 3 automatic reminders, follow up personally (phone/direct email)
  • Check Spam: Remind recipients to check spam/junk folders if they don't see emails

Improving Email Delivery Rates

  • Whitelist Domain: Ask recipients to add breezedoc.com to their email whitelist
  • Avoid Spam Triggers: Don't use all caps, excessive punctuation, or spam words in custom templates
  • Verify Addresses: Double-check recipient email addresses are correct before sending
  • Professional Tone: Use professional, clear language in custom emails
  • Test Delivery: Send test documents to yourself first to verify email appearance

Optimizing Recipient Experience

  • Clear Subject Lines: Make it obvious what action is required (e.g., "Please Sign: Employment Agreement")
  • Brief Messages: Keep custom email text concise – link to document for details
  • Mobile-Friendly: BreezeDoc emails are responsive – recipients can sign on mobile devices
  • Single CTA: Each email should have one clear call-to-action ("Sign Document" button)

Troubleshooting

Issue: Recipient says they didn't receive the document email

Fix: Check the document activity log to confirm the email was sent. Ask recipient to check spam/junk folder and search for emails from breezedoc.com or noreply@breezedoc.com. Verify the recipient email address is correct in the document recipient list. If email is correct and still not received, you can resend the document from the document page (look for "Resend" button). Add breezedoc.com to recipient's email whitelist for future documents. If using corporate email, check with IT department – some email systems block external signing links.

Issue: Automatic reminders are not being sent

Fix: Verify your plan includes the reminders feature (Pro or Agency required – not available on Free plan). Check that reminders were enabled BEFORE sending the document (enabling after sending may not work). Confirm the reminder interval is set (view document settings). Verify recipient hasn't already completed signing (reminders stop after completion). Check if 3 reminders have already been sent (maximum limit reached). Look in the activity log for "Reminder sent" events to confirm system is trying to send. If no reminders appear in activity log, contact support to verify cron job is running correctly.

Issue: Too many reminder emails are being sent

Fix: Reminders are capped at 3 per recipient – you cannot receive more than this. If multiple documents are sent, each document's reminders are independent. Check if you accidentally created duplicate documents for the same recipient. Disable reminders for future documents if you prefer fewer emails. After 3 reminders, follow up manually instead of sending a new document.

Issue: Expiration warning was not sent 3 days before deadline

Fix: Verify document has an expiration date set (check document settings). Expiration warnings are only sent to recipients who haven't completed signing. If recipient signed more than 3 days before expiration, they won't receive the warning. Check activity log for "Expiration reminder sent" event. Warnings are sent based on the exact date/time – if expiration is set to midnight, warning is sent 3 days earlier at midnight. System time may vary slightly – warning may be sent within a few hours of the 3-day mark.

Issue: Custom email template is not applied to sent documents

Fix: Custom email templates require Pro or Agency plan. Verify you saved the template after editing (look for save confirmation). Templates apply to NEW documents sent after customization – they don't retroactively change already-sent documents. Clear browser cache and reload the settings page to confirm changes were saved. Test by sending a document to yourself to preview the email. Check that you customized the correct email template type (e.g., "Document Sent" vs "Document Reminder").

Issue: Emails are going to recipient's spam folder

Fix: This is a common issue with automated emails from document signing services. Ask recipient to mark BreezeDoc emails as "Not Spam" or "Safe Sender". Have recipient add breezedoc.com and noreply@breezedoc.com to their email whitelist/safe senders list. If using custom email templates, avoid spam trigger words ("urgent", "act now", "limited time", excessive exclamation marks). Advise recipient to check spam folder regularly until BreezeDoc is whitelisted. Corporate email systems may require IT department to whitelist breezedoc.com domain. Agency plan users: Using a custom logo can improve email reputation and reduce spam filtering.

FAQ

Q: Are automatic reminders available on the Free plan?

A: No, automatic reminders require a Pro or Agency plan. Free plan users can manually resend documents but cannot enable automatic recurring reminders.

Q: How many reminder emails will each recipient receive?

A: Maximum 3 automatic reminders per recipient. Reminders stop automatically after the 3rd reminder, when recipient completes signing, or when document expires.

Q: Can I manually send a reminder before the scheduled interval?

A: No, automatic reminders run on the configured schedule. However, you can manually resend the document from the document page, which sends a new notification immediately (this does not count toward the 3 automatic reminders).

Q: What happens if I change the reminder interval after sending?

A: Reminder settings typically apply at the time the document is sent. Changing the interval after sending may not affect already-scheduled reminders. For best results, configure reminders before sending the document.

Q: Do reminders stop if one recipient signs in a multi-party document?

A: No, reminders are tracked per recipient. If you have 3 recipients and one signs, the other 2 continue receiving reminders until they sign or the maximum reminders are sent.

Q: Can I see a preview of the email before sending the document?

A: Some plans may show email previews in settings. The best way to preview is to send a test document to yourself and review the actual email received. Check the activity log after sending to verify the email was delivered.


Need more help? Contact our support team – we are here to help!

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