Agreement settings
Advanced settings let you control how an agreement behaves during and after the signing process. Use them to enable collaboration features, restrict document access, protect document integrity, and tailor the signing experience to your workflow.
You can configure these settings when creating or editing an agreement before it is sent. Once an agreement is sent, most settings cannot be changed.
Settings reference
Markup
Screenshot: setting-allow-markup — the Allow Markup toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Allow Markup | Off |
When enabled, recipients can highlight text and add annotations to the document before signing. Markup is visible to all parties and does not alter the underlying document — it is a layer on top of the original file.
When to use it: Use markup when recipients are reviewing a draft and you want them to flag questions or suggest edits without sending a separate redlined document. This is common in negotiation workflows where back-and-forth is expected before final execution.
Note: Markup is a collaborative annotation tool, not a document editing feature. Recipients cannot delete, move, or replace text in the original file.
Comments
Screenshot: setting-allow-comments — the Allow Comments toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Allow Comments | Off |
When enabled, recipients can post comments on the agreement. Comments are visible to all recipients and the sender, and are recorded in the agreement history.
When to use it: Use comments when you want recipients to ask questions or flag concerns without stopping the signing process. Comments are useful on complex agreements — such as multi-party contracts — where recipients may have questions that do not require a change to the document.
Recipient document visibility
Screenshot: setting-enforce-recipient-visibility — the Enforce Recipient Visibility toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Enforce Recipient Visibility | Off |
When enabled, each recipient sees only the documents that contain tags assigned to them. In agreements with multiple documents, recipients are not shown documents they have no tags on.
When to use it: Enable this setting when an agreement contains documents with confidential information that should not be shared with every recipient. For example, in a multi-party agreement where Document A is for Party A only and Document B is for Party B only, enabling this setting ensures each party sees only their relevant document.
Note: When this setting is off (the default), all recipients can view all documents in the agreement regardless of which documents contain their assigned tags.
Responsive signing
Screenshot: setting-disable-responsive-document — the Disable Responsive Document toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Disable Responsive Document | Off |
By default, the signing experience adapts to the recipient's screen size, reflowing the document layout for comfortable viewing on phones and tablets. Enabling this setting turns off that behavior and presents the document in its original fixed layout at all screen sizes.
When to use it: Disable responsive layout when precise document formatting is critical and the reflowed layout could cause confusion — for example, on documents where column alignment, table structure, or page-relative positioning is part of the legal meaning. For most agreements, leave this setting off.
Envelope ID stamping
Screenshot: setting-stamp-envelope-id — the Stamp Envelope ID toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Stamp Envelope ID | Off |
When enabled, the agreement's unique envelope ID is printed on each page of the document as a watermark. The stamp appears at a fixed position and is included in the final signed document.
When to use it: Enable stamping when you need a persistent, human-readable identifier on the physical document for filing, auditing, or legal reference purposes. The envelope ID uniquely identifies the agreement in Propper and can be used to look up the full audit record.
Authoritative copy
Screenshot: setting-authoritative-copy — the Authoritative Copy toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Authoritative Copy | Off |
When enabled, this agreement is designated as the legally authoritative original. Only one authoritative copy exists, and transfer of the authoritative copy must be performed through Propper. Recipients cannot download or print a copy without that action being recorded.
When to use it: Use this setting for agreements governed by the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) or the E-Sign Act where a single controlling document is required — for example, promissory notes, loan agreements, or instruments that must have a single authoritative holder.
Authoritative copy functionality has specific legal implications. Consult your legal counsel before enabling this setting to confirm it meets the requirements of your jurisdiction and document type.
Auto-navigation
Screenshot: setting-auto-navigation — the Auto-navigation toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Auto-navigation | On |
When enabled, the signing experience automatically scrolls to the next required tag after a recipient completes each action. Recipients are guided through the document in order without needing to scroll or search manually.
When to use it: Leave auto-navigation on for most agreements — it significantly reduces incomplete submissions by ensuring recipients do not miss required tags. Disable it only when recipients need to read the full document at their own pace before interacting with any tags, such as on long legal agreements where independent review is expected before signing.
Recipient reassignment
Screenshot: setting-allow-reassign — the Allow Reassign toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Allow Reassign | On |
When enabled, a recipient can reassign their signing responsibility to another person. The original recipient enters the substitute's name and email address, and the substitute receives a new invitation. The original recipient is removed from the signing workflow.
When to use it: Leave reassignment on when your recipients may delegate — for example, an executive who routes contracts to their assistant. Disable it when the original identified recipient must personally complete the agreement and delegation is not permitted, such as on compliance certifications or personal attestations.
Note: Reassignment is logged in the agreement audit trail. The identity of both the original recipient and the substitute are recorded.
Document locking
Screenshot: setting-lock-document-after-first-signature — the Lock Document After First Signature toggle in agreement settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Lock Document After First Signature | Off |
When enabled, the document is locked as soon as the first recipient completes their signing action. A locked document cannot be modified — subsequent recipients sign the same locked version.
When to use it: Enable document locking when document integrity between signers is a legal or compliance requirement. This ensures that every recipient signs an identical version of the document and that no changes — intentional or accidental — can occur between the first and last signatures.
Note: Document locking applies to the uploaded document. It does not affect tag placement or recipient routing.
Signing mode
This setting may not be available in the current release. Verify whether Form Fill and Sign is supported before publishing this section.
| Setting | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Signing Mode | SIGN_ONLY | SIGN_ONLY, FORM_FILL_AND_SIGN |
Controls the workflow recipients follow when completing the agreement.
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Sign Only | Recipients sign the document directly. This is the standard signing experience. |
| Form Fill and Sign | Recipients complete a structured form step before signing the PDF. Tags in the form-fill phase appear as guided form fields rather than document overlays. |
When to use it: Use Sign Only for standard agreements where recipients interact directly with the document. Use Form Fill and Sign when the agreement contains structured data collection — such as employment forms, intake questionnaires, or onboarding documents — where a guided form experience reduces errors and improves completion rates.
Related settings
Some behaviors that affect agreements are configured at different levels:
- For reminder schedules and expiration deadlines, see Notifications.
- To set organization-wide defaults that apply to all new agreements, see Account Settings.