You just landed a new client. Congratulations — that pitch paid off. They're keen to start, you're ready to deliver, but before any real work begins, there's an NDA that needs signing. And they want it back by end of day.
A few years ago, this would mean printing, signing, scanning, emailing, waiting, and then chasing. But you're not running that workflow anymore. You're using DocSignerHub.
Here's how to get that NDA signed — from zero to "done" — in your first session on the platform. No prior experience needed. Just a document, a signer, and about eight minutes.
Step 1: Create Your Free Account
Head over to DocSignerHub.com and click Get Started Free. Enter your name, email, and a password. You'll get a quick verification email — click the link, and you're in.
Your dashboard starts clean. Don't let the empty screen fool you — that's about to change in under ten minutes. The first thing you'll notice is the big New Envelope button in the top-right corner. That's your starting line.
Quick Tip: Complete your profile settings (company name, timezone, default language) before sending your first document. It takes thirty seconds and makes future sends even faster.
Step 2: Upload Your Document
Click New Envelope. The first thing DocSignerHub asks for is your document. Drag your NDA PDF straight onto the upload area, or click to browse.
Supported formats: PDF is the standard (and we recommend it), but you can also upload DOCX, DOC, and a handful of image formats. The platform converts everything to a signable PDF behind the scenes.
Once uploaded, you'll see a preview of your document on screen. Take a moment to verify it's the right version. I've seen people accidentally upload the unsigned draft instead of the final copy — check the filename before you proceed.
Watch Out For: If your PDF has fillable form fields from another tool, those fields may conflict with DocSignerHub's signature placement. Flatten your PDF first (Print → Save as PDF in most apps does this automatically) for the smoothest experience.
Step 3: Add Your Signer
Below the document preview, you'll find the Recipients section. Click Add Recipient and enter your client's name and email address.
Here's where you set the signing order. For a simple NDA with one signer, leave the order at 1 — they're the only person who needs to sign. But if you also need to sign (maybe a countersigned NDA), add yourself as a second recipient with order 2. DocSignerHub will route the document to you only after the client signs first.
You can also assign a role label — "Client," "Vendor," "Employee" — which becomes useful when you start setting up templates and workflows later. For now, "Signer" works perfectly.
Quick Tip: Double-check the email address. A typo here sends your NDA into the void — and then you're stuck manually voiding and re-sending. Not a crisis, but a time-waster you can avoid.
Step 4: Place the Signature Field
This is the part that surprises people by how straightforward it is. After adding your signer, click Add Fields. DocSignerHub opens the document in its field editor.
From the left panel, drag the Signature field onto the document — drop it right on the signature line in your NDA. Resize it by dragging the corners if you need to. The system also offers Initial, Date Signed, Text, and Checkbox fields if your document needs them.
Each field you place is automatically assigned to the recipient you selected. If you have multiple signers, use the recipient dropdown to switch between them while placing fields — DocSignerHub colour-codes each signer's fields so you can see at a glance who signs what.
Watch Out For: Don't crowd fields too close together. Leave enough room for the signature rendering — DocSignerHub signatures include the signer's name and timestamp, which need a bit more vertical space than a handwritten scrawl.
Step 5: Customise Your Email Message
Click Next to reach the email settings. Here, you can personalise the subject line and message your client receives.
The default message is polite and professional, but I recommend adding one personal line. Something like:
"Looking forward to working together on the Webflow redesign — this NDA just formalises the confidentiality side so we can dive straight into the brief on Monday."
That one sentence does three things: it references your actual project, it explains why the NDA matters (not just "sign this"), and it sets a timeline. Signers complete documents faster when they understand the context.
Quick Tip: DocSignerHub automatically appends the signing link to every email. You don't need to include instructions about "click here to sign" — the platform handles that with a clear, branded button in the email footer.
Step 6: Hit Send — And Watch It Move
Review your envelope one last time. Check the document, the signer details, the field placement, and the email message. Everything look right?
Click Send.
Your envelope now appears on your dashboard with the status Sent. Click into it to see the live tracker: DocSignerHub shows you exactly when the email was delivered, when the signer opened it, and when they completed signing. No more wondering "did they even get it?"
The platform sends automatic reminders at configurable intervals — you set the frequency in your account settings. Default is a gentle nudge every three days until the document expires (you set the expiry window when creating the envelope).
Watch Out For: If you're sending to a corporate email address, ask your client to whitelist notifications@docsignerhub.com. Aggressive corporate spam filters occasionally quarantine automated signing emails, especially for first-time recipients.
Step 7: The Signer Experience
Let's talk about what happens on your client's end, because it's worth knowing.
Your client opens the email, clicks the Review & Sign button, and lands on a clean, mobile-friendly signing page. No account creation required. No software to install. No PDF reader needed.
They review the document, tap or click the signature field, and either draw, type, or upload their signature. Once they click Finish, the signed document is locked, sealed with a cryptographic audit trail, and stored.
The whole process from email click to completed signature typically takes under ninety seconds for a short document like an NDA. That's not an exaggeration — I've timed it.
Step 8: Download Your Signed Copy
The moment your client signs, you receive an email notification. Your dashboard updates to show Completed.
Open the envelope and click Download. You'll get the signed PDF with a tamper-evident certificate page appended at the end. That certificate is your proof — it records the signer's IP address, email, timestamp, and a cryptographic hash that proves the document hasn't been altered since signing.
You can also download just the audit trail as a separate PDF if you need to attach it to compliance records. Both downloads are free, unlimited, and available anytime from your dashboard.
What's Next?
That's your first document done. But here's where it gets interesting — once you've done it once, DocSignerHub lets you save the whole configuration as a Template. Next time you need to send an NDA, it's three clicks: select template, enter the new client's email, send.
From here, you can explore multi-signer workflows (Manager → Legal → Client, for example), attach Stripe payments so clients pay before signing, or connect webhooks to fire notifications into your CRM the moment a document is completed. But those are tutorials for another day. Today, you've got your NDA signed, your client is happy, and you can move on to the actual work.
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