---
title: Document Lifecycle
description: Track document progress through draft, pending, completed, and rejected states.
---

import { Callout } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/callout';

## Document States

A document can be in one of four states:

| State         | Description                                                       |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**     | Document is being prepared and has not been sent                  |
| **Pending**   | Document has been sent and is awaiting recipient actions          |
| **Completed** | All recipients have completed their required actions              |
| **Rejected**  | A recipient has rejected the document (when rejection is enabled) |

## How a Document Moves Through States

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    Draft -- Send --> Pending
    Pending -- All recipients complete --> Completed
    Pending -- Recipient rejects --> Rejected
```

## Draft

When you upload a document or create one from a template, it starts in the **Draft** state. In this state, you can:

- Add and remove recipients
- Assign roles to recipients (signer, approver, viewer, CC)
- Add, move, and configure fields
- Set signing order
- Configure document settings (expiration, reminders, rejection)
- Delete the document

A draft document is only visible to you (the owner) and team members with appropriate permissions. Recipients cannot see or access the document until you send it.

**Transition:** A draft becomes **Pending** when you send it to recipients.

## Pending

Once sent, a document enters the **Pending** state. Recipients receive email notifications with links to view and complete their assigned actions.

While pending, you can:

- View recipient progress
- Resend notifications to recipients
- Void the document (cancels all pending actions)

<Callout type="info">
  You cannot modify the document content, recipients, or fields while it is pending.
</Callout>

**Transitions:**

- Becomes **Completed** when all recipients finish their required actions
- Becomes **Rejected** if any recipient rejects the document (requires rejection to be enabled)

## Completed

A document reaches the **Completed** state when all recipients have fulfilled their roles:

- Signers have signed
- Approvers have approved
- Viewers have viewed (if view confirmation is required)

At completion:

- All parties receive a copy of the signed document
- The document is sealed with a digital certificate
- An audit log is attached showing all actions taken

<Callout type="info">
  Completed documents cannot be modified. You can download the signed PDF or view the audit trail.
</Callout>

## Rejected

If you enable document rejection in settings, recipients can reject instead of signing. When any recipient rejects:

- The document immediately moves to **Rejected** state
- Other pending recipients can no longer act on the document
- The document owner is notified

<Callout type="info">
  Rejected documents cannot be modified or reactivated. To proceed, you need to create a new
  document.
</Callout>

## Related Concepts

- [Recipient Roles](/docs/concepts/recipient-roles) - The different roles recipients can have
- [Field Types](/docs/concepts/field-types) - Fields you can add to documents
- [Signing Workflow](/docs/concepts/signing-workflow) - How the signing process works for recipients