How to manage recipients and the signing flow

Before you start

• You must be in a contract preparation flow (either Prepare contract of sale or Prepare other document).
• All participants on the property (buyers, sellers, observers, attendees) and external contacts are available as potential recipients.

Understanding the recipient list

The recipient list is the first screen you see when preparing any document. It defines:

• Who receives the document (signees and Cc recipients).
• In what order they sign.
• How the document moves between recipients (automatically or manually).

Adding signees

1. Click Add signee at the bottom of the recipient list.
2. A Search contacts dropdown appears showing:
   • Participants first — Buyers, sellers, observers, and attendees on the property, each labelled with their role.
   • External contacts — Contacts stored in your contacts list (solicitors, conveyancers, etc.).
3. Select the person you want to add. They appear in the recipient list.
4. To add someone not in the system, click Create new contact in the dropdown, enter their details, and they are added as both a signee and an external contact.

Setting the signing order

Each step between recipients has a send rule that controls when the document is forwarded:

• Send automatically when signed — The document is automatically sent to the next recipient once the current one signs. Best for standard sequential flows.
• Send manually — The agent/agency admin must manually send the document to the next recipient. Useful when you need to review between signings.

To change the send rule:

1. Click the ... menu on the send step between two recipients.
2. Select Send automatically or Send manually.

Default behaviour:

• Between buyers: Send automatically when signed.
• Between sellers: Send automatically when signed.
• Between buyer and seller groups: Send manually.

Removing recipients

Click the x button on any recipient card to remove them from the list.

If all recipients are removed, the Next button is disabled.

Adding Cc recipients

Cc recipients receive a read-only copy of the document — they do not sign.

Common Cc use cases:

• Sending a copy to the seller's solicitor after the buyer signs.
• Sending a copy to a settlement agent once fully signed.
• Keeping a conveyancer informed throughout the process.

To add a Cc:

1. Click Add Cc at the bottom of the recipient list.
2. Select from participants or external contacts, or create a new contact.
3. The Cc recipient appears in grey in the list.

Cc automation rules:

• When a Cc is added after a signee, it defaults to Send automatically when signed — the Cc receives their copy once the preceding signee signs.
• When a Cc or signee is added after a Cc, it defaults to Send automatically.
• You can change any Cc to Send manually via the ... menu.

What Cc recipients receive:

• If the Cc is placed before any signee: the generated document with fields populated but no signatures.
• If the Cc is placed after a partial signing: the document with available signatures.
• If the Cc is placed after all signees: the fully signed document.

Note: If you add a recipient who is already a signee as a Cc, a warning message appears: the signee will also receive the fully signed document at the end of the flow regardless.

Editing recipients from the editor

If you need to change recipients after reaching the field editor:

1. Click Edit recipients from the preview or editor screen.
2. A modal opens with the current recipient list.
3. Add, remove, or reorder recipients.
4. Click Save — fields associated with removed external contacts are automatically cleared from the canvas.

This avoids the need to go back and lose your field placement work.

Auction-specific signing rules

Auctioneer behaviour varies by state:

• WA and QLD — The auctioneer is a standard signee who can sign on behalf of the buyer.
• ACT, NT, TAS, VIC, SA, NSW — A "Send sequentially" option appears. Only one party (either the bidder or the auctioneer) needs to sign. Once either signs, the step is complete and the other party does not need to take action.

Multiple buyers

Openn supports up to 4 buyers on a single contract of sale.

• Buyer 1 signs first.
• Buyer 2 receives the contract after Buyer 1 signs.
• Buyer 3 receives after Buyer 2, and Buyer 4 after Buyer 3.
• The signing order between buyers is Send automatically when signed by default.

Signature statuses

As the document moves through the signing flow, each recipient's status updates:

Tips

• Plan your signing order before placing fields — The recipient list determines which data fields and signature placeholders are available in the editor.
• Use Cc for solicitors and conveyancers — Keep third parties informed without requiring them to sign.
• External contacts are reusable — Once created, they appear in your contacts list for future contracts.

FAQ

Q: Can I change the signing order after sending?

A: No. Once the document is sent, the signing order is locked. To change it, cancel the contract and prepare a new one.

Q: What happens if a Cc recipient is also a signee?

A: A warning appears. The recipient signs as a signee and also receives a copy as Cc. All signees automatically receive the fully signed document at the end.

Q: Can I add a Cc after the contract has been sent?

A: No. Cc recipients must be added before sending. To send a copy to someone after the fact, you can download the signed document and share it manually.

Q: What if I need to send the contract to a solicitor who isn't on Openn?

A: Add them as an external contact and include them as a Cc recipient. They receive an email with a link to view and download the document.