Requesting an electronic signature: FES & QES by email link

What's in it for you

Instead of juggling PDFs over email, merging versions and chasing signatures one by one, everything happens in one place: you can see at any time who has already signed, send reminders, and the signed document is filed against the contract automatically — audit-proof. For each request you choose between FES (simple electronic signature, for standard cases) and QES (qualified electronic signature, legally equivalent to a handwritten one).

Before you start

• The contract and the document to be signed are already uploaded to ContractHero.
• You have the right to start signatures in your workspace, or on this particular contract.
• A valid annual signature volume is in place (FES or QES, depending on the method).

How it works

1. Open the signature area

Open the contract you want and switch to the Signature tab in the right-hand sidebar.

As long as no process is running, you'll see the note "This document is ready to be signed" and the "Request signature" button.

2. Configure the request

Clicking "Request signature" opens the "Request digital signature" dialog, where you set every detail:

• Message — the text signers will see in the signature email.
• Qualified electronic signature (QES) — the toggle switches between disabled (= FES) and enabled (= QES). With QES, signing always happens in sequence.
• Signers — name and email of the first signer. Use "Add another signer" to include more people.
• Request signatures in sequence — the "Order signers" toggle decides whether everyone signs at once or one after another (with QES, always one after another).
• Add CC recipients — people who should stay informed without signing. What CC recipients actually receive is covered under "What CC recipients get" below.
• Language of the signing process — choose between English and German.

Click "Start".

New from 30 October 2026: a message and language per signer

Until now, one message and one language applied to all signers on a request. From 30 October 2026 you can set both per person:

• Each signer gets their own button in the request form, where you write an individual message for that person and pick the language their signature emails arrive in.
• The general message is no longer a required field. If you are writing per person anyway, you can leave it empty.
• Line breaks are preserved. Paragraphs you type into the message now appear the same way in the email.
• The request form is lightly reworked at the same time: sections are rearranged and carry more explanation.

If you don't use the new button, requests go out exactly as before. Requests already sent are unaffected.

A typical case: a contract with a German managing director and a French counterparty — each receives the signature email in their own language, with a note written for them.

3. Place the signature fields in the document

Next, the document preparation view opens. Drag and drop the fields you need onto the right spots in the PDF — typically:

• Signature
• Initials
• Date
• First and last name
• other standard fields, depending on the contract type

With several signers, check the assignment of each field (which field belongs to which person). The field options let you mark fields as required and adjust their position and size.

4. Send it out

A quick checklist before sending:

• right people, right order?
• correct language — both the general one and, where set, per signer?
• all required fields placed?
• all optional fields filled in?

"Send for signature" sends the email — either to everyone at once, or, if you enabled ordering, to the first person only.

5. Track the status

After sending, the Signature tab shows the running signature process with the current state per signer. This is also where you'll find the buttons to cancel the process or send a reminder (possible every 2 hours, when the deadline is closing in).

6. Signing complete

Once all required signatures are in, the sender, all signers and all CC recipients receive a PDF of the fully signed contract by email. At the same time, the signed document is saved to ContractHero automatically.

What CC recipients get

CC recipients don't sign, but they stay informed. Specifically:

• They receive the same status emails as the requester — for example the confirmation that the request has been sent.
• Once signing completes, they automatically receive the fully signed PDF by email.
• They get no access to the document while the process is running. The links in the status emails lead into the ContractHero app, which requires a user account. Anyone without an account in your organisation cannot open the document that way.

So if somebody needs to see the document before it is complete, send it to them directly or add them as a signer. A CC entry alone will not do it.

Common questions

Do signers need a ContractHero login?
No. Signing happens entirely through the email link — no account, no app to install.

Do CC recipients get the signed document?
Yes. Once the signing run completes, the fully signed PDF automatically goes to all CC recipients too. While the process is still running, however, they have no access to the document.

A CC recipient lands on the sign-in page — why?
Because the "View document" button in the status emails leads into the ContractHero app, which requires a user account. For CC recipients without an account that is the expected result, not an error. The finished document arrives by email automatically once signing completes.

Can each signer receive the email in their own language?
Yes, from 30 October 2026. You can store a separate language and message per signer. Without that, the request's general language and general message apply.

Do CC recipients get their own language?
No. CC recipients receive the same emails as you, the requester, in the language set there.

Do I still have to write a general message?
From 30 October 2026, no — the general message stops being a required field. If you write neither a general nor a per-person message, ContractHero sends the signature email without an additional personal note.

Are paragraphs in my message preserved?
From 30 October 2026, yes. Line breaks from the message field appear in the email too. Before that, the text was rendered as one block.

Can I add a signer to a request that is already running?
No. Only one signature process can be active per contract, and the signers are fixed once it is sent. If somebody is missing, the clean route is: cancel → start again. Cancelling affects neither the document nor any contract data.

What's the difference between FES and QES?
FES (simple electronic signature) is the standard option for internal and low-risk contracts — fast, without identity verification.
QES (qualified electronic signature) is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature — it requires the signers to verify their identity and is typically used for employment and lease agreements.

Who receives the fully signed document?
The sender, all signers and all CC recipients get the PDF of the fully signed contract by email. It is also filed against the contract in ContractHero automatically — nothing to save by hand.

What happens if someone doesn't sign?
You can stop the process at any time with "Cancel". You can also send a reminder email every 2 hours as the deadline approaches.

Does this cost extra?
No. A message and language per signer are part of the electronic signature and included for every customer who uses it — no add-on required.

Are fields placed differently for QES than for FES?
The field types are identical. The difference sits in the background process (identity verification) and in the enforced order — signers see the same email-link workflow either way.

Good to know

• QES enforces an order. Even if you leave "Order signers" switched off, QES is always signed one after another.
• CC means informed, not authorised. CC recipients get the status emails and the signed PDF at the end — but no access to the contract while it is in progress. Anyone who needs to look before then needs the document directly, or their own account.
• Signers are fixed once the request is sent. You cannot add one afterwards — only cancel and start again.
• Language is set per request — and, from 30 October 2026, per person. The language applies to the email and the signer interface, not to the document itself.
• Reminder limit: a reminder can be sent at most every 2 hours.
• Annual volume: FES and QES signatures draw on separate annual allowances. If one method is greyed out, that allowance is usually used up, or your plan doesn't include it.

Related articles

• QES Signing Process (Recipient) – Step by Step
• FES Signing Process (Recipient) – Step by Step
• FES or QES? The difference and when to use which signature
• FES Signatures: How Does the Yearly Volume Work?
• QES Signatures: How Does the Yearly Volume Work?
• How can I edit Contracts?

Updated on: 10/30/2026