Reminders & Expiration

Not all documents get signed immediately. sajn provides tools to manage unsigned documents through reminders, expiration dates, and withdrawal.

Setting Expiration Dates

An expiration date defines when a document is no longer valid for signing. After this date, signers cannot complete the signing process.

When Creating a Document

Set expiration using the expiresAt field:

curl -X POST https://app.sajn.se/api/v1/documents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Quote - Website Project",
    "type": "SIGNABLE",
    "expiresAt": "2024-02-15T23:59:59Z",
    "signers": [
      {
        "name": "Anna Andersson",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "role": "SIGNER",
        "deliveryMethod": "EMAIL",
        "requiredSignature": "DRAWING"
      }
    ]
  }'

Document settings showing expiration date configuration

Updating Expiration on Draft Documents

For documents still in DRAFT, update the expiration with a PATCH:

curl -X PATCH https://app.sajn.se/api/v1/documents/doc_123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "expiresAt": "2024-03-01T23:59:59Z"
  }'

You can only update expiration on documents that haven’t been completed or expired yet.

Extending Expiration on Sent Documents

Once a document has been sent and is in PENDING status, use the dedicated Extend Expiration endpoint instead of PATCH. The new expiresAt must be in the future and strictly later than the current expiration:

curl -X POST https://app.sajn.se/api/v1/documents/doc_123/extend-expiration \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "expiresAt": "2024-03-01T23:59:59Z"
  }'

When you extend a sent document:

The document’s expiresAt is updated.
An audit log entry is recorded.
Every notifiable recipient (one with an email, notifications enabled, a delivery method other than NONE, and who hasn’t rejected) is emailed that the signing deadline has moved.

Extending expiration requires the EDIT_DOCUMENT workspace permission.

What Happens When Documents Expire

When a document expires:

Signing is disabled - Signers can no longer access the signing interface
Status changes - Document status becomes EXPIRED
Webhook fires - A DOCUMENT_EXPIRED event is sent
Links invalidated - All signing links return an expiration message

Expired Document Response

When a signer tries to access an expired document:

{
  "error": "DOCUMENT_EXPIRED",
  "message": "This document has expired and can no longer be signed.",
  "expiredAt": "2024-02-15T23:59:59Z"
}

Handling Expired Documents

If a document expires before signing is complete, you have several options:

Create a new document - Duplicate the content with a new expiration date
Contact signers - Reach out directly to understand any issues
Adjust your process - Consider longer expiration periods or earlier reminders

Sending Reminders

Reminders help move stalled documents forward by prompting signers to take action.

Manual Reminders

Send a reminder to every pending party on a document by calling the Send Reminders endpoint with an empty body:

curl -X POST https://app.sajn.se/api/v1/documents/doc_123/reminders \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{}'

Reminder to Specific Parties

Limit the reminder to specific recipients by passing their party IDs in partyIds:

curl -X POST https://app.sajn.se/api/v1/documents/doc_123/reminders \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "partyIds": ["party_456"]
  }'

The legacy signerIds field is still accepted for backwards compatibility but is deprecated and will be removed in API v2. Use partyIds going forward — if both are provided, partyIds takes precedence.

You can also remind a single party directly via POST /api/v1/documents/{id}/parties/{partyId}/remind.

Automatic Reminders

Configure automatic reminders in the document metadata:

{
  "name": "Service Agreement",
  "type": "SIGNABLE",
  "documentMeta": {
    "autoReminder": true,
    "reminderDays": [3, 7, 14]
  },
  "signers": [...]
}

This configuration sends reminders:

3 days after sending
7 days after sending
14 days after sending

Automatic reminders only send to signers who haven’t yet signed. Already completed signers are excluded.

Reminder Content

Reminders include:

Document name and description
Original signing request context
Direct link to sign
Expiration date (if set)

Withdrawing Documents

Sometimes you need to pull back a document that’s out for signing—perhaps the terms have changed or the deal fell through. Withdrawing recalls it from every signer and returns it to DRAFT.

Withdraw a Document

curl -X POST https://app.sajn.se/api/v1/documents/doc_123/withdraw \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "reason": "Terms renegotiated"
  }'

reason is optional. When set, it appears in the withdrawal email to signers and is stored on the audit log. The document must be in PENDING or SENDING status. Use DELETE /api/v1/documents/{id} for a DRAFT, and the approval cancel endpoint for PENDING_APPROVAL.

What Happens When Withdrawn

Status resets - Document status is set back to DRAFT
Signatures removed - Existing signatures and signer verifications are deleted, and each signer’s signing, sending and read status is reset
Reminders cancelled - Pending signing reminders are dropped
Signers notified - Every signer that had been notified receives a withdrawal email
Webhook fires - A DOCUMENT_WITHDRAWN event is sent

Withdrawing destroys the signatures already collected — they cannot be restored. The document itself returns to DRAFT, so you can edit and send it again as a fresh signing round.

Webhook Events

Both events below deliver the standard Document payload in payload. There is no separate list of “pending signers” — read payload.parties and keep the ones whose signingStatus is still NOT_SIGNED.

Document Expired

{
  "event": "DOCUMENT_EXPIRED",
  "payload": {
    "id": "clx1abc...",
    "title": "Quote - Website Project",
    "externalId": "quote_456",
    "createdAt": "2026-02-01T09:00:00.000Z",
    "updatedAt": "2026-02-15T23:59:59.000Z",
    "organizationId": "clx2def...",
    "status": "EXPIRED",
    "parties": [
      {
        "id": "clx3ghi...",
        "name": "Anna Andersson",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "externalId": null,
        "signingStatus": "NOT_SIGNED"
      }
    ],
    "signers": [...]
  },
  "createdAt": "2026-02-15T23:59:59.000Z",
  "webhookEndpoint": "https://your-server.com/webhook"
}

Handling the Expired Webhook

app.post('/webhooks/sajn', (req, res) => {
  const { event, payload } = req.body;

  if (event === 'DOCUMENT_EXPIRED') {
    console.log(`Document ${payload.id} expired`);

    // Anyone still NOT_SIGNED when it expired
    const pending = payload.parties.filter((p) => p.signingStatus === 'NOT_SIGNED');

    notifyTeam({
      message: `Document "${payload.title}" expired without all signatures`,
      pendingParties: pending
    });

    // Update your CRM/database — externalId is null unless you set one
    if (payload.externalId) {
      updateDocumentStatus(payload.externalId, 'expired');
    }
  }

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

Document Withdrawn

Fired when a sent document is recalled. Note that status is DRAFT — withdrawing returns the document to draft rather than terminating it.

{
  "event": "DOCUMENT_WITHDRAWN",
  "payload": {
    "id": "clx1abc...",
    "title": "Quote - Website Project",
    "externalId": "quote_456",
    "createdAt": "2026-02-01T09:00:00.000Z",
    "updatedAt": "2026-02-10T14:30:00.000Z",
    "organizationId": "clx2def...",
    "status": "DRAFT",
    "parties": [...],
    "signers": [...]
  },
  "createdAt": "2026-02-10T14:30:00.000Z",
  "webhookEndpoint": "https://your-server.com/webhook"
}

Best Practices

Set appropriate deadlines

Consider your signers’ context when setting expiration dates:

Quotes: 14-30 days
Contracts: 30-60 days
Internal approvals: 7-14 days
Urgent documents: 3-7 days

Send reminders strategically

Don’t spam signers with too many reminders. A good pattern:

First reminder: 3-5 days after sending
Second reminder: 7-10 days after sending
Final reminder: A few days before expiration

Include expiration in initial message

When sending documents, mention the expiration date in the subject or message so signers know there’s a deadline.

Monitor with webhooks

Set up webhook handlers for DOCUMENT_EXPIRED events to proactively reach out to signers or take corrective action.

Have a follow-up process

When documents expire, have a defined process:

Contact the signer to understand the delay
Address any concerns or questions
Create a new document if needed
Adjust future expiration periods if consistently too short

Consider timezone differences

Expiration times are in UTC. Consider your signers’ timezones when setting deadlines to avoid unexpected expirations.

Document Lifecycle

Status	Description	Can Sign?	Can Remind?
`DRAFT`	Not yet sent, or withdrawn back to draft	No	No
`PENDING_APPROVAL`	Waiting for internal approval before it goes out	No	No
`SENDING`	Being dispatched to signers	No	No
`PENDING`	Out for signing	Yes	Yes
`COMPLETED`	All signers done	No	No
`EXPIRED`	Past expiration date	No	No
`REJECTED`	Signer rejected	No	No
`CANCELLED`	Legacy status found on older documents; nothing sets it today	No	No

Next Steps

Multi-Party Signing

Configure complex signing workflows

Webhooks

Set up event notifications

Downloading Documents

Retrieve completed documents

Creating Documents

Learn document creation basics

​Reminders & Expiration

​Setting Expiration Dates

​When Creating a Document

​Updating Expiration on Draft Documents

​Extending Expiration on Sent Documents

​What Happens When Documents Expire

​Expired Document Response

​Handling Expired Documents

​Sending Reminders

​Manual Reminders

​Reminder to Specific Parties

​Automatic Reminders

​Reminder Content

​Withdrawing Documents

​Withdraw a Document

​What Happens When Withdrawn

​Webhook Events

​Document Expired

​Handling the Expired Webhook

​Document Withdrawn

​Best Practices

​Document Lifecycle

​Next Steps

Multi-Party Signing

Webhooks

Downloading Documents

Creating Documents

Reminders & Expiration

Setting Expiration Dates

When Creating a Document

Updating Expiration on Draft Documents

Extending Expiration on Sent Documents

What Happens When Documents Expire

Expired Document Response

Handling Expired Documents

Sending Reminders

Manual Reminders

Reminder to Specific Parties

Automatic Reminders

Reminder Content

Withdrawing Documents

Withdraw a Document

What Happens When Withdrawn

Webhook Events

Document Expired

Handling the Expired Webhook

Document Withdrawn

Best Practices

Document Lifecycle

Next Steps