When you create a document from a template in PandaDoc, you decide who participates, in what order they sign, and what happens if someone needs to change. This guide covers all of that in one place.
Not sure which editor you're on? If your document creation flow shows a step-by-step wizard with a Recipients panel on the right, you're on the new experience. If it looks different, see the Classic experience section below.
Watch an overview video:
New experience
How roles, recipients, and signing order fit together
Three concepts work together when you send a document from a template:
Role: a placeholder defined in the template (for example, Client, Signer, Approver). Roles keep templates reusable across different deals and contacts.
Recipient: a real person — name and email — who fills fields, approves, or signs on a specific document.
Signing order: the sequence in which recipients receive and complete the document, when that sequence matters.
You configure all three in Step 2 (Recipients) of the document creation wizard, in the Recipients panel on the right.
Set up recipients
When you create a document from a template, each role defined in that template appears in the Recipients panel as a role container. Roles without a pre-assigned recipient show as a placeholder (e.g. Add Client) with a red dot.
To assign a recipient to a role, select the the unassigned role and start typing the recipient's name or email address. Then select them from the list or select Create new contact if you don't have this recipient in your contacts yet.
You don't have to fill every role immediately — role containers keep their assigned fields intact until you're ready. For full instructions on assigning, removing, and combining roles, see Roles on the document.
Tip: If the same person will always fill a role, pre-assign them in the template so they're added automatically every time. See Template roles.
Set signing order
Signing order controls when each recipient can act. When it's on, recipient 2 does not receive the document — or even a notification — until recipient 1 has completed their required fields and clicked Finish.
Turn it on when order matters: for example, an employee signs first, then a manager countersigns.
Leave it off when all recipients can sign simultaneously — this gets documents completed faster.
How to set signing order
In Step 2 (Recipients), toggle on Set signing order in the Recipients panel.
Drag recipients into the sequence you want.
To have two recipients sign at the same time (parallel signing), drag one recipient on top of another to group them — they'll both receive the document simultaneously.
Tip: If you set signing order in the template, it carries over automatically to every document created from it — you don't need to set it again each time. You can still adjust it per document in the Recipients panel if needed for a specific deal.
Replace a recipient (wrong person, wrong email, someone left)
If you added the wrong person, used the wrong email address, or a contact has changed after the document was created, you can replace that recipient.
Before sending
Select Manage recipients, then select the three-dot menu next to the recipient and choose Replace recipient. All fields assigned to that role stay assigned — only the person changes.
After sending
Open the sent document, go to the Recipients panel, and either edit recipients details or replace signer from there. Available options depend on the document's current status and your permissions.
Warning: Editing recipients on a sent document may clear signature and initials fields and require re-signing after you resend. PandaDoc shows a confirmation prompt before proceeding — read it carefully. If other recipients have already completed their parts, check whether those signatures will be affected before making changes.
Note: If your goal is to move all fields from one person to another in bulk, use Replace recipient rather than reassigning fields one by one. For field-level changes, see Assigning fields to recipients.
Verify and send
After recipients and signing order are set, quickly confirm that all fields are assigned to the right people before sending — especially signatures and initials. See Assigning fields to recipients if anything needs adjusting.
When everything looks right, proceed to Step 3 to send. See Send and sign a document for the full send flow and what recipients see on their end.
Classic experience
If your workspace uses the classic editor, you manage recipients and signing order from the document's send flow and recipient management controls.
Troubleshooting
The signing order set in my template isn't being respected when the document is sent
Signing order configured in a template is inherited by documents created from it. First check that Set signing order is toggled on in the Recipients panel when creating the document — it's possible the toggle is off on that specific document even if the template has it set. If the order still looks wrong after confirming the toggle is on, contact support with the document URL so the team can investigate.
The second signer received the document before the first signer finished
Verify that Set signing order is toggled on in the document's Recipients panel, not just in the template. If the toggle was off when the document was sent, all recipients receive it simultaneously regardless of the template setting. You can check this on the sent document by opening the Recipients panel.
I sent the document to the wrong email address
Use the Edit recipient's details or Replace signer option on the sent document. Depending on document status, this may require a resend — PandaDoc will notify you before making changes.