Sharing a Document: Link Sharing vs Email
By: Ryanne Doumet
There are two ways to send documents in PandaDoc and each of them come with their own strengths. By understanding the differences between each you can choose which method will be the best way to communicate with your recipients and internal team members.
Let’s take a look at the legality and strategy behind when to send a PandaDoc via email versus via link.
Share via Email
We recommend this method first as it’s the best practice legally. Sharing via email allows PandaDoc to maintain signing security on the document. For example, if you create a document with 5 recipients on it and 2 of them are signers when you share via email, the 2 signers are the only ones who gain access to sign and complete the document.
Strategies for Sharing via Email
- Enable “document forwarding and signing” so others can legally complete the document in place of the original Signer.
- Keep all communication regarding the document in one place using the private and public commenting feature.
Pro Tip: this makes it way easier for managers and colleagues to check on all relevant communication rather than relying on messy email threads.
- Leverage “Saved Messages” to streamline your team’s communications with recipients and speed up your “create to send” time.
Share via Link
When you send a document via link, it’s important to note that unique URLs are created for each recipient. Anyone who has access to that unique link will be able to open that link as the assigned recipient and view and/or complete the document as that person.
Strategies for Sharing via Link
- You are already in email communication with the document recipient/decision-maker and they are expecting a response via email.
- You are communicating multiple items through email with a recipient/decision-maker and you want to consolidate everything in one place, including your PandaDoc document.
- Your recipient/decision-maker isn’t getting your PandaDoc emails when you send via email (see more here for why this may be the case and how you can improve this).
- You’ve noticed the recipient/decision-maker has not yet viewed the PandaDoc and you’d like to try a different line of communication to prompt them to view it.
- Share via Link makes it possible to send a PandaDoc document via SMS, Messenger, WhatsApp, or any other platform you may be communicating with potential clients or contacts.
It is important to note that sharing via link does leave room for human error. If you copy and paste the incorrect link to your recipient they will not be able to complete the document correctly and could complete it on someone else’s behalf.
Your Turn
Which way does your team prefer to send documents and why?
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In addition to the two ways mentioned here, Forwarding has been useful as well. At times, the final signer out of multiple signers has not yet been established, so using a 'generic' email allows me to direct to the correct signing party when I know who it will be.
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'Share via link' is a big control weakness for us. Think of a situation where the finance team needs the approval of a document from the manager. One of the finance team members himself can copy the link, open the link in another browser window and complete the digitally signing/approval process. The document will show that it is signed by the intended person with the right email and other details. There is no way we can stop it from happening. In my opinion, at least an option to disable this feature should be availble at the admin level.
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