Welcome to Ironclad!
Your organization has partnered with Ironclad, a contract intelligence and workflow automation platform, to deliver an experience that is integrated with our existing tools, intuitive to business and legal users alike, and compliant with new company contracting processes.
This article is for contract requesters. As a contract requester, you will initiate contracts by submitting information through a questionnaire, also known as a launch form.
This article provides you with a comprehensive overview of the different stages of the Ironclad workflow and the features of the Ironclad platform. We have worked closely with your legal team to ensure you feel confident when creating or uploading contracts for approval and signature.
Log In To Ironclad
If you are signing into Ironclad for the first time, there are a few different ways to log in depending on your team’s protocols:
- Sign in using your Ironclad account. If you are logging in for the first time, click the Sign In button located in the initial email you received from Ironclad to create a password and sign in. If you're not receiving emails from Ironclad regarding your password, refer to Common Reasons for Unreceived Email Notifications.
- Sign in using your SSO credentials. Access may be subject to permissions set by your Ironclad Administrator.
- Sign in by selecting the Ironclad token via your SSO applications manager. Your Ironclad profile will pre-populate with your data from your SSO profile.
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To access Ironclad moving forward, we recommend bookmarking https://ironcladapp.com/dashboard. If you are using the Salesforce integration and your contract type has been configured, you can also launch from the Account/Opportunity page by selecting the Launch [Workflow Name] button found at the top, or through the embedded workflows component depending on how your organization’s Salesforce instance is configured. To learn more, refer to Launch Workflows from Salesforce.
To access Ironclad moving forward, we recommend bookmarking https://ironcladapp.com/dashboard. If you are using the Salesforce integration and your contract type has been configured, you can also launch from the Account/Opportunity page by selecting the Launch [Workflow Name] button found at the top, or through the embedded workflows component depending on how your organization’s Salesforce instance is configured. To learn more, refer to Launch Workflows from Salesforce.
Workflow Overview
As a contract requester, Ironclad will be where you initiate your contracts. The contracts will then run through a workflow that has been built with your business processes in mind.
A workflow encompasses the following steps:
ACADEMY COURSE
To learn more about the workflow process and how it relates to you, refer to our Ironclad Contract Owner course.
To learn more about the workflow process and how it relates to you, refer to our Ironclad Contract Owner course.
Navigate the Dashboard
Saved Views for Easy Access to Workflows and Records
Create custom views across all contract stages, or quickly access the same views you’re familiar with from both the Repository and Dashboard with just one click.
Search and Filter Across Both Workflows and Records
By default, you have access to all your contracts (both in progress and archived) in the Dashboard, allowing you to search and filter across your workflows and records. If you’re looking for a specific agreement, you can search using the Search bar or the Filters dropdown on the top right-hand corner to narrow the agreements down. For example you can view all agreements stuck in the Sign step, specific contract types, etc. To learn about advanced Dashboard search, refer to Advanced Dashboard and Repository Search.
Quick Contract Previews, Right from the Dashboard
Click on any contract (both in progress and archived) in the Dashboard to instantly preview key details—such as the title, documents, properties, and more. This provides a quick summary, allowing you to dive into the documents or workflow page based on the next steps you need to take.
To learn more about the Dashboard, refer to the Dashboard Overview.
Launch a Workflow
The Start Workflow button enables you to begin a workflow. To begin a workflow, click Start Workflow and select a workflow on the left to preview the associated form. If this is the workflow you want to create, click Use this contract workflow. The workflow launches and allows you to enter the information needed to initiate the agreement.
NOTE
Your list of workflows will only include the contract types you have access to, if you believe you should have access to others, please reach out to your Ironclad Administrator.
Your list of workflows will only include the contract types you have access to, if you believe you should have access to others, please reach out to your Ironclad Administrator.
Once you have selected the workflow you want to launch, you will be taken to a form that collects all the information needed to generate the agreement and/or upload an external paper, forward it for internal review, and collect signatures.
Any question marked with an asterisk (*) must be answered before it can be sent for Review or Signature. Depending on your answers, additional questions may be displayed. When you have answered all of the questions, click Submit.
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If you are not ready to submit your launch form, click Save Form. To view the saved form, click the Start Workflow button and locate it under the Saved Forms section. You can then update or delete the form.
If you are not ready to submit your launch form, click Save Form. To view the saved form, click the Start Workflow button and locate it under the Saved Forms section. You can then update or delete the form.
Approval Step
Depending on the contract type and your answers to the questions in the previous step, Ironclad will automatically pull in all internal approvers to approve each version of Ironclad before it can be sent out for signature. This approval process can be sequential or parallel, so pay close attention to the layering and order in the Approval section.
If you're required to approve, you will see a Mark as approved button and an Approval layer titled Owner (you will also be notified by email). This may be put in place to ensure you have reviewed the workflow before sending it over to internal reviewers.
Review the Draft Document
You can compare edits made to each version of your document in the Edit Info form or by uploading a new document. To learn more about comparing document versions, refer to Compare Document Versions.
Collaborate with the Activity Feed
If you have any internal comments regarding your draft document, use the Activity Feed section to collaborate. You can @mention a colleague and they will be notified via email that they can reply directly to. To learn more about the Activity Feed, refer to the Activity Feed Overview.
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The Activity Feed is a great way to stay on top of your workflow and reduce turnaround time for other stakeholders. If you wish to prompt a workflow participant, send them a reminder.
The Activity Feed is a great way to stay on top of your workflow and reduce turnaround time for other stakeholders. If you wish to prompt a workflow participant, send them a reminder.
Share a Document
If you want to share a version of your draft document via email (in PDF or Word format), you can share a document in Ironclad. You can choose to share either the latest and/or redlined versions. To learn more about how to share a document, refer to Share Documents.
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When you share a document, you can also track if your recipient has opened your email in the Activity Feed.
When you share a document, you can also track if your recipient has opened your email in the Activity Feed.
Make Changes to Your Draft Document
There are three ways to update your draft document, each of which will require you to leave a note for the Activity Feed:
| Method | Details | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
Edit Info |
If you want to update your original answers given in the Launch step, select Edit Info. A list of all the Launch Form questions will open so you can edit them. Once you've updated the document using Edit Info, the document may update and generate a new version, and you may need to seek reapproval from those who have already approved. |
The draft document has not been shared yet. |
Update Document |
If you want to update content that was not entered in the Launch step or need to upload an updated Word or PDF document to replace the current version, you can click Update Document to upload the latest version.
NOTE
After uploading a new version, Edit Info will no longer update sections in the draft document populated by Launch form answers.
|
The draft document has been shared and edited outside of Ironclad. |
Ironclad Editor |
If you want to delete or add to the draft document text within Ironclad, you can do so using Ironclad Editor. All changes are tracked and may require internal approval. This requires Standard seat type permissions. Requester/Viewer seat types may not see these options, depending on how your administrator has configured your permissions. |
You want to make minor changes to the contract. |
Sign Step
After approvals, Ironclad will prepare the approved document for signatures.
If you are the Signature Coordinator, you are responsible for managing the signature collection for this contract. This may include:
- Choosing when to Send for signature to initiate the eSignature process
- Confirming any partial or fully signed packets that have been uploaded via the Upload Signature Packet button (accessible to all internal participants of the workflow)
- Managing signers and signing order
- If contracting on external paper, placing eSignature tags on the document before sending
- Adding eSignatureCCs to those who need to be notified but are not actively participating
To learn more about how to send documents out for signature, refer to Collect Signatures Online.
If the contract was signed outside of your eSignature (partially or completely), you can use the Upload Signature Packet button to upload the signed document.
If you need to make edits to the template or there are further negotiations, you can revert back to the Review step by clicking Go back to Review. This may reset all approvals in the Review step, depending on how the workflow was set up. Be aware that if you revert back to Review after sending the Signature packet, the eSignature packet will be voided and all parties will receive an email that the envelope is voided.
Archive Step and the Repository
After the contract has been signed by all parties, the Archive step acts as a final approval to ensure the contract data information is complete before storage. This is typically performed by someone in an operational role.
Once approved in the Archive step, the contract will be stored in multiple places - your organization’s Cloud Storage, Salesforce (if applicable), and the Repository view in the Dashboard.
The Repository is a source of truth for all your contracts and the history of the workflow. When you complete a workflow, Ironclad creates a Repository record for that workflow. This record contains the document(s) and properties from the workflow.
Ironclad Support and Resources
For technical issues, please contact support@ironcladapp.com.
For general training resources, please browse our Ironclad Help Center content at support.ironcladapp.com.