# Counter-signing and completing a contract

> Add your signature after your client signs so the contract is completed, your client gets their PDF, and both sides are committed. When CoreHue signs for you.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/contracts/counter-signing/

After your client signs, add your counter-signature to move the contract from **Signed** to **Completed**. Your client can then download the completed PDF. If your saved signature was applied automatically, this step is already done.

## Counter-sign a contract

1. Open the contract. A banner reads **Awaiting your signature** with the date your client signed.
2. Choose **Counter-sign**.
3. Draw or type your signature, then choose **Counter-sign and complete**.

The contract becomes **Completed**. Your client gets an email titled "Contract fully signed" with a link to the completed contract, and the **Download PDF** button appears on their page.

## Find contracts waiting on you

Your [Home screen](/docs/getting-started/your-home-screen) shows them under **Needs attention** as "N contracts waiting on you". You can also filter **Documents → Contracts** by **Signed**.

They're worth clearing promptly, because until you counter-sign:

- **Your client can't download their PDF.** Signed isn't enough for them.
- **Only your client has committed on paper.**
- **The PDF has no certificate of completion yet.** That page is added once the contract is Completed. See [Downloading contract PDFs](/docs/contracts/contract-pdfs).

## When contracts complete without you

Not every contract waits for a counter-signature. It depends on where the contract came from.

| Contract | What happens when your client signs |
| --- | --- |
| One you send yourself | Stops at **Signed** and waits for you |
| One you pre-signed | Goes straight to **Completed** |
| Inside a proposal, set to **Sign manually** | Stops at **Signed** and waits for you |
| Inside a proposal, set to **Use saved signature** | Your saved signature is added and it's **Completed** |
| On a booking service | Your saved signature is added and it's **Completed** |

Contracts on booking services always use your saved signature, because someone booking at midnight shouldn't have to wait for you to wake up. That's why a service won't take a contract until you've [saved your signature](/docs/contracts/your-saved-signature).

When your saved signature completes a contract automatically, no "fully signed" email goes out. Your client sees the confirmation on screen as they sign.

## Pre-signing a contract

If you'd rather sign first, open a sent contract and choose **Pre-sign** from its menu. Your signature appears on the contract when your client opens it, with a note that you've already signed. When they sign, it completes straight away.

## Your signature doesn't hold up a booking

When a proposal creates a booking, the booking is created once your **client** has finished signing and paying. Your counter-signature isn't part of that. A contract sitting at Signed is paperwork to finish, not a blocked job. See [What happens when a client accepts](/docs/proposals/after-acceptance).

## What your client sees

While the contract waits for you, your client's page shows a **Signed** badge and a line saying your business will counter-sign to complete it. Once you counter-sign, the badge changes to **Completed**, the band reads **Fully executed**, and the **Download PDF** button appears.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I undo a counter-signature?

No. A counter-signature can't be undone. A completed contract is final, and neither side can change it. If the terms need to change, write a new contract and send it.

### Why didn't my client get a "fully signed" email?

The "Contract fully signed" email only goes out when you counter-sign by hand. Contracts completed by your saved signature or a pre-signature don't send one, because your client sees the completed contract on screen as they sign.

### What if the contract expires before I counter-sign?

If a contract expires before you counter-sign, it reads **Expired**, and your client's page explains that they signed but it lapsed before you counter-signed. Choose **Reissue contract** to send a fresh version.

### Does counter-signing change my saved signature?

No. Counter-signing uses the signature you draw or type at that moment. Your saved signature only changes when you edit it under **Settings → Business → Contract signature**.