Contract Status Reference

Every contract in Pactly has a status that reflects where it is in its lifecycle. This reference covers all statuses, how contracts transition between them, and how visibility and reporting work for each.

Contract repository showing contracts in different statuses: Pending Signature, Executed, and In Negotiation, with status badges displayed next to each contract name — The contract repository showing status badges on each contract. Status determines what actions are available and where the contract appears in views and reports.

Active Statuses

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The starting status for **Template Contracts**. The contract has been generated from a template but not yet sent to a counterparty. The document is still being prepared internally. Next steps: send for negotiation, route for internal approval, or send directly for signature.

A Template Contract that has been sent for negotiation. The document is going through negotiation rounds with the counterparty. Each exchange of a document (your redlines, their response) creates a round tracked on the timeline. Next steps: continue negotiating, finalize when terms are agreed.

The starting status for **Playbook Contracts**. A third-party document has been uploaded and is being reviewed against the playbook. The review identifies compliant, non-compliant, and uncertain clauses. Next steps: complete the review, negotiate changes, finalize.

The contract is waiting for internal approval through a configured workflow. One or more approvers need to review and approve before it can proceed. The starting status for **External Contracts** (uploaded documents that skip drafting and negotiation). Approvers see full context: the document, negotiation history, and any playbook review results.

The contract has been approved (if applicable) and is out for electronic signature. Waiting for all parties to sign via DocuSign, Adobe Sign, SignWell, or Pactly e-Sign. The contract stays in this status until all signers complete.

All signatures have been collected and the contract is fully signed. The executed document (PDF) is stored on the contract record. Next steps: set reminders for renewal or expiry, archive when the contract has run its course.

End-of-Life Statuses

Status	Meaning	Reversible?	Visible in Repository?
Archived	Contract is complete or no longer actively managed. Fully preserved and searchable, but hidden from the default view.	Yes (unarchive)	Hidden by default, visible with filter
Aborted	Negotiation was abandoned before execution. The contract never became active. Preserved for audit trail.	Yes (undo abort)	Hidden by default, visible with filter
Marked for Abort	Contract is scheduled for automatic abort after a 30-day grace period. Can be cancelled before the scheduled date.	Yes (cancel mark for abort)	Visible with status filter
Terminated	An executed contract that was ended early, before its natural expiration. Requires a termination reason and effective date.	No	Hidden by default, visible with filter
Deleted	Permanently removed. For mistakes, duplicates, or test contracts where no meaningful work was done.	No	Not visible

For detailed guidance on choosing between these end-of-life actions, see Abort, Archive, Terminate, Delete.

Status Transitions by Contract Type

Template Contracts

Template contracts start in Draft and move forward as the document progresses. Not every contract goes through every status. A straightforward agreement might go Draft to Pending Signature to Executed without any negotiation or approval steps.

Draft → In Negotiation → Pending Approval → Pending Signature → Executed
  │                          │                    │                  │
  └──→ Aborted              └──→ Aborted         └──→ Aborted      └──→ Terminated
                                                                     └──→ Archived

Playbook Contracts

Playbook contracts start in In Review because the document comes from a third party and needs to be checked against your organization’s playbook before progressing.

In Review → Pending Approval → Pending Signature → Executed
    │              │                  │                │
    └──→ Aborted   └──→ Aborted      └──→ Aborted    └──→ Terminated
                                                       └──→ Archived

External Contracts

External contracts start in Pending Approval because the document already exists and does not go through drafting or negotiation within Pactly. They cannot be finalized (finalization applies only to Template and Playbook contracts).

Pending Approval → Pending Signature → Executed
       │                  │                │
       └──→ Aborted       └──→ Aborted    └──→ Terminated
                                            └──→ Archived

Status Indicators

Beyond the main status, contracts can display additional indicators that provide context about their current state:

Indicator	What it means
Action Required	Something needs your attention on this contract: a new email, an internal message, or a fresh assignment. See Action Required.
Blocked	The contract contains text that triggered a blocking rule in the template configuration, or finalization is blocked because data completeness rules have not been met.
Finalization Blocked	Proactive evaluation rules prevent finalization until specific conditions are met (e.g., required properties filled, party verification complete). An admin can manually override the block.
Approval Blocked	The approval workflow cannot proceed due to an invalid configuration (e.g., no approvers configured for the matching rule).

Undoing Status Changes

Some status changes can be reversed:

Action	What it does	Status change
Undo Finalization	Returns the contract to active negotiation. Removes the final round (for Playbook Contracts) or variation records (for Template Contracts). Destroys all approval requests and approval decisions created during finalization.	Returns to Draft (if no rounds) or In Negotiation / In Review (if rounds exist)
Undo Execution	Reverts from Executed back to Pending Signature. Use when a signature was recorded in error or the wrong document was uploaded as the signed version.	Executed → Pending Signature
Undo Abort	Restores an aborted contract to its previous active state.	Removes the Aborted flag
Cancel Mark for Abort	Cancels a scheduled abort before the 30-day grace period expires.	Removes the Marked for Abort flag

All undo actions are recorded on the contract timeline for audit purposes.

Visibility and Reporting

Status	Default View	Filterable	Reports	Search
Draft	✓ Visible	✓	✓	✓
In Review	✓ Visible	✓	✓	✓
In Negotiation	✓ Visible	✓	✓	✓
Pending Approval	✓ Visible	✓	✓	✓
Pending Signature	✓ Visible	✓	✓	✓
Executed	✓ Visible	✓	✓	✓
Archived	Hidden	✓ Toggle	✓	✓
Aborted	Hidden	✓ Status filter	Excluded	✓
Marked for Abort	Hidden	✓ Status filter	Excluded	✓
Terminated	Visible	✓	✓	✓
Deleted	Removed	✗	✗	✗

When any filter or search keyword is active, archived and aborted contracts are included in results by default. You can explicitly hide them using the Archived and Aborted toggle filters.