Automate electronic signatures and contracts with Google Sheets and Zapier
Automating contracts and automating the process of electronic signatures is a hot topic that's been around for a while. No wonder people still love a lot of manual labor. It's funny, maybe it's because people feel like every little thing they do manually makes them feel important, and they really feel like they've accomplished something when so much effort is put in.
But when it comes to signing hundreds or thousands of contracts a month or in a relatively short period of time, there's a line somewhere where you just throw your hands up and say, "I quit! That's enough!". That's exactly where the idea of automated contracts and automated electronic signature processes comes in. And you better believe it, because there really are companies that are dealing with hundreds and thousands of different types of contracts. And it can be frustrating to keep track of all the signing processes.
In this post, we'll show you an easy way to automate your tens or hundreds of contracts that you can prepare for signing in so little time you wouldn't believe it.
Automation with Zapier
If you haven't heard of Zapier, it's a great tool that connects different apps and automates your workflow. And if you already know Zapier and still don't use it, then it's time you reconsidered. This is the tool that makes incredible automation possible.
The following automation will help you prepare a series of contracts to be filled out by the signer. And this automation takes place between your favorite document editor Microsoft Word and perhaps your favorite content creation tool Google Sheets. Very common tools, very useful tools. Many companies use Microsoft Word and Google Sheets in their daily work, and you probably do too.
Before you start
Make sure you've all the necessary files to work with. And follow the instructions exactly as they're explained here:
- Make sure you've your spreadsheet prepared (with a header row similar to the variables in your contract). You probably have some blank spaces that need to be filled in by other signers. We'll enter this information into the spreadsheet and this information will automatically be included in the Microsoft Word contract.
- Microsoft Word document (DOCX format) with variables will be created (sample files here) and uploaded to Agrello as a template.
Step 1.
Prepare your Google Sheet with table columns containing the data you want to include in the document in Agrello.
Step 2.
Create a Microsoft Word file and upload it to Agrello as a template. As you can see from the screenshots below, your Microsoft Word contract should contain the variables highlighted in yellow and it's important that they match the headings in your Google Sheet exactly. Another important note is that the variable names must be inside the curly brackets. Otherwise, the automation wouldn't understand that these variables aren't part of the text content.
This here's your Microsoft Word document prepared with fields highlighted in yellow and braces around them. Then, upload the same Microsoft Word agreement to Agrello and name it whatever you want. This example is an NDA example.
This is a preview of your NDA contract after you upload it to Agrello. Another important thing to remember is to save your Microsoft Word contract in DOCX format when you prepare it.
Creating an automation with Zapier
Now is the time to go to Zapier. If you don't have a Zapier account yet, you can do so here: Zapier | The easiest way to automate your work. Create your account and start creating your first ZAP. That's right, that's what you call a connection between apps.
Step 1.
Choose Google Spreadsheets from the app selection. You'll easily find it in Zapier.
Step 2.
Select the trigger (New spreadsheet row).
Step 3.
Connect Google Account.
Step 4.
Select Spreadsheet file to work with.
IMPORTANT! To test your automation, you can create at least one row in the table after the header to make the Zapier tests work. If you've an email field, it's better to fill it with test data first. But if you already have a fully populated table with all the data, you can use that too.
Step 5.
Test new row creation.
Connect with Agrello
Now that you've made the necessary preparations for Zapier. Let's see what needs to be done on the Agrello side. As before, everything takes place in Zapier. What you need to do now is look for the Agrello app in Zapier and make the necessary connections.
Step 1.
Choose Agrello app as an action.
Step 2.
Select Event (Create New Document From a Template)
Step 3.
Connect Agrello account.
Step 4.
Configure the action.
Start by selecting the template you previously uploaded.
IMPORTANT! Based on the fields in the template the additional configuration fields are displayed. In this example you can add Agreement Start Date, Party A full name, address etc.
Step 5.
Once you have completed the configuration you need to test Zapier flow.
If the test is successful you should see the new document created in Agrello, using the template file you chose filled with the data from your spreadsheet.
Step 6.
If the test is successful you can activate Zap.
Even with the help of electronic signature apps, getting those work agreements signed can be as difficult as getting a celebrity's autograph. A new customer takes too long to return a signed document, or you lose track of which agreements must be distributed.
Zapier's automated workflows can help you streamline your contracting process, allowing you to spend less time prepping documents and more time focusing on other tasks.
Whether you're new to electronic signatures or it's a tried-and-true method of getting work done, automating your process can free up time for other tasks, such as client meeting preparation.
Support
If you have trouble automating the contract, try Agrello's support page first. And if you really need to improve your workflows related to contracts and electronic signature automation, give us a call and we will find a suitable solution for you or your company.
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