Release Notes

New updates and improvements to SpotDraft

  1. Express Contracts Email Template

     Product Area: Express Contracts

     Impact of Change: Quality of Life Improvement

     Roles Impacted: Admins, Counterparties

    Description:

    We've updated the email templates for Express Contracts to better align with their intended purpose!

    The Problem:

    Previously, counterparties receiving Express Contracts had inconsistent experiences:

    • If the counterparty only needed to provide basic information (name, organisation name, email ID), they received an email requesting their signature
    • If the counterparty needed to answer additional questions, they received an email asking them to "review" the contract

    This "review" term unintentionally implied scope for negotiation, which contradicted the entire purpose of Express Contracts as non-negotiable, standardized agreements.

    The Solution:

    Now, all counterparties will receive consistent messaging regardless of how much information they need to provide:

    All Express Contract emails now use "Your signature is requested" messaging

    Counterparties who need to answer additional questions will still be guided to complete those steps before signing

    This creates a clear, unified experience that reinforces Express Contracts as fill-and-sign documents, not negotiable agreements

    How to Enable: This update has been automatically rolled out to all workspaces.
  2. Support for Conditional Pause in Approvals

     Product Area: Approvals, Workflow Manager

     Impact of Change: New Functionality

     Roles Impacted: Admins Users

    Description

    We've been working with customers like you who needed more control when pause steps are added in approval workflows. Specifically:

    • For "Upload for Review" contracts, a pause step allows teams to coordinate internally before approvals
    • However, for "Upload for Signature" workflows, pauses cause unnecessary delays when contracts are ready to go

    In the legacy approvals system, this differentiation was handled by pre-send vs. pre-sign approval types. When we launched the new version of approvals, customers lost this granular control - until now!

    What's New: Smart Conditional Pause Steps

    Pause steps in approval workflows can now be configured with conditions based on the workflow type:

    • Skip pause steps for "Uploaded for Signature" workflows to accelerate the approval process
    • Apply pause steps only for "Third-party paper - uploaded for Review" contracts that need internal alignment
    • Recreate the legacy pre-send/pre-sign approval distinction with improved flexibility
    Limitations: Currently supports "workflow type" conditions only. 
    How to Enable: Available on demand behind a feature flag for workspaces using New Approvals System. Please reach out to your CS for any support.  
  3. View-Based Report Downloads Update: Now Available for Recurring Reports

    CLM
    All Users
    End Users

     Product Area: Reports & Analytics

     Impact of Change: New Feature

     Roles Impacted: All users with recurring report access

    Description:

    We've now extended the functionality to customise columns in reports to recurring reports!

    What's New:

    The ability to download only the columns in your current view is now fully available for:

    • One-time report generation (launched previously)
    • Recurring reports (newly added!)

    This means your regularly scheduled reports can now be just as streamlined and relevant as your on-demand ones!

    How It Works with Views:

    Here's an important callout for those using recurring reports linked to specific views:

    If you change which columns are visible in a view that has a recurring report linked to it, any new reports generated from that point forward will automatically reflect those changes

    This means your recurring reports will always stay in sync with how you've customized your view

    No need to recreate or reconfigure your recurring reports when you update your view preferences!

    Pro Tip:

    Take a few minutes to review your current recurring reports and the views they're linked to. Consider customizing those views to include only the most relevant columns - this will make all your future recurring reports more focused and useful!

    How to Enable: This ferature is available in all workspaces - no action required!
  4. Move to redlining in Upload for Sign contracts

     Product Area: Upload for Signing contract

     Impact of Change: New feature

     Roles Impacted: All users

    Description:

    Previously, when users uploaded contracts for signature, they couldn't move these contracts into the redlining stage. This limitation created a rigid workflow that didn't accommodate needed changes or revisions once a contract was uploaded.

    We've enhanced the flexibility of contracts uploaded for signature! Users can now move these contracts to the redlining stage, allowing them to behave like third-party paper (TPP) contracts. This gives you more control over your contract workflow, especially when changes are needed before signing. Users can find this functionality in the contract actions menu.

    How to Enable: This feature will be rolled out to all workspaces gradually. Please reach out to your CS if you want this enabled for your workspace.
  5. For the Seal field, the 'Insert at N places' checkbox is selected by default on the finish signing page.

    CLM
    SpotDraft Sign

     Product Area:Contract Signing(Native E-Sign)

     Impact of Change: Faster Signing

     Roles Impacted: All signatories signing the contract via Native E-Sign

    Description:

    We've now enabled the 'Insert at N places' checkbox by default on the final signing page to reduce redundant clicks and speed up the signing process for contracts with multiple seal fields.

    Problem Addressed:

    Previously, when contracts with multiple seal fields were sent for signing, signatories had to click each seal field individually to populate it. This was frustrating, especially when users had to scroll through multiple pages to complete the process.

    Solution Overview:

    The 'Insert at N places' checkbox is now enabled by default for seal fields, significantly reducing redundant clicks and saving time for users signing the contract. Additionally, this change brings consistency to the signing experience, as the 'Insert at N places' option is already enabled by default for both Signing and Initial fields.

    How to Enable: This improvement is enabled by default for all customers using Native E-Sign
  6. Enhanced DocuSign Signature Request Emails

    CLM

     Product Area: DocuSign E-Signature Integration, Contract Signing

     Impact of Change: Quality of Life Improvement

     Roles Impacted: All customers using DocuSign integrations (creator party and counterparty signatories)

    Description:

    We've significantly improved the DocuSign signature request emails to provide clear context and enhance the signing experience for all parties! :tada:

    Problem Addressed:

    Previously, when contracts were sent for signature via DocuSign, the email notification contained minimal information - just a generic "DocuSign for SpotDraft sent you a document to review and sign" message with no details about the specific contract or requester. This created confusion for signatories (especially counterparties), who couldn't identify what they were being asked to sign without clicking through to the document.

    Solution Overview:

    The signature request emails now include critical context that makes it immediately clear to recipients what they're being asked to sign:

    • Clear requester identification: Shows the actual SpotDraft user who requested the signature with their name and email
    • Contract specifics: Displays the name of the contract being signed
    • Custom notes: Allows for additional context to be included when needed

    Why This Matters:

    Clear, contextual signature requests improve counterparty experience, accelerate contract execution, and reduce confusion about what's being signed and who requested it.

     How to Enable: This improvement is automatically available to all customers using the DocuSign integration. 

     

      

  7. Improved Naming for Express Contracts

    CLM

     Product Area: Express Contracts, Workflow Manager

     Impact of Change: Quality of Life Improvement

     Roles Impacted: Workspaces using Express Contracts, Admin users

    The Problem We're Solving

    Have you ever tried finding a specific contract created through an Express Contract link, only to see a list of identically-named documents in your repository? This has been a persistent pain point for our customers!

    Previously, when users created contracts via Express Contract links, the Contract Title in SpotDraft was set to the External Name configured in the Express Contract setup. This made it nearly impossible to distinguish between different contracts created through the same Express Contract link without opening each one.

    The Solution: Dynamic Contract Naming

    Starting May 12, 2025, contracts created via Express Contract links will automatically inherit the dynamic naming convention configured in the associated template workflow.

    This means contract titles for express contracts can now include valuable identifiers like Counterparty name, Date of creation, Contract type, and other variables defined in your workflow settings

    For example, instead of seeing a list of contracts all titled "External Service Agreement," you'll see descriptive titles like "ESA with Acme Corp - April 28, 2025" or "Service Agreement - TechPartner Inc. - Marketing Department."

    What You Need to Know

    Go-live date: This update will automatically apply to all new contracts created via Express Contract links from May 12th, 2025.

    Review recommended: We suggest reviewing your workflow settings to ensure your Contract Title Format is configured as desired.

    Note: If a workflow doesn't have a specific "Contract Title Format" configured, contracts created from that workflow (including via Express Contracts) will default to using the name of the workflow itself as the title.

    Resources

     Help Center Article with detailed information.

    For help configuring Contract Title formats, refer to the Contract Title Format help center article. 

     How to Enable: Please reach out to your CS for any support needed 

     

      

  8. Introducing VerifAI for Teams: AI-Powered Contract Review Inside SpotDraft!

    VerifAI

     Product Area: VerifAI for Teams

     Product Area: SpotDraft AI

     Roles Impacted: All SpotDraft customers who use VerifAI or the AI package.

    The Challenge We're Solving

    Ever find yourself juggling between SpotDraft and MS Word just to run a contract through VerifAI? We heard you!

    Many of you told us that while VerifAI's analysis capabilities are powerful, the workflow felt disconnected:

    • No SSO integration meant managing separate logins and compliance issues
    • Guides weren't synchronized across your workspace
    • Data residency and compliance issues created concerns for non-EU organizations
    • Multiple plugins and separate apps fragmented the experience
    • Too many steps to get to the review were not a good experience, especially for business users

    What's New?

    Introducing VerifAI for Teams – all VerifAI functionality is fully integrated into SpotDraft and the DraftMate plugin! The CLM integration unlocks new value

    Automatic Contract Analysis

    • Auto-run Guides: Now you can link Guides to workflows. These Guides will automatically analyze created/uploaded contracts against your organization's playbooks.
    • Instant Visibility: View deviations and risks directly in the contract details page.

    Team-Wide Guide Management

    • Workspace-Level Guides: Create and configure Guides that are available to your entire team
    • Workflow Mapping: Map specific Guides to workflows and contract types for automatic analysis
    • Consistent Reviews: Ensure everyone follows the same standards with shared Guides

    Seamless Experience

    • Single Sign-On: Use your SpotDraft credentials with full SSO support to sign in to DraftMate
    • Unified Interface: VerifAI appears alongside "Revisions" (formerly Summary of Changes) in a cohesive view
    • Data Compliance: User data will be stored in the chosen geographic region to meet compliance requirements
    • DraftMate Integration: Access all VerifAI capabilities through the familiar DraftMate plugin

     

    Important Terminology Updates

    As part of this integration, we've updated some terminology to better reflect our unified AI approach:

    • VerifAI for Teams: The embedded experience within SpotDraft CLM and DraftMate that you're seeing now
    • Revisions: Our new name for what was previously called "Summary of Changes"
    • VerifAI Personal: The standalone version of VerifAI (separate from SpotDraft CLM)

     

    Resources

     Welcome to VerifAI 

     Linking Guides to Workflows 

     Creating Guides in DraftMate 

  9. Support for Intake Forms in Signature Packets

    CLM

     Product Area: Signature Packets

     Impact of Change: Improves Platform Consistency and Boosts Signature Packet Adoption

     Roles Impacted: All users who have access to upload contracts for signature using the Upload and Sign flow.

    Description:

    Signature Packets now support intake forms.

    Problem Addressed:

    Previously, intake forms were not supported in the Signature Packet workflow. Because of this limitation, users often switched to other e-signature tools like DocuSign—especially in cases where they needed to upload and sign multiple contracts in a single flow that included an intake form in their process.

    Solution Overview:

    To address this gap, we’ve added support for intake forms within the Signature Packet workflow. Now, if a contract type includes an intake form, the uploader must complete the form before sending the contract for signature.

    This enhancement brings two key benefits:

    • Increased adoption of Signature Packets among users who rely on intake forms
    • Improved consistency in how intake forms are used across the platform

    Callout: Only Approval V5 is supported in the Signature Packet workflow.

      How to Enable: This update is automatically enabled for all workspaces where the Signature Packet feature is available. Signature Packets are currently rolled out to a limited set of workspaces. If you have a use case that involves uploading multiple contracts to be signed together please reach out to support.
    • Task Queues: Enhanced Reliability for AI Features

      CLM

       Feature Name:Task Queues

       Product Area:AI Infrastructure (SDC and other AI features)

       Impact of Change: Reliability Improvement

       Roles Impacted: All users of SpotDraft AI features

      Description:

      We've implemented a robust new queueing system to significantly improve the reliability of our AI features, particularly Smart Document Compare (SDC)!

      Problem Addressed:

      Previously, during high-volume periods, our system would occasionally hit LLM (Large Language Model) quota limits from our third-party providers like Google Gemini and OpenAI. When this happened:

      • Some requests would get stuck and never get completed
      • Key point extractions would fall through the cracks
      • Users would see a "stuck" state with no progress
      • If one customer was making many requests, it could affect other customers trying to use the system simultaneously

      Solution Overview:

      Our new Task Queues system creates a persistent, ordered queue that intelligently manages sudden spikes in traffic: Requests are properly queued and tracked, and Automatic retry mechanisms trigger when third-party services throttle us

      Important callouts:

      Possible slight delays: During extremely high usage periods, users might notice SDC processing taking longer than usual. This is expected and means the requests are being managed and will be completed.

      Increased completion rate: While individual requests might occasionally take longer, the overall reliability and completion rate of AI features are significantly higher.

      No action needed: This is a behind-the-scenes infrastructure improvement that requires no changes to how you use SpotDraft.

        How to Enable: This feature is being rolled out gradually, reach out to support for enablement.