Start a Contract (Workflow Task)

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Combine the best of workflows and contracts to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and minimize the risk of errors.

Use the Start a Contract workflow task to conveniently initiate a contract from a workflow and use documents from the workflow. 

In this article:

• Start contracts from workflows

Before You Begin

The Start a Contract task must be the last task in the workflow because once that task is executed, the workflow is terminated, and the contract process begins.

Note: The workflow instance status changes from ‘In Progress’ to ‘Completed’ on the workflow instance list.

Start Contracts from Workflows

1. In the workflow builder, click a + below an existing task.
   Note: There must already be at least one user task in the workflow before you can add a Start a Contract task.
2. In the right sidebar, under Send & Save, select Start a Contract. A Start a Contract task is added to your workflow.
3. Click on the task and in the right sidebar you can configure the task.
4. In the General Configuration tab, set the following:
   • Task Label – Modify the default task label from “Start a Contract” to a label that is meaningful, descriptive, and helps identify the task.
5. In the Contract Settings tab, set the following:
   • Select a Workflow Document from the dropdown or upload a document – This must be a .docx document.
     The dropdown will list .docx files from your workflow’s Edit .docx File tasks,  Generate Document from Form Data tasks, and previously uploaded .docx documents (obtained from another task in the workflow).
     Note: The .docx document is from either any of the workflow user tasks or one uploaded/imported specifically for this task.
     Note: When you select a document from the dropdown it will become the document’s Property Name.
   • Contract Name – Enter a contract name. You can include property names, if necessary. The default contract name is “<file-name/property-name> + Contract“. Modify it to suit your specific requirements.
   • Contract Creator – The contract creator must be a workspace admin of the workspace where the workflow is located and have the “Allowed to start a contract” permission in the contract category. Select the contract creator from the dropdown.
     The dropdown will include the list of all members in your workspace with the required permissions.
6. After you’ve configured all your fields, at the upper-left corner click <- Return to Workflow Model.
7. When you have completed building your workflow, at the upper-right corner, click Publish & Run Workflow and then Run Workflow.
8. When the workflow is run and is at the Start a Contract task, the participant will receive an email with a View Contract button. They can click the button to participate in the newly created contract.
   Note: If you are the contract creator and are running the workflow, the contract editor will also be opened in a new tab where you can edit the contract.
9. The workflow will end since the contract process has been initiated.

The contract can be accessed from the Contracts module in the app just like any other contract.

Known Limitations

The Start a Contract task requires a .docx file, so you cannot use it in conjunction with the Combine Document task.

Related Information

Types of Tasks (Workflows)
All About Workflows (Quick Reference)
Additional Resources

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