Describe the circuit, Charta runs it.
A contract generates itself, goes to validation, then to signature, then the team gets notified — with nobody orchestrating. You describe the circuit once on the template; every launch unrolls it on its own, and you watch every step live.
Seven bricks, all your circuits
Every step of the circuit is a brick to lay down: generate, validate, get signed, notify — and branch on what happens.
Compose it like a timeline
On the template, stack the steps and branch: if the document is signed → accounting gets notified; if not → the sales rep gets alerted. Conditions speak your language, not a rules engine's.
- YES / NO branches. A condition step opens up to five branches — each unrolling its own steps.
- Business conditions. Document signed or not, validation approved or rejected: the circuit reacts to what matters.
- Attached to the template. Defined once, the circuit runs at every launch — for one document or a hundred.
Jordan CostaNothing goes out without a green light
Turn on the gate: the document is generated, but the signature request stays on hold until a validator from your team approves — one click, inside Charta. Need an outside opinion? The "External validation" step invites a third party to a secure page, no account to create.
- A switch, not a process. "Require validation before sending for signature": the setting fits on one line.
- Bring your clients into the loop. With the "External validation" step: a secure link, no account, to approve or reject with a reason — automatic halfway reminder. No more back-and-forth lost in email threads.
- Rejections come with reasons. Rejecting requires a reason — kept in the run's history.
Every step, before your eyes
The run unfolds live: done steps in green, the current step pulsing, the rest in gray. Generated documents, signature history, branch taken — everything is recorded and dated on the timeline.
- Progress at a glance. "2 of 4 steps completed": you always know where the circuit stands.
- Every result is recorded. Document generated, email sent, branch taken, validation approved — with time and author.
All your runs, one list
Every launch has its card: status, current step, progress. Filter by state — running, validation required, completed — and test all your future processes in a sandbox: one switch, and nothing real goes out.
- The current step, always visible. No need to open the run to know where it stands — the card says it.
- Filters that speak. "Validation required", "Signature required": you see right away where you're needed.
- Sandbox test mode. Rehearse the circuit in a test environment: no real signature goes out.
Your audits prepare themselves without you knowing
Every decision stays attached to the document: who approved, who rejected, when, and why. The day someone asks for accountability, the history is already written.
- Who, when, why. Approvals and rejections are timestamped, named and commented — a rejection reason is mandatory.
- Attached to the document. The history lives on the run and on the document — not in a spreadsheet kept on the side.
- Audit-ready. Reasoned decisions on the validation side, proof certificates on the signature side: the file builds itself.
Frequently asked questions
Who can validate a step?
A member of your team — or an external validator with no Charta account: they get a time-limited secure link, with an automatic halfway reminder if they haven't answered.
What happens if the document isn't signed?
That's decided once and for all, when you design the circuit: a "NO" branch can alert the sales rep, notify a manager, or generate another document. Without one, the workflow simply ends — and the document behaves like any signature request: "Pending" status, automatic reminders, then expiration at the deadline set on the template.
Can I test a circuit without sending anything?
Yes, with test mode: documents are generated in a sandbox environment and no real signature goes out. The run is marked "Test" in the list.