Managing Contract Status
Managing Your Contract Status
Summary: Track and update contract status throughout the lifecycle from draft to executed to maintain organized records and compliance.
Overview
Contract status management provides visibility into where each agreement stands in your workflow. From initial drafting through full execution and renewal, tracking status helps you stay organized, meet deadlines, and ensure all contracts receive appropriate attention. This guide explains contract statuses and how to manage them effectively.
Prerequisites
- Active growlio account with contracts
- Member-level permissions or higher
- Existing contracts to manage
- Understanding of contract lifecycle stages
How to Manage Contract Status
Step 1: Access Contracts Dashboard
Navigate to Business > Contracts to view all your contracts with their current status. Contracts display in list or grid view with status indicators.
Step 2: Understand Status Types
Familiarize yourself with available contract statuses: Draft (being created), Sent (awaiting signature), Partially Signed (some parties signed), Signed (fully executed), Active (in effect), Expired (term ended), and Voided (cancelled).
Tip: Some statuses update automatically (like when signatures complete) while others require manual management.
Step 3: Filter Contracts by Status
Use status filters to view specific contract groups. Click "Active" to see all current agreements or "Expiring Soon" to identify contracts needing renewal.
Step 4: Open Contract Details
Click any contract to view its complete details, status history, signature progress, and available actions based on current status.
Tip: The detail view shows full status timeline including date stamps and who made changes.
Step 5: Update Status Manually
Find the status dropdown in the contract header or actions menu. Select a new status appropriate for the contract's current state.
Step 6: Mark as Active
Once a contract is fully signed, update status to "Active" to indicate it's currently in effect. Set the contract start and end dates if not already specified.
Step 7: Handle Expiring Contracts
growlio flags contracts approaching expiration. Review these regularly and either renew, extend, or allow them to expire based on the relationship.
Tip: Set reminders 30-60 days before expiration to discuss renewal with clients.
Step 8: Void Contracts When Necessary
If a contract is cancelled before execution or becomes invalid, change status to "Voided". Add detailed notes explaining why the contract was voided.
Step 9: Track Signature Progress
For contracts sent for signature, monitor status showing which parties have signed and who still needs to complete their signature.
Step 10: Archive Completed Contracts
When contracts fully expire or complete their term, archive them to keep your active list clean while maintaining records for compliance.
Tips & Best Practices
- Review contract statuses weekly to stay on top of commitments
- Set calendar reminders for contracts approaching expiration
- Add notes when changing status to document reasons
- Update to Active immediately after full execution
- Track renewal dates for all active contracts
- Use Expiring Soon filter to proactively manage renewals
- Document void reasons thoroughly for audit purposes
- Archive old contracts annually to maintain clean workspace
- Create status-based reports to monitor contract health
- Assign team members to manage specific contract statuses
- Automate status notifications to relevant stakeholders
- Keep clients informed when contract statuses change
Troubleshooting
Issue: Can't change contract status
Solution: Verify you have Member-level permissions or higher. Ensure the status change is valid (some statuses can't revert to previous states). Refresh browser if option isn't appearing.
Issue: Status didn't update automatically after signing
Solution: Refresh the page to see if update was delayed. Manually update status to Signed or Active if automatic update failed. Check that all required signatures were actually completed.
Issue: Contract shows wrong status
Solution: Manually correct the status using the dropdown. Add notes explaining the correction. Review signature completion and contract dates to determine correct status.
Issue: Missing expiration reminders
Solution: Verify notifications are enabled in your settings. Check that contract has an end date specified. Add expiration dates to contracts missing them.
Issue: Archived contracts not accessible
Solution: Look for "Show Archived" filter or checkbox. Archived contracts remain accessible but hidden from main view. Unarchive if you need to reference or modify them frequently.