Contracts

    Complete Guide

    Agreements, NDAs, and proposals with templates, merge fields, version history, and signatures.

    By Sebastian StreiffertPublished Jan 10, 2026Updated May 4, 20267 min read

    What you can do here

    Contracts holds the documents that bind: agreements, NDAs, proposals, order forms, policies. Each one is linked to the customer it concerns, keeps its version history, and can be signed without leaving Lumenbase.

    • Send an NDA and have it signed the same afternoon.
    • Generate a proposal from a template with the customer details already filled in.
    • Answer "which version did we actually send them?" in one click.
    • Get a reminder before a contract auto-renews.
    Contracts
    Contracts

    Agreements

    4 documents

    Legal

    4 documents

    Commercial

    4 documents

    People

    4 documents

    TitleStatusVersions
    Northwind MSAActivev3
    Mutual NDAOut for signaturev1
    Q3 order formDraftv2
    • 1
      Families: Four groups so the shelf stays navigable
    • 2
      Status: Where each document is in its life
    • 3
      Versions: Every replacement keeps what came before
    Contracts are kept apart from the general Artifacts library, and only people with contracts access can open them.

    Document types

    FamilyCovers
    AgreementsContracts, master service agreements, order forms, amendments
    LegalNDAs, data processing agreements, policies
    CommercialProposals, service level agreements, client contracts
    PeopleEmployment contracts
    Admins choose which types your team can create in Settings → Workspace → Features → Contracts. Turning one off just hides it from the New document picker; documents already created are untouched.

    Create a document

    1

    Write, upload, or generate

    Write it here, upload one you already have, or generate it from a template. A Word file can be brought into the editor rather than left as an attachment you cannot search.
    2

    Link it to the customer

    Attach it to the company, contact, or deal it concerns. It then shows on that record, which is where people look for it.
    3

    Fill in the details

    Counterparty, value, currency, governing law, and the dates. Set whether it renews automatically and how much notice applies, and the renewal stops being a surprise.
    StatusWhat it means
    DraftStill being written. Not in force.
    ActiveIn force.
    SupersededReplaced by a newer one.
    ExpiredRan past its end date.
    TerminatedEnded early.
    ArchivedOut of the working list, still on the record.

    Save time with templates

    A template is a document with blanks in it. Generate it against a customer and the blanks fill themselves in: company name and website, the contact's name and email, the deal name and value, your own workspace name, and today's date.

    Anything that could not be filled is listed by name after generating, so an empty counterparty is something you see rather than something you send. You can also mark a spot as needs input when a human has to make a decision there.

    Give each type a numbering prefix in contracts settings and every new document gets a reference automatically. That reference is what finance and legal will quote back at you.

    Keep the history straight

    Uploading a replacement makes it the current version and keeps the old one. The version list shows who uploaded each, when, the dates it applied, and a note on what changed.

    • Download the original file, or a PDF or Word copy.
    • Restore an older version. It comes back as a new version rather than erasing what happened.
    • Archive a document you are done with instead of deleting it.

    Get it signed

    1

    Add the signers

    Mark each as the counterparty or someone internal.
    2

    Send for signature

    Each signer gets a link, reviews the document, and signs by typing their full name. You can copy the link and send it yourself if you would rather.
    3

    Watch it come back

    StateWhat it means
    Not sentNobody has been asked to sign yet.
    Out for signatureSent, nobody has signed.
    Partially signedSome signers done, waiting on the rest.
    ExecutedEveryone has signed.
    DeclinedA signer refused.

    You can withdraw a request at any point before it completes.

    Signing somewhere else is fine too. Use the lighter Send for review flow, then upload the signed copy and mark the document active.

    When something looks wrong

    What you seeWhat to do
    A type is missing from New documentAn admin has it switched off. Ask for it in contracts settings.
    Generated blanks are still blankThe record was missing that detail. The list after generating names each one.
    A colleague cannot open a contractContracts need their own access, separate from files. Ask an admin.
    A signer never received the linkCopy the signing link from the document and send it yourself.

    Quick reference

    Open it: Sidebar → Contracts
    Families: Agreements · Legal · Commercial · People
    Which types you can create: Settings → Workspace → Features → Contracts
    Signing: Add signers, send, sign by typed name
    Where they are stored: Their own area, not the file library

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