Before you start

• You’ve signed in and chosen the right organization in the sidebar switcher.

• You’ve set your personal vault PIN under Settings > Compliance (needed for the last step).

• Optional but recommended: connect Gmail or Outlook under My Preferences so signed documents send from your own address.

Step 1: Add a client

1. Click Clients in the sidebar, then New Client.

2. Choose Residential or Commercial.

3. Fill in the basics: name, primary contact email, phone. For commercial, add the primary and secondary contacts.

4. Click Save. The client opens in their own workspace. The new client also gets an automatic Loyva client ID and appears in your master Clients list.

Step 2: Create a folder

1. Folders keep documents organized inside the client workspace. Typically one folder per agreement type.

2. On the client workspace, open the Folders tab.

3. Click New Folder.

4. Name it something like Monitoring Agreement or Service Contract.

5. Click Save.

Step 3: Build a proposal (optional but recommended)

A proposal gives the client a priced, branded quote they can accept online. Once accepted, you can convert it into a signed contract in one click.

1. From the client workspace (or sidebar > Proposals > New), start a new proposal.

2. Add line items: equipment, install fees, and any Recurring Monthly Revenue (RMR) lines like monitoring.

3. Pick a Terms template or enter custom terms.

4. Preview the proposal, then click Send. The client receives an email with a hosted link they can review and accept or decline.

5. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the proposal and jump straight to step 4 with a contract PDF.

Step 4: Send a document for signature

1. On the client workspace, click Send for Signature (or sidebar > Documents > New).

2. Pick a template (for example, the ECCA monitoring agreement) or upload a PDF.

3. Loyva opens the field builder with signature, date, and text fields pre-placed (you can drag them to fit).

4. Confirm the signer (the client’s primary contact email by default). For multi-signer documents, add other signers and choose sequential if order matters.

5. Optionally add CC recipients. They get the signed PDF when the document completes.

6. Click Send. The client receives a branded email with a secure signing link.

7. The envelope now appears in Documents > Awaiting Signatures.

Step 5: Sign the document (as the client)

If your test client uses your own email:

1. Open the email, click Review & Sign.

2. Read and accept the eSign consent notice (required by UETA / E-SIGN).

3. Fill in any required fields and apply your signature.

4. Click Finish. You’ll see a confirmation page.

5. Back in Loyva, the envelope moves to Completed as soon as the webhook fires (usually within seconds).

Step 6: Vault the signed contract

Vaulting locks the executed PDF as the Authoritative Copy and creates a working Copy plus a full audit log. This is what makes the contract a transferable record under UCC § 9-105.

1. Open the completed envelope (sidebar > Documents > Completed, or from the client workspace).

2. Click Vault In. If prompted, unlock the vault with your PIN.

3. Wait a few seconds while Loyva regenerates the unmasked Authoritative Copy and the working Copy.

4. You’ll see three artifacts in the Vault: the green Authoritative Copy, the blue Copy, and the Audit Log.

5. The contract is now legally vaulted. Custodians on the account can view (but not download) the Authoritative Copy.

Step 7: Invoice (optional)

If you took an RMR or one-time payment in the proposal, you can invoice immediately.

1. Open Billing in the sidebar.

2. Click New Invoice, pick the client, and pull in the line items (or any unbilled RMR).

3. Send the invoice. The client gets a Stripe-hosted payment page if Stripe Connect is enabled for your org.

Recap

In about 15 minutes you’ve created a client, organized them with a folder, optionally sent a proposal, sent and signed a contract, vaulted the Authoritative Copy, and (optionally) invoiced. That’s the full Loyva loop.

Where to go next:

• Templates: turn the document you just sent into a reusable template for future clients.

• Reports: watch RMR and pipeline build as you add more deals.

• Team Members: invite the rest of your team and assign them to clients.

Frequently asked questions

My envelope is stuck in Sent and the client says they didn’t get the email.
Check spam, then resend from the envelope’s action menu. Confirm the signer email is correct, fix it via Edit Submitter if not.

I can’t see the Vault In button.
Vaulting is available only on envelopes with status completed. If yours is still sent, the document hasn’t been finished by all signers yet.

Vaulting failed with a PIN error.
Your PIN may not be set, or you exceeded the failed-attempt limit (5 attempts locks the vault for 15 minutes). Set or reset your PIN in Settings > Compliance; an Admin can reset another user’s PIN.

Do I have to use a proposal first?
No. Many teams skip proposals and just send a PDF contract directly. Proposals are most valuable when you want online accept/decline tracking and an itemized quote.

Can I undo a vault?
Use Vault Out to release an Authoritative Copy back into the standard documents view. The action is recorded in the audit log.