Uploading Executed Contracts to SpotDraft

Last updated: May 12, 2026

Section 1: What is the Upload Executed Contracts Flow?

The Upload Executed Contracts flow is designed for contracts that were fully signed and executed outside of SpotDraft. These could be contracts that were:

  • Signed on paper and scanned

  • Executed through another e-signature tool (e.g. DocuSign, Adobe Sign)

  • Agreed by email exchange with attachments

  • Signed at an in-person event

Uploading these contracts to SpotDraft brings them into your central repository so they can be searched, tagged, tracked for renewals, and have metadata extracted — giving you full visibility over your executed contract portfolio even for agreements that pre-date your SpotDraft implementation.

Section 2: How to Upload an Executed Contract

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Repository in the left-hand navigation panel.

  2. Click Upload Contract.

  3. Select the file from your computer (PDF or DOCX formats are supported).

  4. Select the contract type from the dropdown list.

  5. Fill in the metadata fields:

  • Counterparty name

  • Effective date

  • Expiry or renewal date

  • Contract value

  • Business owner or department (optional but recommended)

  1. Click Upload.

SpotDraft will process the document. Once processing is complete, the contract appears in your Repository with the status "Executed". You can then open it to add additional metadata, set renewal reminders, or share it with colleagues.

Optional: Smart Data Capture

If your workspace has Smart Data Capture enabled, SpotDraft will attempt to automatically extract key metadata fields (such as effective date, expiry date, and counterparty name) directly from the document text. Review the auto-extracted values before saving, as OCR accuracy can vary.

Section 3: Supported File Formats

Supported Formats

  • PDF (.pdf) — recommended for executed contracts

  • DOCX (.docx) — Word documents

Initial Upload vs. New Version Upload

When uploading a contract for the first time, both PDF and DOCX formats are supported. However, when uploading a new version of an existing contract in the repository, only PDF format is accepted. If you need to upload a new version as a DOCX file, convert it to PDF first using Microsoft Word (File → Save As → PDF), Google Docs (File → Download → PDF), or an online converter.

File Size Limit

The maximum supported file size is 50 MB per upload. If your file exceeds this limit, compress the PDF using a tool such as Adobe Acrobat, Smallpdf, or ILovePDF before uploading.

INFO: For the best results, upload searchable PDFs rather than scanned image PDFs. A searchable PDF has a text layer that allows SpotDraft to extract metadata and make the contract full-text searchable. If you only have a scanned PDF, use SpotDraft's OCR feature to convert it to a searchable format before uploading.

Section 4: Troubleshooting Document Upload Failures

If an upload fails, use the table below to identify the cause and apply the appropriate fix.

Error Message

Cause

Fix

"File too large"

The file exceeds the 50 MB maximum file size.

Compress the PDF using a compression tool, or split the document into smaller sections and upload each separately.

"Unsupported file type"

The file is in an unsupported format, such as .doc (old Word format), .pages, .rtf, or an image file (.jpg, .png).

Convert the file to PDF or .docx before uploading. Use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or an online converter.

"Upload failed" (generic error)

A transient network issue, a timeout, or a corrupted file.

Retry the upload. If the error persists, check the file integrity by opening it locally. If the file opens normally, try from a different browser or network.

"PDF is password protected"

The PDF has encryption or password protection applied.

Remove the password protection before uploading. In Adobe Acrobat: File → Properties → Security → remove password. Alternatively use an online PDF unlocker.

"Some pages in your PDF are rotated"

The PDF contains a mix of portrait and landscape pages, causing SpotDraft's processor to flag the file.

Fix the rotation before uploading. See Section 5 for step-by-step instructions.

Section 5: Fixing Rotated Pages in a PDF

When a PDF contains pages in a mix of orientations (some portrait, some landscape), SpotDraft may fail to process the file or display pages incorrectly. This is a common issue with contracts that include exhibit pages or signature pages in a different orientation from the main document.

Fix Using a Browser (Quickest Method)

  1. Open the PDF in Google Chrome (or any Chromium-based browser).

  2. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to open the print dialog.

  3. Set the Destination to "Save as PDF".

  4. Click Save. The browser's PDF renderer flattens all page orientations into a consistent output.

  5. Re-upload the newly saved PDF to SpotDraft.

Fix Using Adobe Acrobat

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.

  2. Go to Tools → Organize Pages.

  3. Select the pages that are rotated (shown with a rotation indicator in the thumbnail view).

  4. Use the rotation buttons to correct their orientation.

  5. Save the file.

  6. Re-upload to SpotDraft.

TIP: The browser print-to-PDF method is the quickest fix for most rotation issues and does not require any additional software. Use Adobe Acrobat when you need precise control over individual page orientations.

Section 6: Preventing Duplicate Uploads

SpotDraft checks for duplicate contracts at the point of upload to prevent the same contract from being stored multiple times in your repository.

How Duplicate Detection Works

The system compares the uploaded file against existing contracts using two methods:

  • Document hash — an exact byte-level comparison that identifies identical files.

  • Counterparty + contract type match — a metadata-level check that flags contracts with the same counterparty and contract type combination.

When a Duplicate is Detected

SpotDraft displays an on-screen warning before the upload is finalised. The warning includes a link to the potentially duplicate contract already in your repository.

  • Review the existing contract: it may be an earlier version of the same agreement, a contract that was already uploaded by a colleague, or a genuinely different contract that happens to share counterparty and type.

  • If the contract you are uploading is genuinely new or different from the existing one, you can proceed with the upload.

  • If the existing contract is the same document, cancel the upload to avoid duplication.