status property on a recipient indicates where the recipient is in the signing workflow. Status changes happen automatically as the envelope progresses.
Status reference
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
pending | The envelope has not been sent to the recipient yet. This is the initial status when an envelope is created. |
awaiting | The recipient is waiting for one or more earlier recipients to complete. Applies to sequential routing only. |
sent | The invitation has been sent to the recipient. The recipient has not yet completed their ceremony. |
completed | The recipient has finished all required actions (for example, signed or approved). |
rejected | The recipient declined to complete the envelope. |
soft_bounced | The invitation email was temporarily undeliverable (for example, a full mailbox). You can resend the request using the Resend endpoint. |
hard_bounced | The invitation email was permanently undeliverable (for example, an invalid address). Use the Replace endpoint to assign a different recipient. |
failed | An error prevented the email from being sent. |
replaced | This recipient was replaced by a new one using the Replace endpoint. |
Typical flow
For an envelope with sequential routing and a single signer, the recipient moves through these statuses in order:pending- The envelope is created. The recipient has been registered but not yet notified.sent- The envelope starts processing and the invitation email is sent.completed- The recipient finishes their ceremony.
awaiting status until all earlier recipients complete.
Handling delivery problems
Two statuses indicate email delivery problems:soft_bounced means the email was temporarily rejected. The recipient’s address may be valid. Use the Resend endpoint to try again.
hard_bounced means the email was permanently rejected. The address is likely invalid. Use the Replace endpoint to assign a new recipient with a valid address.