Signing templates are pre-configured document formats that allow Mantle to automatically generate legally binding agreements for your clients. Think of them as master templates that define where signature blocks, company information, and legal terms appear in documents like option agreements and board resolutions.

Why signing templates matter:

• They must be configured before you can generate any signable documents in Mantle

• They ensure consistent formatting and legal compliance across all generated agreements

• They map your company's specific information into the correct locations in legal documents

• They define who needs to sign each document and in what order

Prerequisites

Before setting up signing templates, ensure you have:

• Company signatories configured – You'll need at least one company representative authorized to sign legal documents. An email, name, and job title are required for this user, but it is not mandatory for them to be a company user on Mantle.

• Legal document templates – Word documents (.docx format) containing the legal text and signature placeholders you want to use.

• Appropriate permissions – Your user account must have template creation permissions.

• Understanding of your legal workflow – Know who needs to sign documents and in what order.

Accessing Signing Templates

1. From the company dashboard, click Settings in the left sidebar.

2. Select Signing from the settings menu.

3. You’ll see two tabs: 1) Signing Templates (for document templates), and 2) Signing Authorities (for company signatories).

4. Ensure you're on the Signing Templates tab.

What You'll See

The signing templates page displays:

• A table listing all configured templates with their names, upload dates, and keywords

• An Upload Template button in the top-right corner

• Action buttons for each template (Preview, Download, Edit, Delete)

If no templates have been configured yet, you'll see an empty table prompting you to upload your first template.

Creating a Signing Template

Step 1: Upload a template

• Click the Upload Template button in the top-right corner.

• The Upload Signing Template modal will open.

• Fill out the Template Name, Resource Type, and upload the template.

File requirements:

• Must be a Word document (.docx format)

• Should contain keywords to be filled before signing (formatted with brace brackets e.g. {{issue_date}}

• Should contain signature placeholders (formatted with angle brackets e.g. <<signing_authority_signature>>)

• Must include the legal text and formatting you want in the final documents

Step 2: Preview your template

• Click the Preview button (appears after you've filled all required fields)

• A new window will open showing how your document will appear when generated with a mock option grant

• Review the formatting, text, and placeholder locations

• Close the preview window to return to the upload modal

What to check in preview:

• Document formatting appears correct

• All legal text is present and properly formatted

• Keywords are correctly replaced with mock data

• Signature placeholders are hidden (will add signature components when signing)

Step 3: Complete upload

• If the upload looks correct, click Save.

• The modal will close and your document will appear in the templates table.

Field Mapping and Document Integration

When you upload a signing template, Mantle automatically scans the document for special keywords and signature placeholders. This process is called "field mapping."

How Field Mapping Works

Automatic Detection:
Mantle looks for special substitution strings in your document using double curly braces, such as:

• {{company_name}} - Will be replaced with your company's legal name

• {{issue_date}} - Will be replaced with the grant date

• {{share_class_name}} - Will be replaced with the specific share class being granted

• {{stakeholder_name}} - Will be replaced with the employee's name

• {{exercise_price}} - Will be replaced with the option exercise price

• {{issued_quantity}} - Will be replaced with the number of options granted

Signature Placeholders:
For signature blocks, Mantle uses angle brackets with specific formats:

• <<signing_authority_signature>> - Creates a signature block for company representatives

• <<stakeholder_signature>> - Creates a signature block for the option recipient

Data Sources:
When generating documents, Mantle pulls information from:

• Your company profile (name, address, legal details)

• The specific option grant details (number of shares, vesting schedule, etc.)

• Stakeholder information (employee name, contact details)

• Signing authority details (company representative information)

• Share class and equity plan information

Complete List of Available Keywords

Company Information:

• {{company_name}} - Legal company name

• {{company_address}} - Primary business address

• {{company_address_2}} - Secondary address line

• {{company_city}} - City

• {{company_state}} - State or province

• {{company_country}} - Country

• {{company_zip}} - ZIP or postal code

Signing Authority (Company Representative):

• {{signing_authority_name}} - Name of authorized company signatory

• {{signing_authority_email}} - Email address of signatory

• {{signing_authority_title}} - Job title of signatory

Stakeholder (Option Recipient):

• {{stakeholder_name}} - Employee's full name

• {{stakeholder_email}} - Employee's email address

• {{stakeholder_relationship}} - Relationship to company (e.g., "Employee")

Equity Plan Details:

• {{equity_plan_name}} - Name of the stock option plan

• {{equity_plan_create_date}} - Date the plan was established

Share Class Information:

• {{share_class_name}} - Type of shares (e.g., "Common Stock")

• {{share_class_create_date}} - Date the share class was created

Option Grant Specifics:

• {{issue_date}} - Date the options are granted

• {{expiration_date}} - Date when options expire

• {{issued_quantity}} - Number of options being granted

• {{exercise_price}} - Price per share to exercise options (e.g. "$0.01")

• {{total_exercise_price}} - Total cost to exercise all options (e.g. "$1,000.00")

• {{currency_code}} - Currency (e.g., "USD")

• {{option_type}} - Type of option (e.g., "Incentive Stock Option (ISO)")

Vesting Information:

• {{vesting_start_date}} - Date vesting begins

• {{vesting_end_date}} - Date vesting completes

• {{vesting_schedule_name}} - Name of vesting schedule (e.g., "4-Year Vesting")

View Field Mappings

After uploading a template:

1. Find your template in the templates table

2. Look for the "Keywords" column - this shows what data fields Mantle detected

3. Hover over the keywords to see a tooltip explaining what each field represents

4. The "Recipients" column shows who will need to sign documents generated from this template

Example of Detected Keywords: If your template contains {{company_name}}, {{stakeholder_name}}, and {{issued_quantity}}, you'll see these listed in the Keywords column, indicating that Mantle will automatically populate these fields when generating documents.

Recipient Configuration and Signing Order

Signing templates automatically configure who needs to sign documents and in what order based on the signature placeholders in your document.

Default Recipient Roles

For option grant templates, Mantle sets up these signing roles:

Company Representative:

• The authorized signatory from your company

• Signs on behalf of the corporation

• Must be configured in Signing Authorities before generating documents

Option Recipient (Employee):

• The person receiving the stock options

• Will receive an email with signing instructions

• Must sign to accept the option grant

Signing Order

Documents follow this signing sequence:

1. Company representative signs first - This authorizes the option grant.

2. Option recipient signs second - This accepts the grant terms.

This order ensures the company has committed to the grant before asking the employee to sign.

Customizing Recipients

The recipient configuration is determined by the signature placeholders in your Word document. To modify who signs:

1. Edit your Word document template to include different signature blocks.

2. Upload the updated document as a new template.

3. The system will automatically detect the new signature requirements.

Template Management

Editing Templates

To update an existing template:

1. Navigate to the signing templates table.

2. Click Edit in the overflow menu for the template you wish to modify.

3. Make your desired changes in the edit modal and click Save.

*Changing templates affects only new documents. Documents already sent for signature will continue using the original template.

Viewing Template Details

For each template in the table, you can see:

Template Information:

• Name you assigned when uploading

• Upload date and time

• Number of documents currently using this template

Template Capabilities:

• Keywords detected (data fields that will be populated)

• Recipients configured (who will sign) with signature placeholders for them

Deleting Templates

To remove a template:

1. Find the template in the templates table

2. Click the trash can icon in the Actions column

3. Confirm the deletion when prompted

*You cannot delete templates that are currently being used by pending documents. Complete or void those documents first.

Best Practices

Template Design

Document Structure:

• Keep legal text clear and professional

• Use consistent formatting throughout

• Place signature blocks in logical locations

• Include all necessary legal disclaimers and terms

Placeholder Usage:

• Use Mantle's standard keywords for automatic data population

• Test placeholders to ensure they populate correctly

• Avoid manual text where dynamic data should appear

Template Management

Naming Conventions:

• Use descriptive names that include document type and version

• Include dates or version numbers for easy identification

• Example: "ISO Option Agreement - v2.0 - 2024"

Version Control:

• Keep previous template versions until all related documents are completed

• Document changes between template versions

• Test new templates thoroughly before using in production

Regular Maintenance:

• Review templates periodically for legal compliance

• Update templates when company information changes

• Coordinate with legal counsel on template modifications

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Upload Problems

"File format not supported" error:

• Ensure you're uploading a .docx file (Word document)

• Convert .doc files to .docx format before uploading

• Avoid PDF files - they cannot be processed

<<signing_authority_signature>> Required error:

• Your document must contain specific signature tags

• Add <<signing_authority_signature>> for company signature blocks

• Ensure placeholder formatting matches exactly (including angle brackets)

Preview Issues

Document appears blank in preview:

• Check that your Word document isn't corrupted

• Ensure the document contains visible content

• Try re-saving your Word document and uploading again

Formatting looks incorrect:

• Complex formatting may not display perfectly in preview

• The final generated document will maintain better formatting

• Test by generating an actual document to verify appearance

Field Mapping Problems

Expected keywords not detected:

• Verify keyword spelling and formatting with the format: {{keyword_name}}

• Ensure signing placeholders use the exact format: <<placeholder_name>>

• Check that keywords aren't split across lines or formatted differently

Wrong data appearing in generated documents:

• Verify your company profile information is complete and accurate

• Check that option grant details are properly entered

• Ensure stakeholder information is up to date

Permission Issues

"Upload Template" button is disabled:

• Your user account needs template creation permissions.

• Contact your Mantle administrator to grant appropriate access.

• Ensure your company status allows template modifications.

Cannot delete template:

• Check if any pending documents are using this template.

• Complete or void those documents before attempting deletion.

Document Generation Issues

"No signing template available" when generating documents:

• Ensure you have at least one template configured for the document type.

• Verify the template is properly saved and appears in the templates table.

• Check that the template is compatible with the type of grant you're issuing.

Generated document missing signatures or content:

• Review your template's signature placeholders.

• Ensure all required keywords are present in the original document.

• Verify that company signatories are properly configured.