Once a Document Tracking Checklist Item is configured and a document is uploaded, dhNegotiate manages the back-and-forth between Teams, version by version, until both sides are ready to finalize. This article covers the full negotiation workflow from first upload through Ready for Signature.

Every document in a dhNegotiate Checklist Item moves through a defined set of stages: Negotiation, Form Final, and Ready for Signature. The document advances when a Team Captain approves the current version. Next Action flips automatically when a new version is uploaded, so both sides always know whose turn it is.

The Team assigned the first Next Action uploads the opening draft directly from the Checklist Item.

1️⃣ Open the Checklist Item
Select the item from the Checklist to open the side panel.

2️⃣ Upload the document
Select Upload Document and choose your file. This becomes version 1 of the document.

3️⃣ Confirm the upload
The document appears in the side panel at Negotiation stage. Next Action flips automatically to the other Team.

When a Team has reviewed the current draft and is ready to propose changes, they upload their revised version from the Checklist Item side panel.

1️⃣ Open the Checklist Item
Select the item to open the side panel.

2️⃣ Upload the revised document
Select Propose New Version and choose the updated file. dealhead automatically generates redlines against the previous version.

3️⃣ Confirm the upload
The new version appears in the ping pong. Next Action flips to the other Team.

Repeat this process for each round of negotiation.

All document versions and their automatically generated redlines are accessible from the Checklist Item side panel in the ping pong: a visual timeline of every version uploaded and the redlines between them.

Select any version to view the document. To compare any two versions directly, select Compare Versions and choose the two versions you want to review. dealhead generates a redline between them on demand.

💡 Tip: Compare Versions is useful when you want to see the net change across multiple rounds, not just between the two most recent versions.

When a Team Captain is satisfied that the current version is ready to move forward, they approve it from the Checklist Item side panel.

1️⃣ Open the Checklist Item
Select the item to open the side panel.

2️⃣ Approve the current version
Select Approve. The document advances to the next stage.

The stage progression works as follows:

Either Team Captain can approve at either stage, there's no requirement that it be the same Team Captain or the same Team both times.

⚠️ Important: Approving advances the document stage for both Teams. Confirm the current version is ready before approving.

Form Final signals that the document language is agreed and the item is ready for signature preparation. The Approve button at Negotiation stage becomes Update Draft once the document reaches Form Final.

If a revision is needed before signatures - a corrected date, a defined term, a formatting fix - either Team Captain can select Update Draft to upload a new version. Before confirming, dealhead requires the Team Captain to acknowledge that they are acting on behalf of both Teams and are authorized to do so. The document stays in Form Final and the new version is added to the ping pong.

⚠️ Important: Use Update Draft for agreed revisions only. If the current version was uploaded in error, use Rescind and Replace instead.

Rescind and Replace is available at any stage and lets either Team Captain permanently remove the most current document version from the timeline and replace it with a new upload. Use it when a version was uploaded in error - wrong file, wrong draft, corrupt document.

To use it, select Rescind and Replace from the Document Tracking toolbar on the Checklist Item.

A few things to know:

💡 Tip: If the document is already at Form Final and needs a substantive correction rather than a replacement of an erroneously uploaded file, use Update Draft instead.

Once a document reaches Ready for Signature, it's available for signature configuration in dhSign. For a full walkthrough of what happens next, see dhSign — Guide for Team Captains.