# Bring-Your-Own Notification (/docs/guides/tutorials/bring-your-own-notification)


**Goal:** Choose the right model for how signers hear about an envelope - either Verdocs sends the standard invitation and lifecycle notifications, or your application owns every outbound message while Verdocs still powers signing workflows.

**Who this is for:** Backend engineers and technical product teams building white-label, embedded, or in-app signing experiences where communication should come entirely from their own platform.

***

## Two notification models [#two-notification-models]

|                                     | Verdocs-managed notifications (default)      | Bring-your-own (BYO) custom notifications       |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Envelope configuration              | Omit `no_contact` or set `no_contact: false` | Set `no_contact: true`                          |
| Who sends invitations and reminders | Verdocs                                      | Your application                                |
| Who sends completion emails         | Verdocs                                      | Your application                                |
| Who owns delivery infrastructure    | Verdocs                                      | You                                             |
| What you must build                 | Minimal integration                          | Notification delivery + lifecycle orchestration |

The property` no_contact` is configured at the envelope-level during creation.

***

## When to use each model [#when-to-use-each-model]

### Use Verdocs-managed notifications when [#use-verdocs-managed-notifications-when]

* Verdocs-branded or co-branded email is acceptable
* You want built-in reminders and lifecycle messaging
* You prefer minimal notification infrastructure
* Your application only needs signing workflows, not messaging control

***

### Use `no_contact: true` when [#use-no_contact-true-when]

* Every signer-facing touchpoint must come from your brand
* Signers stay entirely inside your product experience
* Your organization already operates email, SMS, push, or in-app messaging infrastructure
* You need tighter control over notification timing, compliance, or localization

***

## What Verdocs still handles in BYO mode [#what-verdocs-still-handles-in-byo-mode]

Setting `no_contact: true` does not disable the Verdocs signing engine.

Verdocs still manages:

| envelopes          | signing workflows    |
| ------------------ | -------------------- |
| recipients         | fields and documents |
| signing sessions   | audit trails         |
| webhooks           | completion state     |
| document retention |                      |

The primary change is that Verdocs suppresses its own recipient-facing notifications for that envelope.

***

### What gets suppressed [#what-gets-suppressed]

When `no_contact` is enabled:

* invitation emails are not sent
* reminder emails are not sent
* Verdocs-managed SMS notifications are not sent
* completion-style participant notifications are suppressed where applicable

***

### What still works normally [#what-still-works-normally]

Even with `no_contact: true`:

* webhooks continue firing
* signing sessions can still be created
* recipients still progress through workflows
* envelope lifecycle events still occur normally

Your application becomes responsible for turning those events into user-facing communication.

***

## Important workflow difference [#important-workflow-difference]

In the default flow, recipients typically receive a Verdocs-delivered invitation that starts the signing experience. In BYO mode, your application is responsible for:

1. deciding when the signer should act
2. generating or retrieving signing links
3. delivering those links through your own channels

That usually means your backend calls [Start Signing Session](https://developers.verdocs.com/docs/reference/Rest-API/api-docs/recipients/startSigningSession) (or equivalent APIs) and sends the resulting link through your own email, SMS, push, or in-app notification system.

***

## BYO notification flow (`no_contact: true`) [#byo-notification-flow-no_contact-true]

### Step 1 - Create the envelope [#step-1---create-the-envelope]

*Include:*

```
{
  "no_contact": true,
  "name": "Order #4412 - signature required",
  "template_id": "…",
  "recipients": [ … ]
}
```

The same approach works for both template-based and template-less envelope creation flows. The important part is: `no_contact: true`.

***

### Step 2 - Subscribe to webhook events [#step-2---subscribe-to-webhook-events]

Configure webhook subscriptions for the lifecycle events your application needs.

*Typical integrations listen for:*

* envelope lifecycle events
* recipient lifecycle events
* completion events
* failure events

\*\*

*Your webhook handler should:*

1. authenticate the webhook request
2. validate tenant ownership (`organization_id`)
3. enqueue downstream notification work

***

### Step 3 - Deliver signing links yourself [#step-3---deliver-signing-links-yourself]

*When recipients should sign:*

* create or retrieve a signing session
* generate the signing URL
* send it through your own communication channels

\*\*

*Common delivery channels include:*

* transactional email
* SMS
* push notifications
* CRM notifications
* in-app inboxes

***

### Step 4 - Handle completion messaging [#step-4---handle-completion-messaging]

Verdocs still completes the envelope internally when signing finishes. However, completion emails are also suppressed in BYO mode.

*If customers expect messages such as:*

* “Your document has been signed”
* “Download your completed agreement”
* “All parties completed signing”

Your application must send those notifications itself. Most teams trigger those messages from webhook events.

***

## Default Verdocs-managed flow (`no_contact: false`) [#default-verdocs-managed-flow-no_contact-false]

When `no_contact` is omitted or set to `false`:

* Verdocs sends invitation emails
* Verdocs sends reminders
* Verdocs sends completion notifications according to organization settings
* your integration can still consume webhooks for automation

This is the simplest integration path and usually the best starting point for new implementations.

***

## Typical architecture comparison [#typical-architecture-comparison]

### Verdocs-managed notifications [#verdocs-managed-notifications]

```
Your App
  → Create Envelope
    → Verdocs sends notifications
      → Recipient signs
```

***

### Bring-your-own notifications [#bring-your-own-notifications]

```
Your App
  → Create Envelope (no_contact: true)
    → Verdocs emits webhooks
      → Your notification service sends links
        → Recipient signs through your experience
```

***

## Commonly asked questions [#commonly-asked-questions]

### Can we switch modes after envelope creation? [#can-we-switch-modes-after-envelope-creation]

That depends on your API version and environment policy. Some versions may allow updating `no_contact`, while others treat it as immutable after creation. For new integrations, treat it as a create-time decision unless your API reference explicitly documents update behavior.

***

### Does `no_contact` disable webhooks? [#does-no_contact-disable-webhooks]

No. Webhooks operate independently from notification delivery. You continue receiving lifecycle events normally.

***

### Does `no_contact` affect legal validity or audit trails? [#does-no_contact-affect-legal-validity-or-audit-trails]

No. It changes who delivers notifications - not the underlying signing process, audit records, disclosures, or retention behavior.

***

### What about SMS notifications? [#what-about-sms-notifications]

If your organization normally uses Verdocs-managed SMS delivery, BYO mode means your application becomes responsible for SMS delivery as well. The same ownership split applies across all signer-facing notification channels.

***

## In summary [#in-summary]

### Verdocs-managed notifications (`no_contact: false`) [#verdocs-managed-notifications-no_contact-false]

Verdocs sends:

* invitations
* reminders
* completion notifications
* other lifecycle communications according to organization settings

This is the simplest operational model.

***

### Bring-your-own notifications (`no_contact: true`) [#bring-your-own-notifications-no_contact-true]

Your application owns all signer-facing communication.

Verdocs still powers:

* signing workflows
* sessions
* documents
* webhooks
* audit trails

Use webhooks and signing-session APIs to drive your own branded notification experience.

***

\*\*Learn More: \*\*[Verify signer](https://developers.verdocs.com/docs/reference/Rest-API/api-docs/recipients/verifySigner), [Start Signing Session](https://developers.verdocs.com/docs/reference/Rest-API/api-docs/recipients/startSigningSession), [New Recipient Authentication Options](https://developers.verdocs.com/docs/learn/whats-new/new-recipient-authentication-options), [Understanding Profiles, or “Why do my API calls return the wrong data?”](https://developers.verdocs.com/docs/guides/tutorials/understanding-profiles-or-why-do-my-api-calls-return-the-wrong-data) (for org vs recipient mental models)