TL;DR
Combined signature in Plutio lets a client sign a proposal and its linked contract with one signature, eliminating the separate signing step that delays project kickoff on every new engagement.
Plutio proposals include a combinedSignature setting that presents both the proposal pricing and the linked contract terms in a single signing flow. The client reviews pricing, reads the contract, and signs once at the bottom. The real shift: a proposal signed at 2 PM on Tuesday means the contract is also signed at 2 PM on Tuesday, with no second email, no separate link, and no gap between agreement and legal commitment. Over 60% of Plutio freelancers who attach contracts to proposals enable combined signature to cut their average time-to-kickoff by 2 to 3 days.
Plutio includes combined signature on all plans starting at $19/month, with a 7-day free trial. Enable it from the proposal settings when a contract is linked, and the signing flow merges automatically.
What combined signature is
Combined signature is a proposal setting in Plutio that merges the signing flow for a proposal and its linked contract into a single client interaction, so one signature covers both the agreed pricing and the legal terms without requiring two separate documents or two separate signing steps.
In Plutio, proposals can link to a contract through the autoContract setting. When a proposal has a linked contract and the combinedSignature toggle is enabled, the client's signing experience changes: instead of signing the proposal and then receiving a separate contract to sign, the client sees both documents in sequence and signs once at the end. The proposal pricing table comes first, the contract terms follow, and the signature field at the bottom applies to both.
Combined signature vs separate signing
Without combined signature, a proposal with a linked contract in Plutio sends two signing requests. The client signs the proposal, then receives the contract as a second document to review and sign separately. Combined signature removes that second step entirely. The client opens one link, scrolls through the proposal and the contract terms together, and signs once. Both documents record the same signature, timestamp, and IP address. For a freelancer sending 3 proposals per week, that eliminates 3 separate contract-signing follow-ups every week, roughly 30 minutes of admin time saved per week on follow-up emails alone.
Auto-invoice on combined signature
Combined signature pairs with Plutio's autoInvoice setting to create a full sign-to-pay workflow. When the client signs the combined proposal-and-contract, Plutio auto-creates an invoice from the proposal's pricing table. The sequence becomes: client signs once, contract is legally signed, and invoice is generated, all from a single interaction. The freelancer reviews and sends the invoice, and the first payment request goes out within minutes of the signature. The practical result: a proposal sent on Monday morning can have a signed contract and a deposit invoice in the client's inbox by Monday afternoon, with zero manual steps between the signature and the payment request.
Before combined signature, I'd send the proposal, wait for the sign-off, then send the contract separately. Half the time clients would sign the proposal and forget the contract for a week. Now one click handles both and the invoice generates right after.
Why combined signature matters for freelancers
Every separate document a client has to open, review, and sign adds friction that delays project kickoff. A proposal and a contract sent as two signing requests means two chances for the client to get distracted, lose the link, or deprioritize the follow-through.
On a $5,000 web design project, a 3-day delay between proposal sign-off and contract signature pushes the start date by 3 days, compresses the timeline, and shifts every milestone forward. For a freelancer managing 4 active projects, those delays stack up across clients, creating a backlog of half-committed projects where the proposal is signed but the legal terms are still pending. The administrative cost adds up too: each unsigned contract triggers at least one follow-up email, often two, at roughly 5 minutes per follow-up.
Dubsado links proposals to contracts through its workflow automation, but the client still signs the proposal and the contract as separate steps in a separate signing flow. The two documents connect in the backend, but the client sees two separate signing requests. PandaDoc can bundle documents into a single package, but PandaDoc's Essentials plan starts at $35/seat/month, more than Plutio's $19/month for the full workspace including proposals, contracts, invoicing, and project management.
The most common failure mode is not a client refusing to sign the contract but a client who signed the proposal and simply never opened the contract email. Combined signature removes that failure mode entirely because the contract is part of the same signing flow, not a separate action the client has to remember.
Plutio's combined signature addresses the root cause: instead of reminding clients to sign a second document, Plutio removes the second document from the process. One link, one review, one signature, and both documents are legally committed.
How combined signature works in Plutio
Link a contract to a proposal, enable combined signature in the proposal settings, and the client reviews both documents and signs once when they open the proposal link.
Before enabling combined signature, make sure the proposal has a linked contract. Open the proposal, go to settings, and use the autoContract option to attach an existing contract or create a new one directly from the proposal.
Step by step
- Step 1: Open a proposal in Plutio's Proposals module. Add pricing items, scope details, and any custom sections for the client.
- Step 2: In the proposal settings, link a contract using the autoContract option. Select an existing contract template or create a new contract with the terms for this engagement.
- Step 3: Enable the combinedSignature toggle in the proposal settings. Plutio merges the proposal and the contract into a single signing flow for the client.
- Step 4: Optionally enable autoInvoice so Plutio generates an invoice from the proposal's pricing table when the client signs. The sequence creates a full sign-to-pay workflow: one signature triggers both the contract and the first invoice.
- Step 5: Send the proposal. The client opens one link, reviews the proposal pricing, scrolls through the contract terms, and signs once at the bottom. Both documents record the signature with timestamp and IP address.
Practical tip: pair combined signature with autoInvoice and split payments so the client signs once, the contract locks in, the invoice generates with a deposit stage due immediately, and the project has financial and legal commitment from a single interaction.
Who needs combined signature
Freelancers and agencies who send a proposal and a contract on every new engagement, particularly designers, developers, photographers, and consultants billing project-based work above $1,500, get the most value from combined signature.
A freelance web developer sending 5 proposals per month with attached contracts currently manages 10 separate signing steps: 5 proposal sign-offs and 5 contract signatures. Combined signature cuts that to 5 total signing interactions, saving roughly 45 minutes per month in follow-up emails and status checks on unsigned contracts. On a $4,000 project, cutting 2 to 3 days off the time between proposal acceptance and contract commitment means work starts sooner and the first invoice goes out sooner.
Agencies managing onboarding for multiple clients each week use combined signature to standardize the intake flow. Every new client gets a proposal with pricing, a linked contract template with standard terms, and autoInvoice enabled for the deposit. The account manager sends one link, the client completes everything in one sitting, and the project board populates with tasks and financial commitments within the hour.
Freelancers comparing HoneyBook alternatives often ask whether Plutio can combine proposals and contracts into a single signing step. HoneyBook bundles proposals, contracts, and invoicing into its Smart Files format, but that proprietary format limits template flexibility and locks content into HoneyBook's editor rather than separate, reusable contract templates. Plutio keeps proposals and contracts as distinct modules that can be used independently or combined through the combined signature setting, so the same contract template works across multiple proposals without rebuilding.
Bottom line: any freelancer or agency that sends both a proposal and a contract on every new project saves 2 to 3 days per engagement and closes deals faster when both documents require only one signature from the client.
