TL;DR
Auto contract from proposal is a Plutio feature that generates a linked contract every time a proposal is created or sent, using a selected contract template with smart fields that pull in client details and project information automatically.
Plutio connects proposals and contracts natively: enable autoContract on a proposal, choose the contract template, and the contract appears pre-filled with the client's name, project scope, and payment terms. With combinedSignature enabled, the client signs both documents in one step, cutting the back-and-forth from two separate signing requests to one. Freelancers who send 5+ proposals per month save roughly 2 hours by skipping the manual contract creation step entirely, and eliminate the risk of mismatched terms between the proposal and the contract.
Auto contract comes with all Plutio plans starting at $19/month, with a 7-day free trial. Enable the setting inside any proposal's Automation panel, select a contract template, and the contract generates the moment the proposal is created.
What auto contract from proposal is
Auto contract from proposal is an automation that generates a contract document linked to a proposal, using a pre-built contract template and smart fields to populate client details, project information, and payment terms without manual data entry.
In Plutio, every proposal has an Automation panel where autoContract can be toggled on. When enabled, Plutio creates a contract using the selected template at the same time the proposal is built. The contract pulls data from the proposal through smart fields: client name, company, project title, start date, and any custom fields defined in the proposal. The two documents stay linked, so changes to client details on the proposal propagate to the contract.
Smart field inheritance
Smart fields are dynamic placeholders inside contract templates that pull live data from the proposal, the client profile, and the project. A contract template might include client.name, project.title, and proposal.total, and when Plutio generates the contract from the proposal, those placeholders fill with the actual values. No copying, no pasting, no switching between tabs to verify the numbers match. Smart fields also work across contract templates, so one master agreement template serves every client without manual edits per project.
Combined signature
When combinedSignature is enabled on the proposal, the client signs the proposal and the attached contract in a single signing session. Instead of receiving two separate documents with two separate signature requests, the client opens the proposal, reviews both documents in sequence, and signs once. The e-signature applies to both the proposal acceptance and the contract agreement simultaneously. The practical benefit: clients who receive fewer documents respond faster, and a single signing session removes the friction of chasing a second signature days after the proposal was accepted.
Before auto contract, I'd send the proposal, wait for the signature, then build the contract from scratch. Now the contract is already there when the proposal goes out. Clients sign both in one sitting.
Why auto contract from proposal matters
Creating a contract manually after every signed proposal introduces a delay between the client saying yes and the project being legally protected. On average, that gap takes 20 to 45 minutes per contract: opening a template, filling in the client's name and project details, double-checking payment terms against the proposal, and sending a separate signing request. Across 30 projects per year, that adds up to 15+ hours of admin that adds no value to the work itself.
The bigger risk is not the time but the errors. When a proposal quotes $4,500 for a brand identity project and the contract gets manually created with $4,000 because a digit was mistyped, the mismatch creates a dispute. When the project scope in the proposal says "logo and brand guidelines" but the contract says "logo design," the deliverables are legally ambiguous. Manual duplication between two documents is where those mistakes happen, and they surface at the worst possible moment: when the client questions an invoice or disputes a deliverable.
Proposal tool Proposify has no contract feature at all, so freelancers using Proposify still need a separate contract tool like DocuSign or PandaDoc, creating a three-tool workflow just to close a deal. HoneyBook bundles contracts inside Smart Files alongside proposals, but the contract is not a separate standalone document, which means extracting it for legal reference or sending it independently is not possible.
The most costly outcome is not the admin time but a project that starts without a signed contract because the freelancer was too busy to create one after the proposal was accepted. Auto contract removes that gap entirely: the contract exists the moment the proposal does.
Plutio's approach generates the contract at proposal creation, not after signing, so the legal agreement is ready before the client even opens the proposal. Combined signature means the contract gets signed at the same time as the proposal, with zero additional steps for the freelancer or the client.
How auto contract from proposal works in Plutio
Enable autoContract on any proposal in Plutio's Automation panel, select a contract template, and the contract generates pre-filled with client and project details through smart fields.
Before starting, make sure at least one contract template exists with smart fields for client name, project title, and any other dynamic values. Templates are created in the Templates section under Contracts.
Step by step
- Step 1: Open a new or existing proposal in Plutio and navigate to the Automation panel in the proposal settings.
- Step 2: Toggle autoContract on. A dropdown appears showing available contract templates. Select the template that matches the project type.
- Step 3: Plutio generates the contract immediately, pulling the client's name, company, project title, and payment terms from the proposal through smart fields. Review the generated contract to confirm all fields populated correctly.
- Step 4: Optionally enable combinedSignature in the same Automation panel. When turned on, the client signs both the proposal and the contract in a single signing session instead of receiving two separate requests.
- Step 5: Send the proposal. The client receives the proposal with the contract attached. If combinedSignature is enabled, the client reviews and signs both documents in sequence. The signed contract and accepted proposal are both stored in the project's documents.
Practical tip: pair autoContract with proposal-to-project automation so the signed proposal also creates a live project. The full pipeline becomes: proposal sent, client signs, contract and project are both created automatically, and an invoice can follow through auto-invoice, turning a single proposal into a complete project setup.
Who needs auto contract from proposal
Freelancers and agencies who send 3 or more proposals per month and require a signed contract before starting work get the most value from auto contract. A freelance designer sending 5 proposals per month spends roughly 30 minutes per contract on manual creation, review, and sending. The total reaches 2.5 hours per month, or 30 hours per year, on a task that auto contract reduces to zero manual steps.
Agencies running onboarding workflows for multiple clients simultaneously benefit from the consistency. Every contract uses the same vetted template with the same legal language, and smart fields ensure the client-specific details are always accurate. No team member forgets to update the client name or project scope because the data flows from the proposal automatically. Agencies processing 10+ new clients per quarter save 10+ hours annually and eliminate the compliance risk of sending a contract with another client's name on it.
Freelancers evaluating Proposify alternatives discover that Proposify has no contract functionality at all, so closing a deal requires a separate tool for the agreement. Freelancers switching from Dubsado find that Dubsado's workflow automations can trigger contract creation, but the setup requires configuring a multi-step workflow with triggers, conditions, and template mappings, a process that takes 30+ minutes to build and debug. Plutio's autoContract is a single toggle on the proposal itself.
Bottom line: any freelancer or agency that sends proposals and contracts as part of client onboarding cuts 30+ hours of annual admin, eliminates data-entry errors, and gets contracts signed faster by generating them automatically from the proposal.
