## Overview

The **Contracts settings** area brings together two groups of account-level options: the **module
defaults** — values applied to new contracts (signature level, language, link validity, retention
and region) — and the **visual identity** of your documents, defined in the **theme designer**. The
same place is where you upload the **account A1 certificate** (for qualified signing) and the
contract **header logo**.

Settings are **unique per account** (one set per account): what you define here becomes the default
for every contract, and each contract can still adjust specific points case by case.

## Prerequisites

- The Contracts module **enabled** for the account.
- To **edit** the settings you need **administrator permission**. Agents have **read-only** access
  (they can view but not change).
- To use the **qualified** level, have a valid **A1 certificate** (`.pfx`/`.p12`) and its
  **password** — on the account and/or on the issuing company.
- For the **logo**, a **PNG or JPEG** file (these are the formats rendered in the PDF).

## Step by step

1. Under **Contracts**, open the **Settings** section.
2. Adjust the **module defaults** (signature level, language, link validity, retention, region and
   reminder policy).
3. (Optional) Upload the **account A1 certificate** to enable qualified signing by default.
4. Set the **visual identity**: **upload the header logo** or **reuse** an existing logo (from an
   issuing company or from the Media Library).
5. Open the **theme designer** and adjust colors, fonts, page, footer and signatures.
6. Use the **live preview**: the platform renders a **sample PDF** with the current theme, without
   saving anything.
7. **Save**. The changes then apply to the next contracts.

## Settings & options

### Module defaults

| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| **Default signature level** | Level applied to new contracts: simple, advanced (with OTP) or qualified (A1). | Simple |
| **Default language** | Language of the generated document. | English |
| **Default link validity** | Days until the signature link expires. | 30 days |
| **Document retention** | How many years signed documents are kept. | 5 years |
| **Region / legal framework** | Region that drives the legal framework and the applied retention. | BR |
| **Reminder policy** | Enables automatic reminders for pending signers and, optionally, links a follow-up sequence. | Enabled |

These are only the **default values**: the platform starts from the code settings and layers what
you defined on the account on top. When generating a contract, you can still adjust the level and
other points individually.

### Account A1 certificate

For **qualified** signing (ICP-Brasil), you need a **digital A1 certificate** — a password-protected
`.pfx`/`.p12` file. You can upload an **account A1 certificate** that acts as the **default** for the
operation. Each **issuing company** can also have **its own A1**, which takes precedence for the
contracts it issues.

- The certificate is **sensitive** data: it is stored securely and never shown back on screen.
- The **A3** certificate (hardware token/card) is **not** supported in this version — only A1 (a
  file).

### Visual identity and header logo

The logo that appears in the contract header follows a **cascade**, top to bottom:

1. **Issuing company logo** (if the contract's company has its own logo).
2. **Account default logo** (the one you set here in Settings).
3. **Theme logo** (an external logo URL configured in the theme designer).

The **account default logo** can be added by **upload** (a file) or **reused** from an existing logo
— for example an issuing company logo or a **Media Library** file — without re-uploading the bytes.
When you **remove** the account logo, the header falls back to the company logo or the theme URL. The
logo is kept **separate** from the JSON theme.

### Document theme designer

The **theme designer** controls the entire look of the PDF. The effective theme is resolved as a
**cascade**: system default ← **account** ← **issuing company** ← **template** ← unsaved designer
overrides. When a contract is **sent**, the theme is **frozen** into the document, so a signed
contract never changes appearance afterwards.

Among others, you adjust:

- **Header**: logo position and show/hide the company name, document (CNPJ/CPF) and address.
- **Brand and colors**: primary, secondary, accent, heading and text colors; **font** (Helvetica,
  Times or Courier) and the body and title sizes.
- **Page**: size (A4 or Letter), orientation, margins, border and watermark.
- **Footer**: page numbering (position and format) and legal disclaimer.
- **Signatures**: layout, role order, show witnesses and show the A1 seal.

The **live preview** renders a **sample PDF** (with a sample company, styled clauses, an items table
and a full set of signatures) **without saving** anything. If you point to a company and/or a
template, the preview reflects the full cascade, exactly as a real send would look. If rendering
fails, the preview degrades to a one-page notice — it **never** stops responding.

## Use cases

- **Standardize the look** of every contract with your brand (colors, font and logo).
- Enable the **qualified level by default** for an operation that always requires A1.
- Tune the **link validity** and the **reminder policy** to speed up closing.
- Keep **different logos per issuing company**, with the account logo as a **fallback**.

## Tips, limits & best practices

- Keep the **A1 certificate valid** — an expired certificate blocks new qualified signatures.
- **Check the appearance in the preview before sending**: the theme of a sent contract is **frozen**
  and does not change afterwards.
- Use **hexadecimal colors** and keep the font within **Helvetica, Times or Courier** (always safe in
  the PDF). Logos in **PNG or JPEG**.
- **Only administrators** change these settings; agents have read-only access.

## Troubleshooting

- **I can't edit the settings**: you need **administrator permission**; agents can only view.
- **The preview shows an "unavailable" notice**: the sample render failed; try again and review the
  theme adjustments.
- **The logo doesn't appear in the contract**: check the **cascade** (company → account → theme URL)
  and use a valid **PNG/JPEG** file.
- **Qualified signing is unavailable**: confirm there is a **valid A1** on the account or on the
  selected issuing company.

## See also

- [Contracts & E-signature overview](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-overview-en)
- [Issuing companies and A1 digital certificate](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-empresas-emissoras-certificado-a1-en)
- [Templates, variables and auto-fill](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-templates-variaveis-auto-fill-en)
- [Internal and external signing](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-assinatura-interna-externa-en)
- [Public contract page and validator](/hc/ajuda/articles/contracts-esignature-pagina-publica-e-validador-en)