Document tracking and activity feed

Kyle Racki

Updated June 18, 2025 12:38

Document Tracking gives you complete visibility into how recipients interact with your documents after they're sent. From the moment someone clicks your document link to when they complete their review, you'll have real-time insights into engagement patterns, viewing behavior, and document status changes. This powerful feature helps you understand client interest, follow up at the right moments, and ultimately close more deals by staying informed about your document's journey.

Think of it as your behind-the-scenes window into client engagement—you'll know exactly when to make that follow-up call or when to give your prospect a little more time to review.

How Document Tracking Works

The tracking process begins the moment you share your document, whether through Proposify's built-in email system or by copying and sharing the document link directly. When recipients click to open your document, they may need to identify themselves first (this depends on your Identify to View settings, which you can customize based on your security preferences).

Once someone views your document for the first time, several things happen automatically: the document status updates from "Sent" to "Viewed," you receive an email notification with details about who opened it, and a comprehensive activity timeline begins recording all interactions. This creates a complete picture of engagement that goes far beyond simple "read receipts."

The system continues tracking throughout the entire document lifecycle, recording everything from initial views to signatures, comments, and any other meaningful interactions.

Accessing Document Activity

Finding Your Document Activity

Navigate to your Document List page where all your documents are displayed
Locate the document you want to track
Hover your mouse over the document row—you'll see several action icons appear
Click the Insights Button (the graph icon) to open the tracking dashboard

Understanding the Insights Panel When you click the Insights Button, a detailed panel slides out from the right side of your screen. This panel is your command center for document tracking and contains two main sections:

The top section displays key metrics at a glance: Last Active time shows when someone most recently interacted with your document, Status indicates the current stage (Draft, Sent, Viewed, Signed, etc.), Sent shows when you originally shared the document, and First Open records that crucial moment when someone first accessed your content.

The bottom section presents a chronological Activity Timeline that reads like a story of your document's journey. You'll see entries for when the document was created, sent, first viewed, and any subsequent interactions, all with timestamps that help you understand the pace of engagement.

Navigating and Managing Your Tracking Data The insights panel offers several helpful tools for managing your tracking experience. Use the Arrow Buttons to cycle through all documents in your current list without closing the panel—perfect for quickly reviewing multiple document statuses. Click the Expand Button to view the insights in full-screen mode, which also provides access to detailed document analytics.

The Preview and Edit Options let you quickly review or modify your document without leaving the tracking interface, and the Three-Dot Menu provides additional options, including the ability to switch between relative time displays (like "2 hours ago") and exact timestamps (like "Jun 17, 2025 8:20 AM") by selecting Show Exact Time.

Key Features and Benefits

Real-Time Status Updates Never wonder about your document's status again. The moment someone opens your document, you'll see the status change from "Sent" to "Viewed," giving you immediate confirmation that your content has reached its intended audience.

Instant Email Notifications Stay in the loop without constantly checking your dashboard. Proposify automatically sends you email notifications when someone views your document for the first time, including details about who accessed it and when.

Comprehensive Activity Timeline Every meaningful interaction with your document is recorded in chronological order. This detailed timeline helps you understand engagement patterns and identify the best moments for follow-up conversations.

Quick Navigation Tools The insights panel is designed for efficiency. Navigate between documents, switch viewing modes, and access editing tools without losing your place or interrupting your workflow.

Flexible Time Display Options Choose how you want to view timestamps based on your needs. Relative time (like "3 days ago") gives you quick context, while exact timestamps provide precise tracking for detailed record-keeping.

Understanding Document Status Changes

From Sent to Viewed When your document moves from "Sent" to "Viewed" status, it means someone has successfully opened and begun reviewing your content. This transition triggers your first email notification and marks the beginning of active engagement tracking.

Ongoing Activity Monitoring Beyond the initial view, the system continues monitoring for additional interactions. Return visits, time spent reviewing specific sections, and progression through multi-page documents all contribute to your activity timeline.

Advanced Status Indicators Depending on your document type and recipient actions, you may see additional status updates like "Signed," "Commented," or "Downloaded," each providing specific insights into how recipients are engaging with your content.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Why is my document showing as viewed even though I haven't sent it to the buyer yet? This is usually because you sent it internally to a team mate who either doesn't have a Proposify account or isn't logged in.

Why is my viewer showing as anonymous? If you have the identify to view toggle turned off for a document, viewers won't be asked for an email address when viewing, and this all views will show as anonymous. You can toggle identify to view on to track moving forward.

Can I see how long someone spent reviewing my document? The activity timeline shows when people access your document and return for additional views, giving you insights into engagement depth. For more detailed analytics including time spent and section-by-section engagement, click the analytics tab.

What's the difference between "Last Active" and "First Open" times? First Open records when someone initially accessed your document—this never changes and marks that crucial first impression moment. Last Active updates each time someone interacts with your document, helping you understand ongoing engagement levels.

How do I turn off email notifications if they're too frequent? (Coming Soon) You can customize your notification preferences in your account settings. This allows you to choose which types of document activity trigger email alerts while still maintaining full tracking visibility in your dashboard.

Can I track documents that were downloaded as PDFs? Document tracking works specifically with documents viewed through Proposify's secure web interface. Downloaded PDFs don't provide the same level of tracking detail, which is one of the key advantages of using Proposify's sharing system over traditional file attachments.

Tips for Maximizing Document Tracking

Set Up Your Identify to View Preferences Consider your security needs versus tracking requirements when configuring identification settings. Requiring identification provides more detailed tracking data but may create friction for some recipients.

Use Tracking Data to Improve Document Performance If you notice patterns in viewing behavior—like people consistently stopping at certain sections—use this insight to refine your document structure and content for better engagement.

Combine Tracking with Personal Outreach Document tracking works best when combined with thoughtful follow-up. Use the data to inform your conversations, not replace them.

Regular Review Habits Make checking document insights part of your regular workflow. Quick daily reviews help you stay on top of opportunities and maintain momentum in your sales process.

Related Resources

Ready to dive deeper into your document performance? The tracking system provides the foundation for understanding client engagement—use these insights to build stronger relationships and close more deals with confidence.