Quote on a link: acceptance without an account, proof and limits
Customers open a sent quote on a link and answer right away: accept, decline or request a change. What gets recorded, how long the link lives and what it is not.
In short
- On the link the customer picks one of three answers — accept, decline or request a change — with no NG CRM account.
- The answer changes the quote status immediately and notifies the sales rep; the customer's name and the time stay in the history.
- A quote gets its number and the “Sent” status only once the message is accepted for sending.
- The PDF the customer received is stored on the quote and never changes after the first send.
- A typed name is not an electronic signature; the link speeds up agreement, the contract is signed separately.
Short answer: in NG CRM a customer opens a sent quote on a personal link, with no account, and picks one of three answers: accept (typing their full name), decline (with a reason) or request a change. The answer changes the quote status immediately and reaches the sales rep as a notification, while the customer's name and the time stay in the quote history. The PDF the customer received is kept on the quote as proof. The link is not an electronic signature — it is a fast, recorded customer answer.
Why a link and not just a PDF attachment
An attached PDF ends up in the customer's inbox, and the reply — if it comes — arrives as free text someone has to retype into the CRM. Meanwhile the quote sits as “sent” for weeks and the forecast leans on a guess.
A link closes that gap. The customer sees the quote on the legal entity's letterhead and downloads the same PDF they received. Their answer is written straight onto the quote, with no retyping.
What the customer can do on the link
| Answer | What the customer does | What happens in NG CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Accept | types their full name and confirms | the quote moves to Accepted, with the same checks as when a rep marks it |
| Decline | gives a reason | the quote becomes Lost, with the reason “Declined via link” |
| Request a change | writes what should change | the status stays; the rep gets a notification and a task |
The customer answers once, and only while the quote is sent and still valid. After a change request the rep moves the quote back to draft, edits it and sends it again — the number stays the same and the customer gets a new link.
How the quote reaches the customer
Send quote opens a message from the rep's own mailbox, if one is connected and allowed to start conversations. The customer's reply then lands in the same conversation, tied to the quote, the opportunity and the customer. Without such a mailbox the message goes from the system address. Either way the server attaches the PDF and adds the personal link.
One detail keeps the forecast honest: a quote gets its number and the Sent status only once the message is accepted for sending. If the message cannot leave — wrong address, attachment too large — the quote stays a draft. If the mailbox later rejects it permanently, the quote returns to draft on its own, because the customer never received it.
Proof and link security
- PDF as proof. The file sent to the customer is stored on the quote. From the first send on, no file is removed or replaced with a new version.
- The link cannot be guessed. It carries a random key and only its fingerprint is stored in the database. A link that does not exist, has expired or was revoked gets the same response and reveals nothing about the quote.
- One active link per quote. A new link retires the old one and revoking closes it. When the quote leaves the Sent status, the link closes and the customer reads that the quote is no longer open.
- Lifetime. The link still opens for 30 days after the quote's validity date (a company setting), so the customer can see what they received and what they decided.
- No indexing. The quote page is closed to search engines.
The view count is approximate: mail-scanning software sometimes opens a link before the customer does. That is why a decision is measured by the answer, not by the open.
Limits worth knowing
A typed name is not a qualified electronic signature, and NG CRM does not present it as one. If the deal needs a signed contract, the link speeds up agreement and the contract is signed separately. Quotes and pro-forma invoices are not tax documents — invoices are issued in your accounting system.
How quotes are built, priced and tracked is on the Sales page; templates and legal-entity letterheads are on the Documents page. When a customer accepts, NG CRM can notify other systems through a webhook — see Integrations and API.
Frequently asked questions
Does the customer need an NG CRM account?
No. The customer opens the personal link from the message, sees the quote on the letterhead and answers without signing in.
Is accepting through the link an electronic signature?
No. The customer types their name and confirms, and the decision is recorded with a timestamp. It is not a qualified electronic signature; a contract that needs a signature is signed separately.
How long does the link stay valid?
The customer can answer while the quote is sent and valid. The link can still be opened for 30 days after the quote's validity date, which is a company setting.
What happens when the customer requests a change?
The quote status does not change, and the sales rep gets a notification and a task. The quote goes back to draft, is edited and sent again under the same number, with a new link.
Does a view count mean the customer read the quote?
Not necessarily. Mail-scanning software sometimes opens links before the customer, so the view count is approximate. The reliable signal is the customer's answer.
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