Offer letter template

Q: How do I withdraw an offer letter that has not been signed?

Call void_document or void it in the app. The signing link stops working, and the record shows it was voided and when.

An offer letter is a short letter from an employer to a chosen candidate that states the job title, pay, start date and any conditions, and asks the candidate to accept by signing.

What an offer letter is

An offer letter turns a verbal "we'd like you to join" into something written that both sides can point to. In many places it is not a full employment contract. It summarises the main terms and refers to other documents, such as a handbook or an agreement on inventions. Some employers send a full contract instead. Your lawyer can tell you which fits.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Employment rules differ a lot by country and state, so have a lawyer or HR adviser check your template.

When it is used

After the final interview, once the salary is agreed.
For internal moves or promotions that change pay or title.
For seasonal or fixed-term hires. See staffing and education.
For rehires, with updated terms.

What it usually contains

Greeting and offer. The candidate's name and the role offered.
Job title and manager. Who they report to.
Start date and location. Including whether the role is remote, hybrid or on site.
Pay. Salary or hourly rate, pay schedule, and overtime status where it applies.
Benefits summary. Short headlines, with detail left to plan documents.
Employment type. Full time, part time or fixed term, and at-will language where it applies.
Conditions. Such as a background check or proof of right to work.
Other documents. References to the handbook, a confidentiality agreement or a policy acknowledgement. See employee handbook acknowledgement.
Deadline to accept. The date the offer expires.
Signature blocks. The employer's signer and the candidate.

Things to get right

Check the numbers against the record. Wrong salary or wrong name is the classic offer letter error. That is why we suggest a person approves every offer, even when no agent is involved.
Keep the deadline real. If the candidate signs after it, decide whether that still counts and say so.
Personal email needs care. Candidates often use a personal address. If you have not confirmed it, set an access code and share it by phone.
Treat the signed file as a personnel record. Keep it as long as your rules say. docuinked does not set your retention period.

How to send it for signature with docuinked

In the app

Upload the letter, add your hiring manager or HR signer first and the candidate second, and turn on signing order. Place a signature and date for each. Save it as a template so HR only changes names and figures.

By API

Your applicant system fills the PDF and sends it. Your signer signs first, then the candidate, who needs a code you read out on the offer call.

curl https://docuinked.com/v1/documents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DOCUINKED_API_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: offer-req-311-cand-907" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "Offer letter: Product designer",
       "pdf_url": "https://example.com/offers/req-311-cand-907.pdf",
       "ordered": true,
       "signers": [{"name": "Dana Reed", "email": "dana@example.org"},
                   {"name": "Taylor Brooks", "email": "taylor@example.com", "access_code": "2290"}],
       "fields": [{"signer": 1, "kind": "signature", "anchor": "For the Company:"},
                  {"signer": 2, "kind": "signature", "anchor": "Accepted by:"},
                  {"signer": 2, "kind": "date", "anchor": "Date accepted:"}],
       "send": true}'

Set the key to "Needs my approval" so a person checks each letter before it goes out, even from your own server.

From an agent

A recruiting agent can draft the letter from the approved offer in your hiring tool and call create_document over MCP. It can ask to send, but a live send stops at an approval_url. HR reads the name, pay and start date against the source and approves. The agent never signs, and it cannot get a live signing link. The offer letters use case walks through the whole flow.

Sources

Checked 2026-11-07.

ESIGN Act, 15 USC 7001
Soni v. Solera, 5th Cir. 2022: an employer won by showing its onboarding steps and the platform's completion record.

Common questions

Is an offer letter the same as an employment contract?

Not always. Many offer letters summarise terms and leave detail to other documents. Some employers use a full contract. A lawyer can tell you what yours is in your jurisdiction.

What should happen if a candidate declines on the signing page?

The decline is logged and you are told. Treat it like any other decline: talk to the candidate, and if terms change, send a new letter.

Should the hiring manager or HR sign the offer letter?

Whoever your company allows to make offers. Many teams have HR or a named officer sign so authority is clear. The evidence record shows the name and email of the person who signed for you.

How do I withdraw an offer letter that has not been signed?

Call void_document or void it in the app. The signing link stops working, and the record shows it was voided and when.

Try it in test mode

Free during the beta. Test keys send no email, so you can build the whole flow first.

Get an API key Read the quickstart