Fundraising is hard. You send your pitch deck to investors and then... silence. Did they open it? Which slides did they read? Did they share it with partners?
DocSend solves this by showing you exactly how investors interact with your pitch deck. You can also try Ellty which has a free plan for startups tracking their first pitch decks.
Why use DocSend for pitch decks
When you email a PDF, you lose control. Investors can forward it anywhere. You can't update it. You have no idea if they even opened it.
DocSend gives you:
- Real-time notifications when someone views your deck
- Time spent on each slide
- Who forwarded it and to whom
- Ability to update the deck even after sending
- Password protection and expiring links
How to upload your pitch deck
Click "Upload." Drag your PDF or PowerPoint file. DocSend converts everything to its viewer format.
Best practices:
- Keep file under 50MB
- Use PDF for best compatibility
- Name it clearly: "CompanyName_Seed_Deck_2025"
Creating investor links
Don't use the same link for everyone. Create unique links for each investor.
Click your deck, then "Create Link." Name it after the investor: "Sequoia_John_Smith."
This lets you see:
- Which investors actually looked
- How each investor engaged differently
- Who shared internally at their firm
Understanding pitch deck analytics
The analytics dashboard shows:
Overview metrics:
- Total visits
- Average time spent
- Completion rate (% who saw last slide)
- Downloads (if you enabled them)
Slide-by-slide breakdown:
- Time on each slide
- Drop-off points
- Most/least viewed slides
Visitor details:
- Email (if verified)
- Company (based on IP)
- Location
- Device type
What investors actually do with pitch decks
Based on DocSend data from thousands of pitch decks:
- Average viewing time: 3 minutes 44 seconds
- Most time spent on: Team slide and financials
- Least time on: Competition slide (often skipped)
- Peak viewing times: Tuesday-Thursday, 9-11am
VCs spend more time on successful decks (4+ minutes) versus rejected ones (2-3 minutes).
Setting up notifications
Go to Settings > Notifications. Turn on:
- Email alerts when deck is viewed
- Weekly summary reports
- Forward notifications (when someone shares your deck)
Don't turn on SMS unless you want your phone buzzing constantly during active fundraising.
Common pitch deck mistakes DocSend reveals
Slide 2 drop-off - If investors leave after your problem slide, the problem isn't compelling enough.
Skipping team slide - Usually means investors already decided no.
Multiple quick views - Someone is showing it around the partnership. Good sign.
Only viewing financials - They're price shopping. Your story didn't land.
Permissions and security
For pitch decks, use these settings:
- Email verification: On (know exactly who's viewing)
- Download: Off (prevent uncontrolled sharing)
- Expiration: 30 days (create urgency)
- Password: Only for sensitive financials
Updating your deck after sending
Found a typo? Want to add a new customer logo?
Upload the new version to the same DocSend link. All investors see the updated version immediately. They won't even know you changed it unless you tell them.
Following up based on data
Use DocSend data to personalize follow-ups:
"Hi Sarah, I saw you spent time on our go-to-market slide. Happy to discuss our sales strategy in detail."
Not: "Hi Sarah, DocSend showed me you viewed for 4 minutes 32 seconds." That's creepy.
Pitch deck best practices
Keep it under 20 slides - DocSend data shows engagement drops after slide 20.
Put team early - Slides 2-4. Investors decide quickly if they believe in you.
One idea per slide - High time-per-slide means confusion, not interest.
Include slide numbers - Helps in follow-up conversations.
Alternatives for pitch deck sharing
Ellty offers free pitch deck tracking for startups. Unlimited viewers on the free plan.
Other options:
- Google Drive (no analytics)
- Dropbox (basic view tracking)
- Email attachment (no control)
- Notion (good for data rooms, not pitch decks)
Creating different versions
Make separate links for:
- Initial outreach (teaser deck, 10 slides)
- Full pitch deck (after first call)
- Deep dive materials (financials, models)
- Partner meetings (updated with their feedback)
Track each separately to understand your funnel.
What to do with DocSend insights
Low completion rate? Your deck is too long or loses steam. Cut slides.
High time on problem slide? Good - they're thinking about it. Or bad - it's confusing.
Lots of forwards? You're getting partner attention. Prepare for partner meeting.
View at weird hours? International investor or taking it seriously enough to review at home.
The psychology of tracked pitch decks
Some investors don't like being tracked. They might:
- Use incognito mode (you'll see "Anonymous Visitor")
- Ask for a PDF instead
- View once quickly then decide offline
Don't push DocSend on investors who prefer PDFs. The relationship matters more than the data.
Pricing for fundraising
DocSend costs $15-250/month depending on features. For a 3-6 month fundraise, budget $45-1,500 total.
The data is worth it if you're sending to 50+ investors. For 5-10 angels, maybe not.
That's how you use DocSend for pitch decks. The key is using the data to improve your deck and personalize follow-ups, not to stalk investors.
Remember: great analytics won't fix a bad business. But they will help you tell your story better.
