Yes, PandaDoc tracks when someone opens your document. You can see who viewed it, when they opened it, and how much time they spent.
If you need similar tracking without PandaDoc's complex setup and contracts, Ellty offers straightforward document analytics with secure link sharing.
What PandaDoc tracks
When you send a document through PandaDoc, you get these metrics:
Document opened - You see when someone first opens your document
Total views - How many times they opened it
Time spent - How long they had the document open
Completion status - Whether they signed or completed required fields
Device type - Desktop or mobile
Location - General geographic area (not exact address)
How to see document analytics
In your PandaDoc dashboard:
- Go to Documents
- Click on any sent document
- Select "Analytics" tab
- You'll see the activity timeline
The timeline shows every action: opened, viewed, downloaded, signed.
Real-time notifications
PandaDoc sends email alerts when:
- Someone opens your document
- They complete and sign it
- They download it
- They forward it to someone else
Turn these on in Settings > Notifications.
What you can't track
PandaDoc doesn't show:
- Time spent on each specific page
- Which sections they read vs skipped
- If they scrolled through or actually read
- Screen recordings of their activity
- If they took screenshots
Tracking for different plans
Free plan - No tracking (just completion status)
Essentials - Basic open tracking
Business - Full analytics with time spent
Enterprise - Advanced analytics with API access
How tracking works technically
PandaDoc embeds a tracking pixel in documents. When someone opens the document, the pixel loads and records the event.
This means:
- Recipients must be online to track opens
- Some email clients block tracking
- Downloaded PDFs can't be tracked
- Forwarded documents create new tracking sessions
Privacy and tracking
Recipients can see "Sent with PandaDoc" at the bottom of documents. They know it might be tracked.
Some recipients use:
- VPNs that hide location
- Privacy browsers that block tracking
- PDF downloaders that bypass tracking
So your analytics might not capture everyone.
Setting up tracking
Tracking is automatic for paid plans. You don't need to enable anything.
For each document:
- Create your document
- Send via PandaDoc (not as attachment)
- Analytics start recording immediately
Using analytics effectively
Check analytics to:
- See if prospects are engaged (multiple opens = interest)
- Time your follow-up (call right after they view)
- Identify stuck deals (opened but not signed)
- Track team performance (whose docs get opened most)
Limitations to know
Shared links - If someone forwards your link, you see new views but not who
Multiple recipients - Can't distinguish between different viewers on same link
Offline viewing - No tracking when downloaded
Time accuracy - Shows document open time, not actual reading time
Alternatives for document tracking
If you need different tracking options:
Ellty - Simple link tracking with view analytics and notifications
DocSend - Detailed document analytics
Google Drive - Basic view tracking for workspace users
Dropbox - Shows who viewed shared files
Common questions
Does the recipient know I'm tracking? The document shows "Sent via PandaDoc" but doesn't explicitly say "tracking enabled."
Can I track after download? No. Once downloaded as PDF, tracking stops.
Is tracking GDPR compliant? PandaDoc says yes, but check with your legal team.
Can recipients disable tracking? Not directly, but they can download and share the PDF instead.
PandaDoc's tracking covers the basics: opens, time, and completion. For most sales and business documents, that's enough. The tracking works well if you're already using PandaDoc for contracts and proposals.
