How to configure your HTML contract in OpenSolar

Overview

An HTML contract template (also called Text Editor) is a word-processor-style contract you write and format inside OpenSolar. When a customer accepts a proposal, OpenSolar fills in placeholders (customer name, project address, system price, and more) and presents the contract for review and signature.

Use HTML when you want:

• Full control over wording and layout in the editor on OpenSolar
• Conditional content (for example, show a battery section only when a battery is included)
• Easy edits later from Control or (for HTML templates) Online Proposal

Use PDF Drag & Drop instead when you already have a designed PDF and need precise field placement on a fixed layout.

Important: Editor type (Text Editor vs PDF Drag & Drop) is chosen when you create the template and cannot be changed later. Pick carefully.

Legal note: OpenSolar form contracts are for general informational purposes only and are not legal advice. Have your own counsel review any contract before use.

Before you start

1. Decide the contract language(s) your customers need.
2. Gather your standard terms (payment, warranties, installation, cancellation, etc.).
3. Optional: connect DocuSign or PandaDoc if you want e-signature through those providers.
4. Know whether this template should auto-apply org-wide, by payment type, or only when selected on a project.

Step 1 — Open Contract Templates

1. Go to Control.
2. Open Purchase Experience.
3. Select Contract Template.

You will see My Contracts List. From here you can create, edit, duplicate, and manage templates.

Step 2 — Create a new HTML contract

1. Click + Add Contract 
2. Complete the create form:

3. If Auto-apply is enabled, optionally set:

• States and/or ZIP codes (US) so it only applies in those areas
• Default for org
• Override default for specific payment types (Loan, PPA, Cash, Regular Payment, Lease, Prepaid Lease, Prepaid PPA)

4. Click Save.

You will then open the edit page to write the contract body.

Step 3 — Write and format the contract body

On the edit page:

1. Scroll to the contract content editor (rich text / HTML editor).
2. Review our default template to see if this meets your needs. If it does not, then replace the sample text with your terms. This can be done by highlighting the section and selecting the delete button on your keyboard. 
3. Use the toolbar for:

• Bold, italic, underline, lists, alignment
• Headings and paragraphs
• Links, images, and tables
• Horizontal rules
• Add Page Break for multi-page PDF downloads

Step 4 — Insert placeholders (dynamic fields)

Placeholders automatically pull live project data into the contract.

1. In the editor toolbar, click Show Placeholders.
2. Browse categories or use search.
3. Click a placeholder to insert it (such as customer name or project address).

Common placeholder groups

Tips for placeholders

• Use placeholders for anything that changes per project — do not hard-code customer names or addresses.
• Preview with a real project before rolling out org-wide.
• If a field you need is missing from HTML placeholders (for example, some dealer-fee style fields), consider a PDF Drag & Drop template instead, or contact Support to confirm availability.

Step 5 — Optional: DocuSign or PandaDoc

On the edit page, if the Docusign or Pandadoc integration is enabled on the control:

Then:

1. Use the DocuSign / PandaDoc controls in the toolbar to insert signature tags (customer and, if needed, countersigner).
2. Under DocuSign Settings or PandaDoc Settings, configure:

• Enable countersigner
• Dynamic (Assigned Team Member) or Fixed countersigner
• Name/email for fixed countersigner
• Optional DocuSign PDF header visibility

3. Save. Validation will warn if countersigner tags do not match the countersigner settings.

For consumer protection guides and envelope details, see the dedicated DocuSign / PandaDoc Help Center articles.

Step 6 — Save and assign the template

Click Save on the contract edit page.

How the template gets onto a project

A. Auto-apply (organization default)
If Auto-apply is on and the project matches your filters/payment type defaults, the template is selected automatically.

B. Per project or per system/payment option

1. Open the project → Online Proposal.
2. Expand customize / contract settings.
3. Choose:

• Set Per Project — one template for the whole project, or
• Set Per System/Payment option — different templates per payment option

4. Select your HTML template (or Default).

Step 7 — Test the customer experience

1. Open a sample project that uses the template.
2. Preview the proposal and proceed to accept / checkout as a test customer.
3. Confirm:

• Placeholders resolve (no empty tags left behind)
• Layout and page breaks look correct
• Signature flow works (native, DocuSign, or PandaDoc)
• Payment-option-specific terms appear where expected

You can also generate a Contract PDF from the project (Manage → Generate Document → Contract PDF) to review the downloadable version.

HTML vs PDF — which should I choose?

Tooltip guidance in product:

PDF Drag-and-Drop is fastest (upload + drag fields). Text-based/HTML Editor is more flexible and supports conditional logic (for example, show/hide if a battery is included).

Editing an existing HTML template

• Control → Contract Template → Edit — full settings (title, language, auto-apply, integration, body).
• Online Proposal — admins can edit HTML contract content for org-owned templates.
• PDF templates cannot be edited in Online Proposal. You will see:
  “Please edit this contract template via the Control tab.”

Implementing your E-Signature provider

OpenSolar integrates seamlessly with PandaDoc and DocuSign, allowing you to generate signature envelopes directly within your project workflow. By connecting these accounts, you eliminate the need to manually send documents externally, keeping the entire signing process within the OpenSolar customer experience.

Select a provider below to view the setup instructions:

• How to use PandaDoc on OpenSolar 
• How to set up DocuSign on OpenSolar 

Best practices

1. Use a clear title that includes language and payment type (for example, Cash – EN, Loan – ES).
2. Prefer placeholders over static customer/project data.
3. Keep shared legal terms in the template; keep finance-specific language on the payment option.
4. Add page breaks before signature pages for cleaner PDFs.
5. Test with at least one residential and one multi-contact / multi-system project if those apply to your business.
6. Have legal counsel review before enabling Auto-apply org-wide.
7. Duplicate a working template when creating a variant instead of rebuilding from scratch.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

What can I include in a contract template?
Static legal text, formatting, images, tables, page breaks, placeholders for project/customer/system data, and e-signature tags if DocuSign or PandaDoc is enabled.

How do customers sign an HTML contract?
After accepting the proposal, they review the filled contract in checkout. With Integration = None, they can sign natively in OpenSolar. With DocuSign or PandaDoc, they complete signing in that provider’s flow.

Can I have different contracts for cash vs loan?
Yes. Use Auto-apply payment-type overrides, or assign different templates per payment option on the Online Proposal page.

Can I edit HTML contracts from the project?
Yes, for HTML templates (with permission). PDF Drag & Drop templates must be edited under Control.

Related Articles:

• How to create a PDF contract in OpenSolar