---
id: KB-PR-008
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/troubleshooting/i-sent-something-by-mistake
idioma: en
categoria: problemas
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-CO-008, KB-CO-011, KB-PR-025]
citadoPor: [KB-PR-016]
---

# I sent something by mistake

_What to do in the first ten minutes, while it can still be fixed cleanly._

**Responde a:** i sent a document to the wrong person · cancel a send just made · i sent confidential data by mistake · recall a send

The instinct is to wait and see whether anyone notices. That is the worst option: the sooner it is cut off, the fewer people will have opened it and the cleaner the explanation.

## The first ten minutes

1. **Cut off access** — Void the send. The link stops working immediately, even though the email is already in their inbox.
2. **Check whether it was opened** — The case tells you. An unopened email is not the same as a downloaded document.
3. **Tell them yourself** — A short message saying it was a mistake and to ignore the previous one. Hearing it from you changes how it lands entirely.

## Depending what was inside

| What you sent | What else to do |
| --- | --- |
| A wrong document, no third-party data | Void and resend the right one |
| Another person's personal data | Tell whoever handles data protection in your company |
| Bank or identity details | Also tell the affected person |
| A document to your client's competitor | Talk to your manager before writing anything |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> If what was sent contained third parties' personal data, it is not merely a work error: there may be specific notification duties on short deadlines. Tell whoever handles data protection in your company that same day, even if you believe it was never opened.

> [!WARNING]
> Voiding does not delete the email from anyone's inbox. It cuts off access to the document, which is what matters, but the message is still there.

> [!NOTE]
> If the error came from a badly filtered list, review the list before relaunching. Resending in a hurry on the same list repeats the mistake, now with context.

**Can I tell whether they downloaded it?**

Yes, accesses are logged.

**Do I get the credit back?**

No, the send was already consumed.

**Is my voiding recorded?**

Yes, with the time and the reason you write.

## Ejemplos

**One employee's amendment goes to another employee's address.**

- Voids the send within five minutes
- Confirms it was never opened
- Writes to the person explaining the error
- Tells whoever handles data protection

→ The document was never seen and the notification is made the same day.

**A request goes to the wrong contact.**

- Cancels the send and corrects the recipient

→ The error closes before the other side opens it.

**A document is sent with a wrong figure.**

- Warns the recipient and sends the corrected version

→ The correction arrives before the confusion does.

**A round goes out to a hundred contacts by mistake.**

- Stops what has not gone yet and warns about the rest

→ The error's reach is limited within minutes.

**A draft is sent for signature instead of the final version.**

- Cancels the request before it is signed

→ No signature lands on the wrong document.

**The mistake is discovered the next day.**

- Warns anyway and puts what happened on record

→ The trail explains the send rather than leaving it without context.