Sequential Signing

Sequential signing ensures signers complete documents in a specific order. Perfect for approval workflows, hierarchical signing, and documents requiring witness signatures.

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What is Sequential Signing?

Sequential signing controls the order in which signers receive and complete documents:

How It Works:

1. Signer 1 receives email and signs first
2. After Signer 1 completes, Signer 2 receives email
3. After Signer 2 completes, Signer 3 receives email
4. Process continues until all signers complete

Benefits:

• ✅ Enforces approval workflows
• ✅ Ensures proper authorization order
• ✅ Prevents premature signing
• ✅ Maintains compliance requirements
• ✅ Clear audit trail

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Setting Signing Order

In Templates

When creating a template, set the signing order for roles:

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When Using Templates

When you use a template to create a document:

Signing Order Inherited:

• Signers automatically assigned signing order from template roles
• Signer mapped to Role 1 → Signing order 1
• Signer mapped to Role 2 → Signing order 2
• Cannot change order after mapping

Example:

Template Roles:
- Role 1: "Client" → John Smith (signs first)
- Role 2: "Witness" → Jane Doe (signs second)

Result:
- John Smith: Signing order 1
- Jane Doe: Signing order 2

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How Sequential Signing Works

Email Notifications

First Signer:

• Receives email immediately when document is sent
• Can sign right away
• No waiting required

Subsequent Signers:

• Do NOT receive email initially
• Receive email only after previous signer completes
• Automatic notification (no manual action needed)

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Signing Page Experience

For Current Signer:

• Can view and sign document
• Sees all their assigned fields
• Can complete signing immediately
• Sees fields from previous signers (read-only)

For Future Signers:

• Sees "Waiting for Previous Signer" screen
• Cannot access document yet
• Shows who needs to sign first
• Provides estimated wait time (if available)

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Field Visibility

What You Can See:

• ✅ Your own fields (can fill and sign)
• ✅ Previous signers' completed fields (read-only)
• ❌ Future signers' fields (hidden)

Why This Matters:

• Prevents confusion
• Shows context from previous signers
• Maintains document flow
• Protects future signer privacy

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Use Cases

Approval Workflows

Example: Employee Expense Report

1. Employee submits and signs
2. Manager reviews and approves
3. Finance Director final approval

Signing Order:

• Order 1: Employee
• Order 2: Manager
• Order 3: Finance Director

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Hierarchical Signing

Example: Contract Approval

1. Sales Rep proposes terms
2. Sales Manager approves
3. Legal reviews
4. CEO signs

Signing Order:

• Order 1: Sales Rep
• Order 2: Sales Manager
• Order 3: Legal
• Order 4: CEO

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Witness Requirements

Example: Legal Document

1. Party A signs
2. Party B signs
3. Witness confirms

Signing Order:

• Order 1: Party A
• Order 2: Party B
• Order 3: Witness

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Parent/Guardian Consent

Example: School Permission Form

1. Student acknowledges
2. Parent/Guardian consents
3. School administrator approves

Signing Order:

• Order 1: Student
• Order 2: Parent/Guardian
• Order 3: School Administrator

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Best Practices

Designing Signing Order

Consider:

• ✅ Who needs to see the document first?
• ✅ Who has approval authority?
• ✅ Are there legal requirements?
• ✅ What's the natural workflow?
• ✅ Who might need to decline?

Avoid:

• ❌ Too many signers in sequence (slows completion)
• ❌ Unclear authority hierarchy
• ❌ Unnecessary sequential steps
• ❌ Bottlenecks (one person holding up many)

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Communication

Set Expectations:

• Tell signers about the sequence
• Explain why order matters
• Provide estimated timeline
• Share contact information

Example Message:

"This document requires signatures in order:
1. You will sign first
2. Your manager will review and sign
3. HR will provide final approval

Please complete within 2 days to avoid delays."

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Timing Considerations

Plan for Delays:

• Each signer adds time to completion
• Consider time zones
• Account for weekends/holidays
• Set realistic expiry dates

Example Timeline:

3 signers in sequence:
- Signer 1: 1-2 days
- Signer 2: 1-2 days  
- Signer 3: 1-2 days
Total: 3-6 days minimum

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Troubleshooting

"I can't sign the document"

Possible Cause: You're not the current signer in the sequence.

Solution:

1. Check the waiting screen message
2. See who needs to sign first
3. Contact previous signer if needed
4. Wait for email notification when it's your turn

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"Previous signer hasn't signed yet"

Possible Cause: Previous signer hasn't received or completed the document.

Solution:

1. Contact previous signer directly
2. Ask document sender to send reminder
3. Check if previous signer received email
4. Verify previous signer's email address

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"I need to sign but I'm not first"

Possible Cause: Document requires sequential signing.

Solution:

• You must wait for previous signers to complete
• Cannot skip ahead in the sequence
• Contact document sender if urgent
• Consider asking sender to resend without sequential order

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"Can I change the signing order?"

Answer: No, signing order is locked when the document is sent. To change order:

1. Void the current document
2. Create new document with correct order
3. Send to signers again

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can signers sign in parallel instead?

Yes, if you don't set a signing order (all roles have order 1), all signers receive emails simultaneously and can sign in any order.

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What if a signer declines?

If any signer in the sequence declines, the document is marked as declined and subsequent signers are not notified.

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Can I skip a signer in the sequence?

No, sequential signing must follow the exact order. You cannot skip signers.

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What if a signer is unavailable?

You'll need to void the document and resend with a different signer, or wait for the original signer to become available.

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Do reminders respect signing order?

Yes, reminders are only sent to the current signer in the sequence, not to future signers.

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Can I see who's signed so far?

Yes, the document status page shows which signers have completed and who's next in the sequence.

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How long should I wait between signers?

Set reminder intervals (e.g., 2-3 days) to prompt signers. Total completion time depends on number of signers and their responsiveness.

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Can the last signer see all previous signatures?

Yes, each signer can see all completed fields from previous signers (read-only) for context.

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