Signing Process
When you send a contract, every signer receives an email with their own secure link. They review the document, complete their fields, and sign in the browser.
What Signers Receive
Signers get an email like this, sent under your organization's name and in your brand colors:
From: Your Company <help@apisign.io>
Subject: Please sign: Service Agreement
Hi Jane,
Your Company has requested your signature on the following document:
Service Agreement
[Review & Sign Document]
Clicking the button opens the contract in their browser.
Signing Steps
- Open the link - No account required
- Review the document - Your logo and letterhead appear at the top
- Complete fields - Fill in each field assigned to them. A counter shows how many are left.
- Sign - Click each Click to sign box and draw a signature
- Submit - Click Submit Signature
Each signer only gets inputs for the fields assigned to them. Other signers' fields are shown but can't be filled in.
Drawing a Signature
Signers draw their signature with a mouse, trackpad or finger. After the first signature, later signature boxes offer Use Previous so they don't have to draw it again. Initials work the same way.
Typed and uploaded signatures aren't supported.
Field Types Signers May See
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Signature | Drawn signature |
| Initials | Drawn initials |
| Date | Date picker |
| Text, Email, Phone | Typed input |
| Signer Name | Filled in automatically with their name |
| Timestamp | Filled in automatically with the date and time they sign |
Submit Signature stays disabled until every field except Signer Name and Timestamp is filled in.
Mobile Signing
The signing page works on phones and tablets, including drawing signatures with a finger. Signers don't need to install an app.
After Signing
When a signer submits:
- They see a confirmation screen
- The contract page in your dashboard updates live, and a
contract_signedwebhook fires if you've set one up - Their link stops working, since they've already signed
Other signers are not waiting on them. Everyone was notified when the contract was sent and can sign in any order.
When All Parties Sign
Once everyone has signed:
- The contract status changes to Signed
- A final PDF is generated with all signatures, your logo and letterhead, and a signatures section listing each signer and when they signed
- The last page carries a completion seal: a stamp with the document's SHA-256 hash, the seal time and a verification link
- Every signer, and your organization's billing email (or the owner, if none is set), receives an email with the PDF attached
- The PDF is available from Download PDF on the contract page
Audit Trail
Every event is logged on the contract's Activity list: when it was created, sent, viewed and signed, with timestamps, IP addresses, browser and device. The values each signer entered are recorded with their signature.
Verifying a Signed Document
Anyone with the contract ID can open https://apisign.io/verify/{contract_id}, the link printed on the sealed PDF. It shows the document name, when it was sealed, each signer and when they signed, the document hash, and the certificate used for the seal.
Contracts sent in test mode are stamped TEST and are not sealed.
Signing Deadline
Signers must sign before the contract's deadline (30 days by default, set when it's created). After that the link shows an expired message. The deadline can't be extended, so send a new contract if you still need a signature.
Troubleshooting
Signer didn't receive email?
- Check spam/junk folder
- Verify email address is correct
- Click Resend on the contract page. This emails every signer who hasn't signed yet and charges another $0.25. Anyone who already signed keeps their signature.
Can't complete signature?
- Make sure every field is filled in; the counter at the bottom shows what's left
- Try a different browser
- Clear browser cache
- Use the mobile device instead
Next Steps
- Creating Templates - Build reusable templates