Handling multiple signers

When working with digital signatures, you often need to manage documents that require signatures from multiple parties. The Sign.Plus eSignature API provides flexible options for handling multiple signers through its signing flow feature. This article will walk you through the process of setting up and managing multiple signers for your envelopes.

Understanding signing flow

The signing flow, also known as signing steps or signing order, defines the sequence in which recipients interact with a document in an envelope. With the Sign.Plus eSignature API, you can create custom signing flows that accommodate various scenarios, from simple one-signer documents to complex multi-step approval processes.

Key points to remember:

1. You can set a specific signing order for each recipient in an envelope.
2. Not all recipients are required to sign the document. Some may only receive a copy.
3. Recipients can have different roles, such as SIGNER or RECEIVES_COPY.

Setting up signing steps

To set up a signing flow, you'll use the POST /v2/envelope/{envelope_id}/signing_steps endpoint.

Important note: The {envelope_id} in the endpoint URL must come from a previous envelope creation. Make sure you've created an envelope first and have its ID before setting up the signing steps.

Here's how to structure your request payload for different scenarios:

Scenario 1: Single recipient, single signing step

This is the simplest case with just one signer:

{
"signing_steps": [
{
"recipients": [
{
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john.doe@example.com",
"role": "SIGNER"
}
]
}
]
}

Scenario 2: Multiple recipients, single signing step

In this case, multiple recipients act simultaneously:

{
"signing_steps": [
{
"recipients": [
{
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john.doe@example.com",
"role": "SIGNER"
},
{
"name": "Mark Twain",
"email": "mark.twain@example.com",
"role": "SIGNER"
},
{
"name": "Bob Dylan",
"email": "bob.dylan@example.com",
"role": "RECEIVES_COPY"
}
]
}
]
}

Scenario 3: Multiple recipients, multiple signing steps

For more complex workflows, you can set up multiple signing steps:

{
"signing_steps": [
{
"recipients": [
{
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john.doe@example.com",
"role": "SIGNER"
},
{
"name": "Bob Dylan",
"email": "bob.dylan@example.com",
"role": "RECEIVES_COPY"
}
]
},
{
"recipients": [
{
"name": "Alice Doe",
"email": "alice.doe@example.com",
"role": "SIGNER"
},
{
"name": "Jane Doe",
"email": "jane.doe@example.com",
"role": "SIGNER"
}
]
},
{
"recipients": [
{
"name": "Louis Dupont",
"email": "louis.dupont@example.com",
"role": "RECEIVES_COPY"
},
{
"name": "Michel Dupont",
"email": "michel.dupont@example.com",
"role": "RECEIVES_COPY"
}
]
}
]
}


In this example, there are three signing steps:

1. John Doe signs, and Bob Dylan receives a copy.
2. Alice Doe and Jane Doe both sign.
3. Louis Dupont and Michel Dupont receive copies.

Each step must be completed before the next step can begin.

Best practices for handling multiple signers

1. Plan Your Workflow: Before implementing, map out your entire signing process. Consider who needs to sign, in what order, and who needs to receive copies.
2. Use Roles Appropriately: Utilize the different roles (SIGNER , RECEIVES_COPY) to ensure each recipient has the correct level of interaction with the document.
3. Consider Parallel vs. Sequential Signing: Decide whether some signers can sign simultaneously (in the same step) or if a strict sequence is necessary.

By leveraging these features of the Sign.Plus API, you can create sophisticated signing workflows that accommodate a wide range of business processes and requirements.