Overview
LinkSquares Sign is an eSignature solution natively built into the LinkSquares platform for complete, seamless, end-to-end contract management to accelerate signature collection and provide greater visibility into the execution process.
To watch the webinar on LinkSquares Sign, reference the link here, there is also additional content in our LinkSquares academy, here!
Process
A Signature Request is the document container that you can send to recipients to sign and/or initial agreements via Sign.
Signature Requests can be sent individually or in bulk. To learn more about configuring bulk Signature Requests, reference our article on LinkSquares Sign: Bulk Signature Requests.
There are two ways to initiate individual Signature Requests:
My Sign Hub
To access My Sign Hub, go to Sign from the app selector.
From this page, quickly initiate a Signature Request, view key metrics about the Signature Requests relevant to you, and access links to helpful articles within the LinkSquares Help Center.
To learn more about Signature Request metrics, reference our article on LinkSquares Sign: Signature Request Tracking.
Access My Sign Hub via the navigation bar at any time.
To initiate a new Signature Request from My Sign Hub, click the browse button, or drag and drop a document into the Start a Signature Request area.
Note:
- Password-protected documents cannot be used to configure Signature Requests.
- Finalize Administrators can refine which non-administrator users have permission to configure and send out Signature Requests.
To learn more about refining Signature Request permissions, reference our article on LinkSquares Sign: Signature Request Permissions.
Signature Requests can be configured using blank agreements or agreements that have already been partially signed with an eSignature tool.
Optionally, click the + icon under the ATTACHMENTS section to add attachments to the Signature Request. This feature allows users to configure one Signature Request with many associated documents, streamlining the process.
Note: Password-protected documents cannot be included as attachments on Signature Requests.
To learn more about including attachments on Signature Requests, reference our article on LinkSquares Sign: Signature Request Attachments.
Once the main agreement and any attachments have been added, click START.
Note: The main agreement must be uploaded in order to initiate a Signature Request. The START button will remain disabled until the main agreement is uploaded.
The New signature request modal will appear with the file name in the Agreement Name field. Users can enter a unique agreement name in its place. The name outlined here will be the name of the Finalize agreement.
This functionality allows Signature Requests initiated from My Sign Hub that use a generic file to be uniquely named to better represent their purpose.
Note: The maximum character limit for the agreement name is 80 characters.
Click CONTINUE once complete.
At this point, the Signature Request workflow begins.
Individual Agreement View
When an agreement reaches the Ready for Signature status within Finalize, users can execute the agreement via Sign from the individual agreement view.
Note:
- Finalize Administrators can refine which non-administrator users have permission to configure and send out Signature Requests.
To learn more about refining Signature Request permissions, reference our article on LinkSquares Sign: Signature Request Permissions.
Select LinkSquares Sign from the eSignature drop-down.
If Sign is the only available eSignature tool, click the Create Signature Request button.
If attachments were added to the agreement, a modal will appear prompting you to select any attachments to include in the Signature Request. This feature allows users to configure one Signature Request for many associated documents, streamlining the process.
To learn more about including attachments on Signature Requests, reference our article on LinkSquares Sign: Signature Request Attachments.
Mark the checkbox for every attachment you want to include.
Click CONTINUE once complete.
At this point, the Signature Request workflow begins.
Signature Request Workflow
The process for configuring a Signature Request is identical regardless of whether the request is initiated from My Sign Hub or the individual agreement view.
Signature Requests Available
In the upper right-hand corner of the Signature Request workflow, a progress bar and count of requests remaining will be displayed. This is the number of Signature Requests remaining out of the total number of Signature Requests that have been allotted to your organization.
Finalize users start with 10 free Signature Requests. Additional Signature Requests must be purchased via your Customer Success Manager.
After exhausting your allotted number of Signature Requests, you may be prevented from sending additional documents out for signature. Overages may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. If overages are allowed, you can continue to utilize Sign even when you are out of Signature Requests. Your account will be reconciled during your regular account billing. In the interim, your allotted Signature Request total may appear as zero or even a negative number.
1. Adding Recipients
Begin the Signature Request workflow by configuring the recipients.
To do so, click the + icon next to the Recipients section.
Enter the recipient’s name into the Name field. If the recipient is a Finalize user or you have sent them a Signature Request previously, their contact information will be available to select from the Name drop-down.
Click SAVE. Repeat this process for every recipient.
The Signature Request can be sent to as many recipients as needed.
Note:
- Finalize users will have an icon of their initials to the right of their name.
- External contacts will have their email to the right of their name and, if applicable, their title.
- The external contacts available from the Name drop-down are user-specific.
When an existing contact is selected, the relevant fields on the Add recipient modal will automatically populate. This information will also be used to populate the associated signature fields when they are placed onto the agreement.
Note: The job titles of external contacts will be saved within their contact profile. The job titles of internal users can be designated within the LinkSquares user settings. To learn more about adding a job title within user settings, reference our article on Managing Users.
Creating New Contacts
If a recipient has not previously been sent a Signature Request, enter the relevant information on the Add recipient modal.
Click SAVE.
A banner will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the Signature Request screen indicating that a new contact has been created.
Note: To officially save the new contact, the Signature Request must be sent. If users exit the workflow or delete the Signature Request draft, the contact will not be saved.
Updating Existing Contacts
Existing contacts can be updated when the contact is initially selected on the Add recipient modal or by clicking Edit from the kebab menu after the recipient has been added to the Signature Request.
Update the contact’s name and/or title and click SAVE. A banner will appear in the upper right-hand corner indicating the contact has been successfully updated.
If a contact’s email is updated, an entirely new contact for that person will be created. As such, it is possible to have multiple contact profiles with different emails for the same name.
Adding Recipients to Receive a Copy
It is possible to send an agreement to recipients who do not need to sign.
To do so, disable the Needs to sign toggle on the Add recipient modal. This recipient will receive a copy of the executed agreement once completed.
Within every agreement executed via Sign, at least one recipient must be required to sign or initial the document. You will be unable to continue unless a recipient is designated as needing to sign or initial.
Recipient Flow
Recipients can be configured in an ordered or unordered workflow.
- An ordered workflow means that the recipients must sign and/or initial the agreement in a certain order.
- An unordered workflow means that the recipients can sign and/or initial the agreement in any order. This is the default setting.
Enable the Ordered toggle to configure an ordered workflow. Each recipient will have a number next to their name to indicate their place in the order.
To adjust the order, hover over a recipient's number and leverage the drag handle icon to move the recipient into the appropriate spot.
Click the kebab menu next to a recipient's name to edit the recipient’s information or delete the recipient from the Signature Request.
2. Adding a Signature Request Message
Optionally, include a message in the Signature Request.
This message will be included in the Signature Request email for all recipients. The message cannot be personalized per individual recipient.
To add a message, enable the Message toggle.
Enter a message into the text box.
Click SAVE AND CONTINUE in the upper right-hand corner once complete.
3. Mapping Fields
Next, map the fields for the recipient(s) to complete onto the Signature Request.
There are six field types that can be mapped onto a Signature Request. These fields are all optional, however, each Signature Request must have at least one signature or initial field per recipient.
- Signature: The recipient will type, draw, or upload an image of their name to sign the agreement.
- Initials: The recipient will enter their initials.
- Name: The recipient will enter their name.
- Title: The recipient will enter their job title.
- Date: This field will automatically display the date in the MM/DD/YYYY format. This date will be populated when the recipient signs and/or initials the document. This date cannot be backdated or postdated.
- Text field: This is an optional, free-form text field that can be used for filling out forms (e.g. W2 forms). Text fields can be populated with information during Signature Request configuration.
The Name and Title fields may already be populated when they are mapped onto the Signature Request based on information designated within a contact or user profile.
Pre-populating these fields eliminates the need for recipients to spend time filling them out.
Drag and drop the applicable fields from the right-hand panel onto the agreement. If there are multiple recipients, use the drop-down at the top of the right-hand panel to switch recipients and map their fields. The fields for each recipient will have a unique color.
Editing and Deleting Fields
All Signature Request fields can be repositioned, resized, or deleted. Additionally, any pre-populated information within the Name and Title fields can be modified or information can be added to Text fields.
To reposition a field, hover over the field until the cursor turns into a white hand. Then, click and drag to move the field into the desired position.
To resize a field, select the field. Then, grab a point on the blue border and click and drag until the field is the desired size.
Note: There is a minimum size requirement for fields due to font size. If users attempt to adjust fields to a size smaller than the minimum dimensions, they will automatically readjust to the minimum dimensions.
To delete a field, click the trash icon in the upper right-hand corner of the field. A modal will appear to confirm that you want to delete the field. Click YES.
To edit or add information to the Name, Title, or Text field fields, click on a field and locate the editable field on the toolbar of the agreement. Enter the desired information. The field will reflect any changes made in.
Read-Only Text Fields
If a Text field is added to a Signature Request and populated with content, it can be set as read-only. Doing so will prevent recipients from editing the content in the text field(s).
To configure read-only text fields, place a Text field onto the document, populate it with information, and mark the Read only checkbox on the toolbar. Repeat this process for every text field that must be read-only.
Note:
- The Read only checkbox is individual to each text field. If more than one text field is placed onto a Signature Request, users must mark the Read only checkbox for every text field on which they want to place editing restrictions.
- All read-only text fields must be populated with information before the Signature Request is sent. If a read-only text field is left blank, you will be unable to send the Signature Request.
4. Sending Signature Requests
Once you are satisfied with the Signature Request configuration, click SEND REQUEST in the upper right-hand corner to send the Signature Request to the outlined recipients.
Alternatively, click Back to return to the previous steps.
Click EXIT to leave the Signature Request workflow.
If EXIT is selected, a modal will appear to confirm whether you want to save a Signature Request draft or exit without saving.
- Select EXIT WITHOUT SAVING to return to the individual agreement view. The agreement will be in the Ready for Signature status. Select LinkSquares Sign from the drop-down to configure a Signature Request.
- Select SAVE AND EXIT to save a draft of the Signature Request and return to the individual agreement view. The agreement will be in the Ready for Signature status. To learn more about Signature Request drafts, reference the Viewing and Deleting Signature Request Drafts section of this article.
- Click CANCEL to return to the Signature Request workflow.
Note:
- The count of available Signature Requests will not decrease until the agreement has been officially sent out.
-
Signature Requests are valid for 30 days.
- After the 30-day period, any email links associated with the Signature Request are voided.
- Deleting an agreement will automatically delete the Signature Request.
- Once a Signature Request is sent, any contacts created or updated during configuration will be saved.
Viewing and Deleting Signature Request Drafts
If you selected SAVE AND EXIT at the end of the individual Signature Request workflow, the individual agreement view will have a View Saved Request button. This allows you to view the existing Signature Request draft and send it out for signature.
If View Saved Request is selected, you will be brought into the Signature Request workflow. All recipients and fields that were previously configured will be saved. From here, send out the drafted Signature Request or continue to make edits before saving and exiting once more.
Alternatively, select Delete to delete the Signature Request draft entirely.
Note: Users cannot save a draft for a bulk Signature Request.