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Send for signature

Who can do this

Anyone with Files Access who can see the client. The document must be a PDF in the client's files.

You can ask a client to sign a PDF — a quote acceptance, a service agreement, a warranty — without printing anything. They sign on their phone or computer, and the signed copy comes back to the client's files with a record of who signed and when.

On the client's Files tab, click the ⋮ on the PDF and choose Send for Signature. To send several PDFs as one pack, select them all first and right-click.

1. Choose who signs

Step 1, Signers: Goldie Locks added from the client's contacts, with her role, name, email address and cell number, Email code chosen for verification, and the option Ask everyone at the same time instead

  • Click a contact under Add from this client's contacts, or Add someone for anybody else.
  • Check each signer's Role, Full name, Email address and Cell number.
  • Choose how each signer proves it's them when they open the document:
    • SMS code — a code texted to their phone. The stronger proof, because it goes somewhere other than the email with the link.
    • Email code — a code sent to the same email address. Use it when you don't have a number BaseCloud can text; BaseCloud tells you when it can't text one.

The order they sign in

Signers are asked in the order they appear: each one is emailed only once the person above them has signed. Tick Ask everyone at the same time instead to email them all at once.

To sign it yourself as well — to countersign for your company — add yourself with Add someone, using your own email address. BaseCloud emails you a link and a code when it's your turn.

Click Place fields.

2. Place the fields

Show each signer where to sign.

Step 2, Place fields: Placing for Client, the field types Signature, Initials, Text, Date, Date signed and Checkbox, and the document with a required signature box placed above the signature lines

  1. Under Placing for, pick the signer.
  2. Pick the kind of field, then click the page where it goes. Drag it to move it, or drag a corner to resize it.
Field The signer
Signature Signs — drawn or typed
Initials Adds their initials
Text Types something, such as a job title
Date Picks a date — a start date, say
Date signed Does nothing: BaseCloud fills in the moment they signed
Checkbox Ticks a box

A field is Required unless you switch that off. The count under the document shows how many fields each signer has; everyone needs at least one.

Click Review.

3. Review and send

Step 3, Review: the Title, an optional Message to the signers, Expires after 30 days, the document with its page and field counts, the Signing order, and Send for signature

  • Title — what the signers see the document called.
  • Message to the signers — anything they should know first.
  • Expires after — 7, 14, 30 or 90 days. After that the link stops working.

Click Send for signature. The first signer is emailed straight away.

What can't be signed electronically

Some documents must still be signed on paper — wills, family-law and court documents, and certain legal notices among them. The Review step lists them under What cannot be signed electronically. If yours is one, send it on paper.

What the signer does

Each signer gets an email with a link. They:

  1. open the link and enter the code sent to their phone or email;

    The signer's page asking for the 6-digit code sent to their email address, with Continue and Send a new code

  2. agree to sign electronically;

  3. read the document and click each box that's waiting for them. A signature can be drawn or typed;

    The Your signature box on Type: the signer's name typed in, shown as a handwritten signature, with Cancel and Done

  4. click Finish signing once everything is filled in — or decline, with a reason.

    The document as the signer sees it: their signature in its box, the date that will be filled in beside it, the message Everything is filled in, and Finish signing

They don't need a BaseCloud login. If anyone declines, the request ends there and nobody else is asked.

When everyone has signed, see Track signatures.