Sending eSign Requests

In this article:

• Create an e-Signature Request
• Send an e-Signature Request
• Update eSign Tasks

 

Create eSign Requests

To start an eSign request:

1. Go to a Client's Record Page.
   1. Go to Clients
   2. Then to the Client List
   3. Then select a client
2. Press the Files Tab.
3. Under Files, right-click on a file.

The first option is eSign Request, so let’s click that option.

 

The next screen you’ll be taken to is your file, with some options to add signature fields on the left.

The options are broken down by:

• My Signature (which is yours)
• Recipients
• And Send Request

 

You can add these elements to any part of your document that makes the most sense.

Next, let’s start with My Signature - this is for your practitioner's information. 

It’s pretty straightforward, you have three options to place onto the document:

• Signature Field 
• Initial Field
• Date Field

Once you place it:

1. It asks for a name - which is likely you and or the name of your firm.
2. Then add a signature style.
3. And checking the box under the signature.

Once you’ve done all that, you can add the signature.

 

Next is the Recipients, which will be your contact or contacts that need to sign the document.

You have access to the same fields - signature, initials, and dates. Simply click and drag the placeholder onto the page.

When you place a signature or initials field, you’ll see a section for signers and team members. 

• Contacts are your contacts that need to sign.
• Other Contacts are associated with the main contact.
• Team Members are team members assigned to the contact.

 

 

When sending an eSign request, there are a few things to keep in mind: 

• All signers receive the same email notification to sign the document from a secure link that will open a new tab in their browser.
• Signers who have a client portal will also see the signature request in their client portal and can sign it there.

With Signers, there are several parties you may be sent to:

• Contacts, along with Connections, those who have client portal access
• Additional Signers (or Non-Contacts, Third-Party)
• Contacts with the same email address

Contact Signers

By default, the Signers will be the Contact whose record you were just on. If that Contact has any connections, like spouses or important contacts, those also appear as signers. 

Additional Signers

In some cases, a third party, like a lawyer, may need to digitally notarize a document. You can send Individuals who should sign the eSign request with a Secure Link via email. This means you can have them sign without having them listed as a contact with an email or access to the client portal. Which makes sense!

You can other signers by selecting Add New Signer.

 

You’ll enter a First and Last Name, and an email. You have the option of sending a client portal invite if needed. Once you add them, you don’t have to do it again!

Signers with the same email address

Canopy can also handle situations where multiple clients sign a document while still using one shared email address. This is an especially useful feature when you have a couple who share the same email address and do not want to create another email so that they both can sign a document!

You can add two more signers and give them the same email address. When the request is sent, two separate email requests go to the same email, one email address for each individual.

You’ll follow the same process for initials (all the signers you added will carry on) and then add dates, where needed.

You can add as many of these fields as the document demands.

Add Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA)

You also have the option of adding KBA or Knowledge-Based Authentication. When switched on, it requires your clients to perform an additional authorization step to sign the document electronically.

If your client fails the authorization step twice, they will be given the option of manually downloading, printing, scanning, and uploading the document to fulfill the eSign request. You can learn more here.

Send eSign Request

Once you have your signatures and Recipients esign fields ready, you can send the request from here. Select Send Request.

Here you can add - and these are optional:

• A due date
• And a reminder

Underneath the reminder, you can type a message to your contact. When you’re ready, click Send now.

Understand the Signer Experience

The email notifications for the secure links, all look the same. Let’s take a peek at the client experience. They will find the email, and in the body of the email, click on the link. This link is good for 30 days before it expires.

They will be taken to another tab to sign the document where needed. If they changed their mind and don’t want to sign anymore, they simply “X” out of the page.

 

Remember, those signers who have a client portal can also access the request and sign it there.

And that’s it!

 

Update eSign Task

Once an eSign Request is sent, an eSign Request task is created in Canopy. (That’s right - this is a type of Task!). 

To access the task, you must have sent an eSignature request first. Go to the Tasks tab and you'll find the name of the request. 

Click on it to view it. 

Since this is a task, it comes with a status and a priority - just like other tasks do! eSign Request Tasks start with a status of “with client” which makes sense because the request was barely sent to them.

You can add team members to the task, and add a due date and reminder if you didn't add those beforehand.

Once you finish updating, click Update task.

When the document has been signed by all signers, the signers will receive a notification that the request has been completed and will be able to view and download it.