Zefort Sign is an electronic signing service that allows you to send signing requests via email to one or more recipients. This article describes how the signing process works for both the sender and recipient of the signing request.

Please see our overview video of how to create and send signature request:

 

Zefort sign process in nutshell:

1. Start signature process
2. Select document and attachments
3. Add signature parties
4. Set party order
5. Check and edit signature process details before sending
6. Signing / approving the document
7. Downloading the signed document

Sending the signing / approval request

To start signature process, you can either upload a new document or select document already existing in Zefort. You can also use Zefort Sign to get approvals for a document simply by adding approver parties.

1. Start signature process

Upload new document

1. Click “Sign or approve document” (icon on top right corner)
2. Click “Select document” or drag and drop document: you can also download attachments at the same time
   Note: uploaded document is automatically added to Zefort

Sign document uploaded in Zefort

You can also use a document that is already uploaded in Zefort. There are multiple ways to do that.

Start signature process quickly from your contract desktop:

• Cards view: click “Sign” icon on the contract card toolbar
  
• Table view: click menu menu ••• > “Sign main document”
  

 

In the contract preview, you can start signature process in different ways:

• Contract toolbar: Open menu ••• and click “Sign contract’s main document”
  
• Files & emails tab: select document to be signed, open menu … and click “Sign document”
  
• Signatures tab: click the link “sign main document”
  

 

2. Select document and add attachments

Once you have started the signature process, a pop up window is opened. First, check the documents that have been selected:

The main document which will be signed is on top of the list, indicated with a signature icon.
Attachments are indicated with a paperclip icon.

1. If the order is not correct and you want to switch it, you can change it simply by dragging the main file on top.
2. You can add new attachments either from your computer or Zefort. Drag and drop works here too!

3. Add signature parties

Add parties

• add  individual Zefort user(s) from the list [1]
• add Zefort user group(s) [2]
• you can quickly add yourself or contract owner as a signature party: just click + MYSELF or + OWNER  [3]
• add recently used parties: recent parties
• add external party: type the receiver’s email address and press enter [1]
  Please note that external party’s name is deduced from the email address: make sure to check it and edit if needed!

Edit parties

Next, edit parties and select authentication level

• Role: approver, signer or CC [1]
• Language of the email notifications[1]
• Signers title (optional) [1]
• Authentication: email, SMS or bank authentication [2]
• Authenticate before viewing documents: require pre-authentication for selected party [3]
  Note: if you select this option, remember also to set SMS or strong authentication!
• Edit external party name: click on the name to edit [3]

Pro tip for account admin: in Zefort Sign settings, you can control e.g. the available authentication methods and set authentication before viewing documents as default.

 

Set signing order

Set signing order for parties: parallel, consecutive or flexible [1]. You can set the order by dragging the parties [2]

• Parallel order: approvers will approve the document first, then signers get the signature request simultaneously. After the document has been signed and approved by all parties, CC gets email link to the signed contract
• Consecutive order: approvers get the request for approving in the selected order; once the document has been approved by all approvers, signers get the request for signing in the selected order. After that CC gets link to the signed contract.
  
• Flexible order: you can define the order of each party freely, regardless of the party role. Type the sequence in the field next to the party name: same sequence can be defined to several parties, so in this way you can create groups of the receivers.

5. Check & send

On last page you can check and edit the signature request details before sending.

1. Documents
   • Check the documents, edit if needed.
2. Signing parties
   • Check the receivers, authentication levels and party order, edit if needed.
3. Title
   • Set a title (optional). This title will be shown in the signature request email. If title is omitted, main documents filename will be used instead.
4. Attachments
   • Select whether viewing all attachments before signing or approving is required.
   • Merge attachments and signed document: after signing all documents are merged into one PDF.
5. Target binder
   • Select target binder to which the contract is added once signed.
6. Message
   • Add your own message that will be included in the signature request email.
7. Signing invitation expires
   • select date and time until when the document must be approved and signed
8. Click Save as draft to save and continue later
   OR
9. Click Send >. Now the request for approving and signing has been sent to parties by email. Next step is approving and signing the document.

Reviewing and editing the signature process

After initiating the signature process, you can review and edit it.

For a comprehensive overview, click here.

6. Receiving and signing the document

All signers will receive a signing request to their email addresses. The signing request includes your name, the filename of your document, the expiration date and your custom message. Zefort users will also see the signature/approval request when they log in to my.zefort.

From the email, the signer is directed to a web page where the document can be reviewed. On that page, the signer can either sign or decline signing the document. If the signer declines, you will be notified via email.

You can monitor the signing status from the Signatures tab of your document.

Discover further details in this article: Signing with Zefort Sign

7. Saving the signed document

Once all signatures are completed, you and the signer(s) will be notified via email.

The email includes a secure download link that can be used for downloading and saving the signed document. As the document owner, you don’t have to download the document separately as it is automatically stored in Zefort.