Sending signature requests in Dropbox Sign
Master the essential workflows for sending signature requests, managing signers, and tracking progress through the signing process.
5 minute read
You have a document ready to send. Maybe it's an offer letter for a new hire, a contract for a customer, or an approval form that needs signatures from multiple people. You need to send it to the right recipients, keep the process moving, and make sure it gets signed on time.
That's where Dropbox Sign can help.
In this module, you'll learn how to send signature requests, manage signers, organize the signing process, and handle common request-management tasks to keep documents moving from sent to completed.
Sending a signature request
Sending a signature request is one of the most common tasks you'll perform in Dropbox Sign.
To get started:
From the homepage, click Sign documents.
Upload a document or select a template.
Add your signer(s).
Place the required fields on the document.
Review your settings and send the request.
Dropbox Sign will notify signers by email and guide them through the signing process.
What your signer sees
Once you send a request, your signer receives an email from Dropbox Sign with a secure link to the document. They don't need a Dropbox Sign account to sign. They can open the link in a web browser on their computer, tablet, or phone and complete the signing process from there.
After the document is completed, both you and your signer receive a copy by email.
If you need to download the completed document later, you can find it from the Documents page.
Adding signers
After uploading your document, you'll add the people who need to sign it.
For each signer, enter:
Name
Email address
You can add multiple signers to a single request, allowing several people to review and sign the same document.
Before sending, take a moment to verify each email address. A small typo can prevent the signer from receiving the request.
Signer order
If your workflow requires signatures in a specific sequence, you can enable Signer Order.
For example:
Employee signs first.
Manager signs second.
HR signs last.
When signer order is enabled, Dropbox Sign waits until one signer completes their step before notifying the next signer.
If Signer order is disabled, all signers receive the request at the same time.
Note
Signer order also affects reminder emails. When signer order is enabled, reminders are sent only to the current signer in the sequence. If signer order is disabled, reminders are sent to all outstanding signers at the same time.
When should you use Signer order?
Use it when:
Approvals must happen sequentially.
One signer needs to review another signer's information.
Internal approval processes require a specific order.
Note
When Signer order is enabled, a document may show a status of Signed before it reaches Completed. This usually means one signer has finished their step and Dropbox Sign is waiting for the next signer in the sequence to take action.
You can check the document details in the Documents page to see where the request is in the signing process.
CC recipients
In addition to signers, you can add CC recipients to a signature request.
CC recipients do not sign the document. Instead, they'll receive notifications and a copy of the completed document once the signing process is finished.
Best Practice
Use CC recipients when stakeholders need visibility into the completed document but don't need to take action.
Examples:
Managers
Project coordinators
Legal reviewers
HR records teams
This helps avoid accidentally assigning signature responsibilities to people who only need a copy of the final document.
Personal messages
Before sending a request, you can include a personal message.
A clear message helps signers understand:
Why they're receiving the request.
What action is required.
Any deadlines or additional context.
Example
"Please review and sign this agreement by Friday so we can finalize the onboarding process."
Small details like this can improve response times and reduce signer confusion.
Signing on mobile
Not every signer will complete documents from a computer. Dropbox Sign allows signers to review and complete documents from a mobile browser, making it easy to sign on the go.
For longer documents, you can enable Form view to display only the fields that require input. Instead of zooming in and out of a document, signers can complete fields one at a time in a mobile-friendly layout.
Use Form view when:
Documents contain many fields.
Signers are likely to complete requests on a phone.
You want to make the signing experience faster and easier.
If your signer doesn't receive the request
Most delivery issues can be resolved with a few simple troubleshooting steps.
Before contacting support:
Verify the email address was entered correctly.
Ask the signer to check their spam or junk folder.
If they're using a corporate email address, their IT team may need to allow Dropbox Sign emails.
Resend the request from the Documents page.
Tip
If the document status remains Sent and the signer hasn't viewed it yet, first confirm they received the email and ask them to check their spam or junk folder. If they're using a corporate email address, their IT team may also need to allow Dropbox Sign emails.
Monitor and manage signature requests
Sending a signature request is only part of the process. Once a request is in progress, you may need to keep it moving or make changes along the way.
Send a reminder
Send a reminder when a signer hasn't responded and you need to keep the process moving.
On sign.dropbox.com
Click Documents in the left sidebar.
Find the document you want to follow up on.
Click ⋮ (more options) next to the document.
Select Email reminder.
Choose the signer(s) who should receive a reminder.
Click Email reminder to send it.
The selected signer(s) receive an email reminder to review and sign the document.
Note
If signer order is enabled, reminders can only be sent to the current signer in the sequence.
Edit a request
Edit a request if you notice a mistake, such as an incorrect signer or missing information, before the document has been completed.
On sign.dropbox.com
Click Documents in the left sidebar.
Find the request you want to update.
Select Edit next to the request.
You'll be returned to the signature request workflow, where you can upload a different document, update signer details, or modify fields before sending the request again.
Note
If you edit a request after one or more signers have already signed it, the updated request will be sent again to all signers. Any signatures collected on the original request will need to be completed again. Completed requests can't be edited. Once all signatures have been collected, the document is final.
Editing and resending a request also counts as a new signature request against your plan's usage.
Cancel a request
If you've sent the wrong document, included the wrong recipient, or need to make significant changes, you can cancel the request from the Documents page and start over.
On sign.dropbox.com
Click Documents in the left sidebar.
Find the document you want to delete.
Click ⋮ (more options) next to the document.
Select Delete pending.
Click Delete.
Note
When a request is cancelled, the signer's link stops working immediately. You can then upload the correct document and send a new request.
Completed requests can't be cancelled because the signing process is already finished. If all signers have signed the document, you may still be able to delete the completed document from your account, depending on your permissions.
Set an expiration date
By default, signature requests don't expire. However, if a document must be signed by a specific deadline, such as a contract, offer letter, or compliance form, you can set an expiration date on the request.
When creating a signature request, you can set an expiration date during the Review and send step by selecting the option to add an expiration date and choosing when the request should expire.
If you've already sent the request, you can update the expiration date from the Documents page:
On sign.dropbox.com
Click Documents in the left sidebar.
Find the request you want to update.
Click ... (ellipsis) next to the request.
Select Add expiration date.
Choose the date and time the request should expire.
Click Save.
When a request expires, the signer's link stops working and the document can no longer be completed. If the request still needs to be signed, you'll need to resend it.
Tip
Set expiration dates on time-sensitive requests to help keep workflows on track. Expired requests automatically move to Expired status, making them easy to identify and follow up on.
If you edit and resend a request, any existing expiration date isn't carried over. Remember to set a new expiration date after sending the updated request.
Self-signing
Need to sign a document yourself?
Dropbox Sign makes that easy too.
To self-sign:
Click Sign documents from the homepage.
Upload your document.
Select I'm the only signer.
Add the required fields.
Complete and save the document.
This workflow is useful for:
Internal forms
Personal agreements
Documents that only require your signature
Note
Once you've completed the document, you'll receive a copy by email. You can also find and download the signed document from the Documents page at any time.
You've sent your first signature requests and learned how to manage them from start to finish.