How to get a document signed by multiple people, in order
Send one document to several signers, one after another or all at once, with reminders, deadlines and access codes. A step-by-step guide with Parapho.
Plenty of documents need more than one signature: a lease signed by two tenants and then the landlord, a contract signed by a client and countersigned by your company, an offer letter approved by a manager before it goes to the candidate. Here's how to set that up so each person signs at the right time, without chasing anyone.
Sequential or parallel?
| Sequential (signing order on) | Parallel (signing order off) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets invited first | Only the signers in step 1 | Everyone, immediately |
| When the next person is invited | Automatically, once the previous step is complete | Not applicable |
| Good for | Countersignatures, approvals, "customer signs first" | Co-signers, board consents, partners signing the same agreement |
You can also mix the two. Signers with the same order number sign in parallel within that step. For a lease: both tenants get order 1, and the landlord gets order 2.
Step by step
- Start a new envelope. In the dashboard, click Send for signature, then Upload a new document, or pick a saved template.
- Add a role for each signer, such as Tenant 1, Tenant 2 and Landlord. Each role gets its own color.
- Place each role's fields. Signature, initials, date, name and any text or checkboxes they need to fill in. Signers can only fill in their own fields.
- Enter each signer's name and email.
- Set the order. Keep Set signing order ticked and number each signer, or untick it so everyone signs at once.
- Choose reminders and expiry. Pick how often unsigned signers are reminded (every day, every 2 or 3 days, or every week) and when the envelope expires (7 to 120 days).
- Optional: require an access code for any signer. Share it with them by phone or text, not in the same email as the link.
- Add a subject and message, then click Send now.
What happens next
- The first step's signers get an email with a personal, single-use link.
- Each signer reviews the document, agrees to sign electronically, and is guided field by field with a Next button. They can type, draw or upload their signature on any device.
- When a step is complete, the next step's signers are invited automatically.
- You can follow every view and signature in the envelope's live audit trail.
- When the last person signs, everyone receives the sealed PDF with a certificate of completion listing who signed, when and from where.
Handling the awkward cases
Someone hasn't signed
Automatic reminders handle most of this. You can also open the envelope and click Remind to nudge them now. Each reminder contains a fresh link, and the previous one stops working.
Someone signs in person
Open the envelope and click Signing link next to the person, open the link on your device and hand it over. The new link replaces any earlier one, and the audit trail records that you created it.
Someone declines
The envelope stops and you see the reason they gave. Fix the issue and send a fresh envelope.
You need to cancel
Void the envelope. All outstanding links stop working and signers are told it was cancelled.
The deadline passes
The envelope expires and unsigned links stop working, so an old offer can't be accepted months later.
Doing it from code
The same routing works over the API: pass "routing": "sequential" and an order for each recipient, or "routing": "parallel". Your webhook receives recipient.signed after each signature except the last, then envelope.completed. See the developer guide.
Signing order, access codes and witnesses are on every plan, including Free. Send your first envelope
Frequently asked questions
Can two people sign at the same time and then a third person sign after them?
Yes. Give the first two signers order 1 and the third signer order 2. Both order-1 signers are invited immediately, and the third is invited once both have signed.
Can a later signer see the document before it's their turn?
When Parapho emails the invitations, later signers aren't emailed until it's their turn. If you deliver links yourself, a later signer can open the document early, but can't sign until the earlier steps are complete.
What happens if one signer declines?
The envelope stops, nobody else is asked to sign, and you're notified with the reason they gave. You can fix the issue and send a new envelope.
How do reminders work?
Choose a reminder interval when you send, from every day to every week. Parapho emails each unsigned signer whose turn it is, up to 10 times, with a fresh link each time. Automatic reminders are on the Solo plan and above.
Can someone sign in person on my device?
Yes. Open the envelope and click Signing link next to the signer to create a new link, then open it on your tablet or computer and hand it over. Their earlier link stops working, and the action is recorded in the audit trail.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country, state and document type; check with a lawyer for anything high-stakes.