Recipient roles

Everyone you add to an envelope has a role. It decides how they hear about the envelope, when they sign, and where. You choose it under Role as you add each person: on the recipients step when you send a document, or for each slot in a template. The round i beside Role sums up every role and the plan it comes with; this guide says more.

Role	How they’re reached	When they sign	Plan
Signer	A signing link by email	When their step comes	Every plan
Signer, in person	Not emailed: you hand them your device	When their step comes	Every plan
Signer, by SMS only	A signing link by text	When their step comes	Scale, Solo and Team with the SMS add-on, or Free with a single envelope with SMS
Witness	A link by email, or the signer’s device	As soon as the signer they witness has signed	Every plan
Nominated signer	A link by email, once another signer names them	After the signer who names them	Solo and up
Viewer	A link by email, to read and later download	Doesn’t sign	Every plan
Signing group	A link by email to everyone in the group	When the group’s step comes; the first to claim it signs	Team and up

Every role counts towards the people on an envelope: on the Free plan, an envelope can go to up to 10 people, viewers, witnesses and groups included.

When each person signs

The recipients list is the signing order. Each person you add starts at the Same time as the one above. Choose it to switch to After the one above, which puts them on the next step. Everyone on a step is invited at once, and a step waits until everyone on the step before it has finished.

A witness is the exception. They sit under the signer they witness, on a later step, and are asked to sign as soon as that signer has signed, even if others are still signing. Anyone on a later step than the witness waits for them. A witness who signs in person signs on the signer’s device straight after the signer.
A nominated signer is added at the end of the list, on a later step than the signer who names them. You can move them, as long as they stay after that signer.
A viewer isn’t on a step, and holds nobody up.

Signer

Shown as Signer (emailed a link). Most people you send to are signers.

What they see: when their step comes, an email with a Review and sign button and a signing link of their own. They agree to sign electronically, fill in their fields and sign, on a phone, tablet or computer. The signer’s guide walks them through it.
On Scale, Solo and Team with the SMS add-on, or Free with a single envelope with SMS: you can also give their mobile, so the link is texted as well as emailed, and ask for a code texted to that number before they can sign.
What’s recorded: the certificate of completion lists them as a Signer reached by email (and SMS, if they entered a code), with when they were sent the envelope, opened it, agreed to sign electronically and signed, and the browser and device they used.
Plan: every plan.

Signer, in person

Shown as Signer, in person (signs on your device). For someone who is with you, such as a customer at the counter.

What they see: no email with a link. When it’s their turn, open the envelope and choose Hand over the device, then give them your phone, tablet or computer. They sign on it, with you there: they can draw or use text, but not upload an image, since the photos on that device aren’t theirs.
Their copy: there’s no link for them to download from, so the signed documents are yours to share with them. Their completion email, if the envelope sends one, carries the signed files if you chose to attach them, and tells them to ask you.
What’s recorded: the certificate lists how they signed as In person, so it shows you were there.
Plan: every plan.

Signer, by SMS only

Shown as Signer, by SMS only (no email). For someone who has a mobile and no email address: add their name and mobile, with no email.

What they see: their signing link comes by text instead of email, and so do reminders, new links and new deadlines. They sign in their phone’s browser, as any signer does. Nothing is texted when everyone has signed: their link becomes their download page.
What’s recorded: the certificate lists them by their mobile number, and how they were reached as Texted.
Plan: Scale, or Solo and Team with the SMS add-on, which the workspace’s owner adds under Settings → Billing. See SMS to signers. On Free, an envelope sent on a single envelope with SMS can text up to 4 people, with 4 texts included; once they’re used, someone reached by text alone is texted a reminder only when you choose Send reminder now.

Witness

Shown as Witness…. A witness signs to say they saw a signer sign. Choose Witness, then the signer under Witnessing, and how the witness signs:

On a link of their own (the usual way): they’re emailed a link as soon as the signer has signed, even if others are still signing, and sign on their own device.
Witness signs in person: they sign on the signer’s device and aren’t emailed. Their turn comes as soon as the signer has signed: the signer is asked to hand over the device as they finish, even if others on their step are still to sign. The link on that device stops working once the witness has signed.
The signer provides the witness’s name and email when they sign: for when you don’t know who the witness will be. The signer is asked for them when they choose Complete signing.
Independent signing order: gives the witness a step of their own, later than the signer’s. They’re still asked as soon as the signer has signed; their step only decides who waits for them, which is everyone on a later step.

Before they sign, a witness confirms that they saw the signer sign the document. On a link of their own, they also say how: in person, in the same room as them, or by video call, watching as they signed.

A witness is given only the documents their signer is given.

What’s recorded: the certificate lists them as a Witness, and the audit trail keeps what they confirmed, when they signed, after whom, and on which device. It doesn’t record the signing itself. Witnessing rules differ from state to state and from document to document: see E-witnessing before you rely on it.
Plan: every plan.

Nominated signer

Shown as Nominated signer (another signer names them)…. For when you don’t know who will sign for the other side, but someone who signs before them does.

Setting it up: choose Nominated signer, then under Nominated for the signer who names them. Add Signing as, such as “Company director”, and a Message for nominator if you like. Place this slot’s fields as usual.
What happens: as the nominator finishes signing, they’re asked who will sign here: a name and email (and a mobile, on Scale or with the SMS add-on). That person is then emailed a signing link of their own when their step comes, and signs where you placed the fields. They’re given only the documents the nominator is given.
What’s recorded: the certificate lists them as Signer (nominated), with a note of who nominated them, to sign as what, and when.
Plan: Solo and up. An envelope already sent keeps its nominated signer if you move to Free, so the nominator can still name someone.

Viewer

Shown as Viewer (copied in, doesn’t sign). For someone who needs to see the documents but not sign them, such as a manager or an adviser.

What they see: when you send, an email saying you’ve copied them in, with a View the documents button. The same link lets them download the signed copy of the documents you gave them once everyone has signed.
What’s recorded: the certificate lists them as a Viewer. They sign nothing, so there’s no consent to sign electronically for them to give.
Plan: every plan.

Signing group

Shown as Signing group (any one of a team signs). For a step any one of a team can sign, such as “Accounts” or “Directors”.

Setting it up: the owner or an admin sets up groups once, under Settings → Team → Signing groups (see Your team). Then choose Signing group, and the group under Group.
What they see: when the group’s step comes, everyone in it is emailed a link of their own, with a Review and claim button. The first to claim it signs, as themselves, for the group, and the others’ links stop working.
Not for a group: texting, or signing in person: nobody knows yet which of them will sign.
What’s recorded: the certificate names who signed for the group, everyone it was sent to, and when they claimed it.
Plan: Team and up.

A role is greyed out

Every role is in the list under Role, but one your workspace can’t use yet is greyed out and can’t be chosen. Its name ends with why:

A plan, such as “Nominated signer (another signer names them) · Solo plan”: the role comes with that plan. The owner can change plan under Settings → Billing: see Plans and billing.
“none set up yet” or “nobody in one yet”, on a signing group: your workspace has no group with anyone in it. The owner or an admin sets one up, or adds people to one, under Settings → Team → Signing groups.
“single envelope with SMS”, on Free, for Signer, by SMS only: the owner can buy one under Settings → Billing: see Single envelopes.
“SMS not switched on yet”: texts can’t be sent from SignSwifly just now. Contact us and we’ll look into it.

The round i beside Role says the same for each locked role, with a link to the plans or to where it’s set up.

Giving someone only some documents

On Team and up, when an envelope has two or more documents, All documents on a person’s card lets you choose which documents they’re given. They see, sign and are emailed only those, with the certificate of completion, and the combined PDF only goes to people given every document. A witness’s or a nominated signer’s documents can’t go beyond their signer’s: documents their signer lacks show unticked and can’t be chosen.

Roles in templates

A template’s slots can be a signer, a signer in person, a witness, a nominated signer or a viewer, with the same plans as above, and the same i beside Role. A template can’t hold a signing group or a signer by SMS only: choose those when you send. On Scale, or Solo and Team with the SMS add-on, a slot can ask for a mobile and send an SMS code before they sign. See Templates.

Questions

Can I change someone’s role after adding them?

Not in place. To change their role, or whom they witness or are nominated by, remove them and add them again. Edit on their card changes their name, email and personal message, and keeps the fields placed for them.

Can one person have two roles?

No: an email address can be on an envelope once. A signer doesn’t need to be a viewer as well to get a copy: once everyone has signed, their own signing link becomes their download page.

Are these the roles my team has?

No. Owner, admin and member are roles for the people in your workspace, who send. The roles on this page are for the people you send to. For your team’s, see Your team.