Who Can Sign?
Anyone can sign a DottSign contract, signers do not need a DottSign account. They receive a secure, unique link and can sign from any browser on any device.
Adding Signers to a Contract
During contract creation (after uploading your PDF), you'll see the Signers panel.
- Click Add Signer.
- Fill in:
- Full name, used to label their signature spots and appears on the signed document certificate
- Email address, the signing invitation is sent here
- Click Save (or press Enter) to confirm.
- Repeat for every person who needs to sign.
There is no limit on the number of signers per contract on any plan.
Sending via WhatsApp instead of (or in addition to) Email
For each signer, you can enable WhatsApp delivery:
- Click the signer's row to expand options.
- Toggle Send via WhatsApp.
- Enter their phone number in international format (e.g.,
+55 11 91234-5678).
The signer will receive both the email and a WhatsApp message with the signing link. Some signers (particularly in Brazil) prefer WhatsApp, open rates are significantly higher than email.
WhatsApp delivery requires the WhatsApp Business API to be enabled on your plan. See our plans →
Setting Signing Order
By default, all signers receive their invitation at the same time and can sign in any order.
If you need a specific sequence (e.g., employee signs first, then manager countersigns):
- In the Signers panel, toggle Sequential signing on.
- Drag the signers into the desired order, or click the arrows to move them up/down.
- Each signer is assigned a number (1, 2, 3…).
DottSign will only send the invitation to the next signer after the previous one completes all their assigned spots.
Adding Yourself as a Signer
If you also need to sign the document (e.g., as the issuing party):
- Add your own name and email address as one of the signers
- Assign signature spots to yourself
- You'll receive the same invitation email as the other signers
Alternatively, you can sign first before sending, add yourself as Signer 1 in a sequential order, sign immediately after sending, and the next signer's invitation will be triggered automatically.
CC Recipients (Observers)
If someone needs to receive the final signed PDF but doesn't need to sign:
- Click Add observer.
- Enter their name and email.
Observers receive the completed document by email when all signatures are collected, they do not appear in the signing flow.
Customising the Invitation Email
Before sending, you can personalise the email each signer receives:
- Subject line, customise it to be more specific (default: "You have a document to sign")
- Personal message, add a short message that appears in the body of the email (e.g., "Hi Ana, please review and sign the attached NDA at your earliest convenience.")
The message is shared across all signers. To send individual messages, create separate contracts.
Setting an Expiry Date
You can set a date after which the signing link expires:
- In the contract settings, toggle Set expiry date.
- Pick the date.
After expiry, signers who haven't completed their signature will see an "This link has expired" message. You can extend the deadline from the contract detail page before it expires.
After Sending
Once you click Send Contract:
- Invitations are dispatched immediately
- You're taken to the contract detail page where you can monitor signing progress
- The status of each signer updates in real time: Pending → Viewed → Signed
Need to add a signer after the contract has been sent? That's not possible, you'd need to cancel and resend. Plan your signer list before sending.