Signature Not Saving, Troubleshooting Guide
If a signer is having trouble completing their signature, whether the canvas doesn't respond, the "Finish" button is greyed out, or an error message appears, work through the steps below.
Issue 1: The Signature Canvas Is Not Responding
Symptoms: The signer tries to draw but nothing appears, or the canvas freezes.
Solutions:
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Refresh the page, most canvas issues are resolved by a simple reload. The signer's progress is saved automatically.
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Try a different browser, DottSign supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge (latest versions). Internet Explorer is not supported. Ask the signer to open the link in a different browser.
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Disable browser extensions, ad blockers, VPNs, and privacy extensions can interfere with the canvas. Try in a private/incognito window (which disables extensions by default).
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Check for browser zoom level, if the browser zoom is set above 150%, the canvas coordinates can shift, making it appear unresponsive. Reset to 100% with
Ctrl+0(Windows/Linux) orCmd+0(macOS). -
On mobile, ensure the signer is not in Desktop mode in their mobile browser. Switch to the default mobile view.
Issue 2: The "Finish Signing" Button Is Greyed Out
Symptoms: The signer has drawn their signature but can't click Finish.
Cause: There are still required spots that haven't been completed.
Solution:
- Look for the progress counter at the bottom of the screen, it shows how many spots remain (e.g., "2 of 3 completed")
- Scroll through all pages of the document, there may be a spot on a page the signer hasn't scrolled to yet
- Spots are highlighted with a pulsing outline, easy to miss on long documents
Issue 3: "Session Expired" Error
Symptoms: A message appears saying the session has expired or the link is no longer valid.
Cause: The signing link or OTP session timed out, or the contract has passed its expiry date.
Solutions:
- If the OTP expired: The signer can click Resend code on the OTP screen to get a new code
- If the signing session expired (usually after 2 hours of inactivity): The signer must open the original invitation email again and click the link to start a new session
- If the contract has expired: You (the sender) must extend the expiry date from the contract detail page → Edit expiry date
Issue 4: "This Link Is No Longer Valid" Error
Cause: The contract was cancelled by the sender, or the link was already used.
Solutions:
- Check the contract status in your dashboard, if it shows Cancelled, the link is permanently invalid
- If the contract is still active, copy and resend the unique signing link from the contract detail page
Issue 5: Error When Uploading a Signature Image
Symptoms: The signer tries to upload a signature image and gets an error.
Requirements for uploaded signature images:
- Format: PNG or JPG only
- Maximum size: 2 MB
- Background: White or transparent, coloured backgrounds may look poor on the signed document
- Dimensions: At least 200×100 px recommended for a clear result
Issue 6: Signature Was Applied But Document Shows as Incomplete
Symptoms: The signer sees a "Signed" confirmation but the contract status in the dashboard still shows "Pending".
Cause: There are other signers who haven't yet completed their signatures (this is expected behaviour).
If only one signer is involved and the status still shows Pending 5+ minutes after signing:
- Refresh the contract detail page
- If still showing incorrectly, contact support → with the contract ID
Clearing Browser Cache
If none of the above resolves the issue, ask the signer to clear their browser cache:
- Chrome/Edge:
Ctrl+Shift+Delete→ select "Cached images and files" → Clear - Firefox:
Ctrl+Shift+Delete→ select "Cache" → Clear Now - Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data → Remove All
Then reload the signing link.
Still stuck?
Contact support → and include:
- The contract ID (from the URL in your dashboard)
- The signer's email address
- The browser and device they're using
- A screenshot of any error message