Signatures play an important role in the incident management process. They help confirm that information has been reviewed, provide accountability, and make it easy to track which incidents still require follow-up.
Signature tracking gives services visibility over the status of incident sign-offs while maintaining a clear record for compliance and auditing purposes. This article explains how to add signature questions, configure signature settings, and monitor signature status within the Incident Register.
Adding a signature question
Add a Signature question
Click "Add Question" and select Signature as the question type. Name it clearly, for example: "Parent Signature".
Open the question settings
Click the edit icon on the question to open the settings panel. You'll see three important checkboxes: Tracked, Editable, and Mandatory.
Understanding the three signature settings
Each checkbox controls a different aspect of how the signature behaves. For parent signatures, the recommended defaults are shown below.
Setting | What it does |
Tracked | Displays the signature status within the Incident Register. |
Editable | Allows the recipient to add their signature. |
Mandatory | Requires the signature before the form can be submitted. |
Understanding when to use each setting helps ensure the signature process works smoothly for educators, managers, and families |
Recommended Settings for Parent Signatures
For most parent sign-off workflows, we recommend the following configuration:
Setting | Recommended |
Tracked | ✓ Enabled |
Editable | ✓ Enabled |
Mandatory | ✗ Disabled |
Why Enable Tracked?
When Tracked is enabled, the signature status is displayed within the Incident Register. This provides a clear visual indication of which incidents still require a signature and which have already been signed.
Why Enable Editable?
Parents need the ability to add their signature after receiving the incident link. Without Editable enabled, parents will be able to view the incident but won't be able to sign it.
Why Leave Mandatory Disabled?
In most services, educators complete and submit the incident before sharing it with a parent.
If the signature is marked as mandatory, educators would be unable to submit the incident until the parent signs it, preventing the normal workflow from taking place.
For this reason, parent signatures should generally remain optional during the initial incident submission process.
When Should Mandatory Be Used?
Mandatory signatures are best suited to situations where the signature is collected during the initial completion of the incident.
Examples may include:
Educator Witness Signature
Manager Review Signature
Staff Acknowledgement Signature
In these scenarios, requiring a signature before submission may be appropriate.
How Parent Signature Tracking Works
Once your signature question is set up with Tracked and Editable enabled, the process runs as follows.
Who | Action |
Educator | Completes the incident form and submits it. The parent signature field is left blank at this stage. |
Educator | Sends the form link to the parent. |
Parent | The parent opens the incident, reviews the information, and provides their digital signature. |
Manager / Ops | Checks the register. Red pencil becomes green once the parent has signed. Filter the register to show only unsigned incidents for easy follow-up. |
Tracking signature status in the register
The incident register shows the signature status of every incident at a glance. You can also filter the register to show only unsigned incidents, making follow-up straightforward.
Red pencil icon  | Indicates that the required signature has not yet been collected. These incidents may require follow-up with a parent or guardian. |
Green pencil icon  | Indicates that the signature has been successfully captured. No further signature action is required. |
Up next: Advanced signature options
In the next video, we'll cover advanced signature options, including how to handle situations where a parent is unable to sign or is not available.
Spotted an issue or have feedback?
Contact our support team at support@1placeonline.com.