In this article we explain what signer delegation is and how it works for both the sender of a transaction and the signer.
For senders: Check out "How to allow signer delegation for your signer(s)"
For signers: Check out "How to delegate a signature to someone else"
What is signer delegation?
Signer delegation allows the original signer to forward (delegate) their signing invitation to someone else, all while maintaining the high trust and audit trail that you are familiar with in our services.
In most cases, you will know who needs to sign your transaction. However, sometimes this might not be the case. In cases like these, signer delegation is a great solution:
You don't know who the authorized signatoy is, so the request can be delegated internally to the right person.
You send requests to a shared inbox, and someone needs to redirect them.
A team member checks the document first, then forwards it to the actual signatory.
The original signer will receive a signing link, and within the signing process they are able to delegate the signature to someone else. The new signer (delegate) will receive a new signing link via an automatic e-mail sent by Signhost and is able to sign with their own information. After signing, the signed document(s) and transaction receipt will be sent to the original signer and the delegate (new signer).
How to allow signer delegation for your signer(s)
Heads-up: When signer delegation is enabled, some authentication or verification methods, like phone number verification, may not be available. That’s because the delegated signer may not have the same contact details as the original one.
Create a new transaction
In the process of creating a new transaction, you can enable or disable the signer delegation functionality per signer.
Step 1: Fill in the signer details as you normally do.
Step 2: Select "Advanced options"
Step 3: Enable "Signer delegation" for the signer(s) for whom you want it to be allowed.
Step 4: Finish creating your transaction by adding other signers, a document and an optional invitation message. Send the transaction when you are done.
Allow signer delegation in default settings
If you wish to always offer signer delegation to your signers by default, you can do so by changing your default transaction settings and enabling signer delegation.
Step 1: Go to Settings in the menu and choose Transaction settings
Step 2: Scroll down to "Default signer options"
Step 3: Enable "Signer delegation"
Step 4: Choose "Save" at the bottom of your screen to save the settings.
Transaction details with signer delegation
The transaction details of a transaction with signer delegation enabled will look just like any regular transaction. However, when one of the original signers delegates their signature to someone else, you will see this reflected in the transaction details and audit trail.
Signer details
You will see the email address of both the original and new signer. Also the verification method (Scribble in this example) is visible for both. The expiration date and (if set) next reminder date are only visible for the delegated signer.
Signer activity
Under "Last activity" you can see which signers were involved in the delegation. By opening the audit trail you can see more information.
After signing, you will see new activities for the new signer. The last activity for the original signer will be "Delegated signature".
Signing link
The signing link for the original signer will be deactivated and is no longer visible in the portal. For the delegated signer, a new unique signing link is created and shown in the portal.
How to delegate a signature to someone else
Step 1: You receive a signing invation link. Open the link to go to the signing environment.
Step 2: Select "Delegate signature" at the bottom of your screen.
Step 3: Fill in the name and email address of the new signer and provide your reason of delegating the signature. The reason is only visible to the new signer. The new signer will get an email including your reason.
Step 4: Press "Confirm" to finish the process.
After delegating a signature, the link you originally received in the signing invitation can no longer be used. After signing is completed, the signed document(s) and transaction receipt will be sent to the original signer and the delegate (new signer).
Transaction receipt
After a transaction is signed, we offer the signed document(s) as well as the transaction receipt to all involved parties.
The transaction receipt will also reflect the signer delegation. You will have all the necessary evidence about the signing process available. Next to the original signer's email address you can find the delegate signer name and email address. A signer activity will also be shown.
Our support team is ready to help out if needed. You can reach out via chat or mail: support@signhost.com