What a participant sees when they are sent a signing

When you create a signing in the SmartMLS Sign platform, it is beneficial to understand the entire process, including what your signing participants will see when they receive their copy of the signing email. This article demonstrates what your signing's participants will encounter when you email them a document that requires their attention.

Click here for a refresher on creating a signing.

When your contact receives a signing email from you, this is how it appears in their Inbox:

It is important to remember that these signing emails are intended for the recipient only. The emails contain documents that may have sensitive/private information that should not be viewed by anyone not involved in the signing. These emails should not be forwarded or shared with anyone.

Once the recipient opens the email, clicking the Open Document(s) link to starts the signing session:

After clicking Open Document(s), participants will see the following:

They must click the green Continue button, after which they will be brought directly to the document(s) that require their participation.

This acknowledgement has nothing to do with the actual documents within the signing. It is a Terms of Usage/User Agreement for the signer to review before using the SmartMLS Sign platform.

Note: If two of the participants are using the same email address, they will see the following screen before the End User Acknowledgement window appears:

Due to the highly sensitive nature of signing information, the SmartMLS Sign platform uses two-factor authentication to verify that the recipient is authorized to access the document(s). They will be sent a text message to the cell phone number that is associated with their contact record. This additional layer of authentication is in place to provide a higher level of security, given the confidential nature of the information included in many of the documents. 

Once they receive the text and enter the 6-digit authentication code, they will encounter the End User Acknowledgement window:

After clicking Continue, the document will appear in its entirety and the participant will have a few options:

1. Download a PDF copy of the document.
2. Decline to participate in the signing. Doing so will open a new window that allows the participant to provide a reason for declining. The initiator will be alerted (via email and on the SmartMLS Sign Dashboard) that one of the participants has declined. The signer will also receive a follow-up email that allows them to reaccess the signing (in case they declined by accident).
3. Clicking the Start Signing button brings the signer down to the first field that requires their participation.
4. Clicking the Sign Off button starts the signing process in earnest. 

The Sign Document window provides the participant several options for their signature:

1. Draw Signature allows the signer to use their mouse or touchpad to write their signature freehand:
    

   

   
    

2. Select Font provides several different fonts/styles to choose from:
    

   

   
    

3. Upload Signature allows the signer to upload their own signature file (if they have one already). Note: The SmartMLS Sign platform does not allow them to create a signature file- it only allows an already-created signature file to be uploaded.

Once they've chosen their desired signature, all they have to do is click Confirm. Their chosen signature will be applied to the document in the appropriate spot.

If there are multiple fields that require the participant's interaction, they can use the navigation buttons in the upper right to move between them:

All the fields that belong to the participant are automatically assigned to them based on the role that you chose for them (seller 1, buyer 2, etc.) when you set up the signing. The SmartMLS Sign platform will only allow them to interact with the signing in the fields that correspond to their designated role. This feature prevents any confusion by directing each participant to only those fields they are assigned.

There is also a column on the left side of the document that provides the signing's details:

This helpful tool lists all of the fields assigned to each participant. Additionally, each participant is assigned their own unique color, which makes it easy to see which fields are assigned to each participant. 

Once the participant has fulfilled all of their duties on the signing, they click Complete in the upper right corner:

They will see the following confirmation:

If they'd like, they can download a PDF version of the document, including their signatures/initials.

Note: even if another participant has signed/initialed the document before them, the signer will only be able to see their own signatures/initials if they download the document they just signed. Participants will not see each other's signatures until the entire signing process is completed and the final document is emailed to all participants.

As the signing initiator, you will receive an email informing you that a participant has completed their part of the signing.

In an effort to ensure signings are received and completed in a timely fashion, a text reminder is sent to any participant who has not opened their email or completed their role within 20 minutes of the signing being sent out. This feature underscores the importance of making sure you've added accurate contact information (cell phone and email address) for each of your signing's participants.