SignAndGoAdding an approver before or after signing.
An approver reads a document and approves it without signing. The question most teams get stuck on is where in the envelope the approver should sit. Before signing, they act as a gate. After signing, they act as a final check. The right choice depends on what could go wrong.
Approval before signing: the gate
Put the approver first when a mistake would be embarrassing or costly to unwind once a client has seen it. The document waits with the approver, and the signers are only invited once they approve.
Examples: a practice partner checking an engagement letter written by a junior; a finance manager checking a supplier contract's payment terms; HR checking an offer before it reaches the candidate.
Approval after signing: the final check
Put the approver last when the signers need to commit first and someone inside your organisation gives the final word. The envelope completes only once that approval is given.
Examples: a property manager approving a tenancy once the tenants have signed; a director signing off on a contractor agreement after the contractor has completed their details and uploaded a certificate.
Setting it up
When you add an approver in SignAndGo, choose whether they review before anyone signs or after everyone has. Approvers place no fields, so you only set up fields for the signers. If you send the same workflow often, save it as a template and the approver's position is kept.
- Add the approver by name and email address.
- Choose before signing or after signing.
- Place fields for the signers only.
- Copy in anyone who just needs the result.
If the approver says no
An approver can decline and give a reason, just like a signer. You see the reason on the envelope, fix the issue, and send a corrected envelope. Because an approval before signing stops the envelope early, a decline at that stage means the signers never saw the flawed version.
How approvals show in the record
Approvals appear in the audit trail separately from signatures, with the approver's name, email address, time and IP address. That keeps it clear afterwards who reviewed the document and who signed it.
Common questions
- Does an approver sign the document?
- No. They review and approve it; no signature is placed.
- Can I have an approver and several signers in order?
- Yes. Set the signing order for the signers and place the approver before or after them.
- Can an approver decline?
- Yes, with a reason that you see on the envelope.