Electronic signature

This article explains how to send a document for signature. Follow the steps below to ensure the correct configuration and efficient electronic signatures are managed.

Please note that electronic signatures are a feature of the Performance plan.

Accessing the electronic signature module

Once the module has been activated by our team, it can be accessed from the main menu through Documents > Electronic signature.

Send a document for signature

Designate signers, send documents for signature to your employees, and track their status in just a few clicks on the document monitoring page.

👉 Make sure your employees' email addresses have been validated in their profiles so that they can receive signature requests. To do this, go to Employee > Summary or to the desired employee profile. We recommend that you notify the employees that they will receive an email from Folks inviting them to validate their email.

1. Go to the Document Monitoring page (Documents > Electronic signature).
2. Click Send a document in the top right-hand corner.
3. Select a signature template or upload a document.
4. Select the employee(s) and assign a role to each. ⚠️Only employees with a valid email address in the system can receive documents for signature. If you need to validate an e-mail address please read the following article: Validating one or all employee's e-mail addresses.
5. Select the email address to which to send the request (corporate or personal). 
6. Click on Next step. Depending on the type of document (see article on single sign vs mass mailing), this step might not be present.
7. Click on Send for signature.

The signer(s) will automatically receive an email informing them that a document is awaiting their signature. They will be able to access and consult it in just a few clicks, and will be redirected to our partner HelloSign for a fast, secure electronic signature process.

Once all signers have signed the document, the status will change to Signed. You can then download the signed document.

How to cancel the sending of a document?

1. When you are on the tracking page for documents sent for signature, click on the ellipsis ⋮ to the right of the document and click Cancel.

2. A pop up will open asking you to confirm. Click Cancel signature request.

⚠️The signer(s) will not be notified that the document to be signed has been canceled. If the email has already reached their inbox, it will remain there. However, when they try to open the link, they will see that it is no longer available.

The e-sign module offers two options for how to send a document for signature:

• Sending a New Document for Signature
• Sending Using a Predefined Template (explained in this article)

Prerequisite

Templates can only be created if the electronic signature permission has been added to the role or to the user.

Step-by-Step Template Creation

1. Access the template creation option via the following path:
   • Document > E-Sign > Template Management > Create Template
2. Click on "Create Template"
3. Name the template with a unique descriptive title
   • Ensure that the title of the template is clear and distinct to facilitate its identification later.
4. Upload one or more files to be signed
   • Upload the necessary documents into the template. Note that after saving, you will not be able to add or delete documents in this template.
5. Add signer roles
   • Define the titles of the individuals who need to sign the document in the template. You can also set the signing order if the Set Signing Order option is checked. Otherwise, the document will be sent to all signers simultaneously.
6. Add fields for each signer
   • Include the necessary information for each signer, such as name, title, date, signature, etc.
7. Verify the signers and add a CC recipient if needed
   • Confirm the signers' information, validate the title, include a message explaining the subject or purpose of the document, and add CC recipients if needed to keep them informed of the process steps without being signers.

How to delete one or more documents?

Deleting one document at a time

Go to the e-signatures page via Documents > Electronic Signature. Locate the document you wish to delete:

1. Click on the three vertical dots ⋮ to access the available actions.

2. Click Delete.

⚠️ Attention: Only a signed document can be downloaded. Documents with the status Sent or In Progress (for multi-signature documents) cannot be downloaded.

Deleting Multiple Documents at Once

It is possible to delete several documents at once by checking the box to the left of the document's title. Select the documents you want to delete, then click the trash can icon . A window will open in which you must confirm the deletion of the documents. The documents will then be removed from the list.

⚠️ Warning: In both cases, deleting a document is irreversible.

👉 It is not possible to delete a document with the Sent status. To delete a document that's already been sent, you must first cancel the sending and then repeat the steps above. For more information on how to cancel a document that has already been sent, consult Cancelling the sending of a document. 

To better understand which stage your electronic signature document is at, it’s important to know the different possible statuses. Keep reading to learn about each one.

 

Sent

The request has been sent, but no signatures have been collected yet.
👉 If signatures are still missing 3 and 7 days after the document was sent, a reminder will be sent to the same email address.

In Progress

At least one signature has been collected, but not all required signatures have been completed. The document can be downloaded once all signatories have signed. If a document has the status Sent or In Progress, it can be resent to people who have not yet signed by clicking Resend. Up until this stage, the request can also be canceled.

Signed

All required signatures have been collected and the document is now complete. If the document has this status, you can download or delete it by clicking on the ellipsis ⋮.
If it is a single-signature document, you will also see the option Add to the signer's profile. This option does not appear for mass mailing documents, as they are automatically added to the employee’s profile upon signature.

Once signed, you can also delete the document.

⚠️ Please note that deleting the document cannot be undone.

Declined

One or more signatories have declined to sign the document. An email will be sent to both the signer and the sender when the document is declined. To resend a document with the Declined status, you must create a new one and start over.

Cancelled

The document request has been canceled by a user. The signer(s) will not be notified of the cancellation. If they try to open the link, they will see that it is no longer available.

Error

An error occurred, preventing the request from being processed correctly.

How to download documents once signed?

Downloading one document at a time

Go to the e-signatures page via Documents > Electronic Signature. Locate the document you wish to download:

1. Click on the three vertical dots ⋮ to access the available actions.

2. Click Download.

⚠️ Attention: Only a signed document can be downloaded. Documents with the status Sent or In Progress (for multi-signature documents) cannot be downloaded.

Downloading Multiple Documents at Once

It is possible to export several documents at the same time by checking the box to the left of the document title. Only documents with the Signed status can be selected. Once all desired documents are selected, export them using the Download button  

Two sending options are available in the electronic signature module: Single-Signature Document and Mass-Sending Document. Continue reading to determine which option best fits your needs.

Single-Signature Document

Several people sign the same document. The sending process can be initiated either from an uploaded document or from a template.

From a Document

Signers are selected individually using the search bar.
There is no limit to the number of signers you can add.
For each signer, you must place the required fields in the appropriate locations on the document.

From a Template

Using a template automates the process, as the signature fields have already been defined during the template setup.
Any template can be used in this mode, with a maximum of 10 signers.

Signers are selected individually via the search bar.
If an employee does not have a validated email address (neither professional nor personal), they will not appear in the search bar.
Once signers are selected, each must be assigned a role that corresponds to those configured in the template — one signer per role.

Whether sending from a document or a template:

• If the employee has two validated email addresses (personal and corporate), you must select which address the document will be sent to.

• If only one address is validated, that address will be used by default.

You can also choose whether the signed document should be automatically added to the signer’s profile once it is completed.
If this option is not selected, the document can still be sent to the signer later.

Mass-Sending Document

This option allows you to send a single document to multiple recipients. Each signer receives their own copy to sign (independent signatures).

Conditions:

• Sending is only possible from a template.

• The template must contain only one signer role; only such templates will appear in the search bar.

• The employee must have at least one validated email address (personal or corporate) to appear in the search.

Selecting Recipients

Different options are available. You can search for an individual, a group (operation site, department, or job title), or even the entire organization (by company name).

You can select multiple individuals and groups at the same time. If a group is selected, all its members will receive the document for signing. It is not possible to manually remove members from a selected group.

If someone in a group does not have a validated email address, a warning message will appear, and that signer will simply not receive the document:

“Some employees in this group do not have a validated email address. They will not receive the document.”

 👉 If an individual is selected both individually and as part of a group, they will receive only one signature request.

For this type of sending, the Add to Profile option cannot be selected, as the signed document is automatically deposited in the employee’s profile under the Documents section.

Since all fields were defined during the template setup, no manual field placement is required.
 

Document Tracking

After sending, you can track the status of each document and view the following information:

• Document type: Single or Mass

• Status: Sent, In progress, Signed, Declined, Canceled, or Error

• Tracking: Number of signatures obtained so far

By clicking on the ellipsis next to a document, different options are available depending on its status (e.g., Download, Delete, Send again, etc.).

By clicking on the number of signatures (in the Tracking column), you can access the detailed list of signees to see who has signed, who has not, and the date of each signature, if applicable.

To resend a signature link for a previously sent document:

1. From the Electronic Signature module (Documents > E-Signature), click on the three vertical dots ⋮ at the end of the line corresponding to the document you wish to resend.

2. Click Resend.
   The document will be sent again to all signers who have not yet signed it.

Follow these steps to send a document that requires a signature:

1. Access the E-Signature Module
   The module is located in the navigation bar on the left side of your screen under Documents > Electronic Signature.
2. Click the Send a Document button at the top right of the page
   A window will open allowing you to choose the document type and the signers.
3. Choose the type of document to be sent
   Two options are available: single signature or mass sending.
   To learn the difference between the two, consult the article here: E-sign documents and mass mailing.
4. Click Next Step
   Only once the sending type and the signers have been added can you proceed to the next step.
   Depending on the sending type, additional steps may be required.
   When completed, a confirmation window will appear with the message Sending successful.

⚠️ Attention: If you receive an error message or if the document has an error status, consult the article What to do when an error is detected when sending a document?

You received an email asking you to sign a document electronically? Keep reading to learn about the next steps.

1. In the e-mail you received, click on Read and Sign.
   The document will open directly into your browser.
2. Click on Get Started in the top right corner.
   Fill in all the required fields:
   • Click on the text fields to fill them in manually.
   • Click on the signature fields to sign the document. A window will open where you can choose the type of signature you want to use.

If you have more than one field to fill in the document, a message will be displayed at the top left of the form to specify the number of mandatory fields to fill in.
Once you added the information in the required field(s), a green confirmation message will be displayed at the top of the screen.

💡Tip: quickly move from one field to another by clicking on Next Required Field at the top right of the form.

3. Click on Continue.
4. Click on I agree at the top right to complete the process. 
   A confirmation email will be sent to each signee in which the signed document can be downloaded.
   A confirmation email will be sent to the sender to notify them of the completed process.
    

👉 For multiple signees document, the confirmation email will be sent once all signees have signed the document.

If you have many files in the document tracking list, you may want to filter through it to access a particular document. 

1. Click on the filter icon to the right of the search bar

Go to Documents > E-signature to access the document tracking page. By clicking on the filter icon, a menu will appear on the screen, displaying possible search filters.

2. Select filters according to your needs

You can:
• Show inactive employees
• Select one or more working sites, departments and/or job titles
• Select document type
• Select statuses

👉 Tip: if you select two or more items in one field, the system will display the employees who have one or the other in combination with the other filters you have chosen.

3. Click on Apply 
The menu will close and the filters will be applied.
A number will appear to the right of the filter icon, indicating the amount of filters applied.

👉 Tip: One selection field corresponds to one filter. Therefore, multiple choices in a single selection field will display a number of filters of 1.

To reset the default view,

1. Click on Reset Filters at the bottom of the filters sidebar. The list will return to its default state.

or

2. Click the X next to the number of filters applied. The list will return to its default state.

Steps to follow

1. Access the employee profile by navigating to Employees > Employee List.
   Select the employee whose email you need to validate. The employee's information will appear on the screen; locate the email address you need to validate.

⚠️ If the desired email address (Personal Email or Corporate Email) is not entered in the employee's file, click the pencil icon in the corresponding category (Personal or Corporate Info) and add the information. Don't forget to save.

Electronic Signature: If both the Personal Email and Corporate Email are validated for an employee, Folks will use the Corporate Email by default. When selecting signers, if an employee does not appear, it means that no email address is validated in their file. Validate one of their email addresses, and they will appear.

2. Press the Validate Email button below the email address to be validated.
   A validation email will be sent to that address. The employee must click the confirmation button within the email. A page containing a confirmation message will open.

3. In the Employee Profile and Employee Summary, a checkmark  will be displayed next to the validated email address field.

👉 If the employee does not receive the validation email, check with them that the address in their file is correct and that the validation email is not in their spam/junk folder.

To validate ALL corporate or personal email addresses at once, go to the Employee Summary and click Validate Emails in the header of the column for the type of email you want to validate. The system will complete the steps above for all non-validated emails simultaneously.

In the case of an error, one of the following 2 scenarios probably occurred: 

The document size is greater than 25 MB.
Or
The document contains more than 40 pages.

If neither of these scenarios applies to you, delete the document and try to send it again. If this still does not work, contact our support.