Can I set a signing order for multiple people?

Understanding Signing Order in Electronic Signature Platforms

In the digital age, electronic signatures have revolutionized how businesses handle contracts and approvals, streamlining workflows while ensuring legal compliance. A common question arises when multiple signers are involved: Can I set a signing order for multiple people? The short answer is yes, most modern e-signature platforms allow you to define a sequential signing order, ensuring documents pass from one signer to the next in a predetermined sequence. This feature is crucial for scenarios like multi-party agreements, where roles such as initiators, approvers, or final signatories must follow a logical progression. From a business perspective, implementing signing orders reduces errors, enhances accountability, and accelerates deal closures by preventing premature or out-of-order signatures.

Setting up a signing order typically involves uploading a document, adding signer fields (e.g., signature, date, initials), and assigning recipients in sequence. For instance, you might route a contract first to a manager for approval, then to legal for review, and finally to the client for execution. Platforms enforce this by withholding access for subsequent signers until prior ones complete their part, often with automated notifications via email or SMS. This not only maintains document integrity but also provides audit trails for compliance. Businesses in regulated industries, such as finance or real estate, particularly benefit, as it aligns with standards requiring verifiable signer sequences.

The flexibility of signing orders varies by platform. Some offer simple drag-and-drop interfaces for basic sequences, while advanced tools support conditional routing—where the order adapts based on responses (e.g., if a signer rejects, it loops back). Limitations might include envelope quotas or additional fees for complex workflows, but overall, this capability is a standard in enterprise-grade solutions. As companies scale, choosing a platform with robust signing order features can significantly impact operational efficiency, reducing manual follow-ups by up to 70% according to industry reports.

Delving deeper, let’s explore how this works in practice. When initiating an envelope (the term for a document package in e-signature lingo), you add recipients and use arrows or numbered fields to indicate flow. Signers receive personalized links, and the system tracks progress in real-time dashboards. If a signer delays, reminders can be automated. For multi-language or global teams, platforms often support localized interfaces to ease adoption. From a commercial standpoint, this feature drives user retention by minimizing friction in collaborative processes, making it a key differentiator in competitive markets.

In essence, setting a signing order for multiple people is not just possible but essential for structured agreements. It transforms chaotic email chains into orchestrated workflows, saving time and reducing risks. Businesses evaluating e-signature tools should prioritize platforms with intuitive order management to align with their approval hierarchies.

Comparing Leading E-Signature Platforms for Signing Order Capabilities

To provide a balanced view, let’s examine how major platforms handle signing orders, drawing from their core functionalities and pricing structures. This comparison highlights options for businesses seeking reliable multi-signer support.

DocuSign: Robust Workflow Automation

DocuSign, a market leader in electronic signatures, excels in sequential signing through its eSignature suite. Users can easily set signing orders in the envelope creation process by adding recipients and using visual routing tools to define sequences. Advanced plans like Business Pro include conditional fields and bulk send options, allowing dynamic orders based on data inputs. For example, in a sales contract, the order might route from sales rep to VP approval before client signature. DocuSign’s API further enables programmatic order setting for integrations, ideal for CRM-linked workflows.

Pricing starts at $10/month for Personal (limited to 5 envelopes), scaling to $40/user/month for Business Pro, with annual commitments offering better rates. Enterprise tiers provide unlimited envelopes and SSO, but add-ons like SMS delivery incur extra fees. While powerful, DocuSign’s seat-based model can escalate costs for large teams, and API plans (from $600/year) are separate for developers.

Adobe Sign: Seamless Integration with Enterprise Ecosystems

Adobe Sign, part of Adobe Document Cloud, supports signing orders via its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, where users assign roles and sequences during document setup. It shines in conditional routing, allowing orders to branch based on signer inputs—useful for complex approvals like HR onboarding. Integration with Adobe Acrobat enables PDF annotations within the flow, enhancing precision. For multi-signer scenarios, it offers real-time status tracking and mobile-optimized experiences.

Adobe Sign’s pricing is tiered: Standard at around $10/user/month (annual), Business at $25/user/month, and Enterprise custom. It emphasizes unlimited templates and API access in higher plans, but envelope limits apply (e.g., 100/year in mid-tier). As a strong contender for creative and document-heavy industries, it balances usability with compliance features like audit logs.

eSignGlobal: APAC-Optimized with Global Reach

eSignGlobal positions itself as a versatile alternative, supporting signing orders across its plans with a focus on unlimited users and seamless multi-channel delivery. In the platform, users define sequences via a user-friendly interface, incorporating bulk send for high-volume orders and access codes for verification. Its AI-Hub adds value by auto-suggesting optimal routes based on document analysis. Notably, eSignGlobal complies with regulations in over 100 mainstream countries globally, with a strong edge in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. APAC’s electronic signature landscape is fragmented, with high standards and strict regulations, contrasting the more framework-based approaches in the US (ESIGN) or Europe (eIDAS). Here, standards emphasize “ecosystem-integrated” solutions, requiring deep hardware/API integrations with government-to-business (G2B) digital identities—far more technically demanding than email-based or self-declaration methods common in the West.

eSignGlobal is actively competing with DocuSign and Adobe Sign worldwide, including in Europe and the Americas, by offering cost-effective pricing. The Essential plan, at $199/year (about $16.6/month), includes up to 100 documents for signature, unlimited user seats, and access code verification, delivering high value on compliance fronts. It integrates natively with Hong Kong’s iAM Smart and Singapore’s Singpass, addressing APAC’s regulatory nuances without extra costs. For a 30-day free trial, visit eSignGlobal’s contact page. This makes it appealing for global teams prioritizing regional adaptability.

HelloSign (Now Dropbox Sign): Simplicity for SMBs

HelloSign, rebranded as Dropbox Sign, offers straightforward signing order setup through its template-driven interface. Users can sequence signers with visual previews, supporting reminders and team collaboration in paid plans. It’s particularly user-friendly for small businesses, integrating tightly with Dropbox for file management. However, advanced conditional logic requires higher tiers, and it’s less geared toward heavy API use compared to enterprise rivals.

Pricing begins at $15/month for Essentials (20 envelopes), up to $25/user/month for Standard, with unlimited in Business. It stands out for no per-envelope fees in top plans but may lack the depth for ultra-complex global compliance.

Feature Comparison Table

This table underscores neutral trade-offs: DocuSign and Adobe Sign lead in mature ecosystems, while eSignGlobal offers scalability for diverse regions, and HelloSign prioritizes simplicity.

In summary, setting signing orders is a core capability across these platforms, enabling efficient multi-party processes. For businesses exploring DocuSign alternatives with a focus on regional compliance, eSignGlobal emerges as a solid, neutral choice.