Digital Signatures using Annature

FYI can be integrated with digital signature providers Annature, for digital signing.

The following describes how to set up and use FYI so that documents can be sent directly to Annature. For information on how to set up the integration, refer to Integration with Annature.

This article contains the following sections:

• Sending a Document as Draft or Final
• Adding the Signature Merge Field to the Word document or Excel spreadsheet
• Sending one or more Documents for Signature
• Opening the Web Link document
• Making Changes to the Draft PDF Document in FYI
• When the Document is Signed in Annature

Sending a Document as Draft or Final

You can send the document to Annature as Draft or Final. This is set when using the Signature button by selecting the Service Status as "Draft" or "Send".

• "Draft" (with Service Status set as "Draft")
• places the document into Annature as draft, so that you can adjust the message, signing fields and date fields before sending to the client.
• "Final" (with Service Status set as "Send") means the document will flow directly from FYI, through Annature and to the client, without any input required inside of Annature.

Adding the Signature Merge Field to the Word document or Excel spreadsheet

When sending documents for signature via Annature, you need to ensure the document you send has the Signature Merge Field included in the document.

Note: The Signature Merge Field is automatically detected as a placeholder where the recipient has to sign. This does not show the sender's signature. If you want to add your pre-set signature to the document when sending it,  you need to add it to the document. Refer to Inserting your Signature into a Document.

Adding the Signature Merge Field
Add the Signature merge field to the Word document or Excel spreadsheet and then convert this to PDF so it can be sent for signature. The Merge Field will work in PDF format as long as the PDF is saved as readable as text and not as an image. This can be added to a template if required.

• «Signature»    
  For a Word document. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Word Templates and Stationery.
• {{Signature}}   
  For an Excel spreadsheet - when added as a Merge Field, the Merge Field for the Excel Signature does not have spaces after or before the brackets. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Excel Templates.
  Or add the Signature Merge Field as a Named field. Refer to Including Merge Names in Excel Templates.

Sending one or more Documents for Signature

All documents sent for signing must be PDF.

Sending Multiple Documents
When sending multiple documents, it is recommended to change the Subject in FYI to indicate that a pack is being sent, for example, "2021 document pack". This will help you identify the individual document in FYI as well as the combined pack of documents.

Where multiple documents are being sent, they must be for the same client.

1. In FYI, on a list, select one or more PDF documents.
   
   
2. Click the Signature button in the tool bar. Or for a single PDF document, right-click and select Signature from the tool bar pop-up menu (refer to Using the Document Action Tool Bar).
   
   
   
   The Send for Signature drawer displays and includes the names of the document(s) that are being sent. This shows the filing details of the FYI Web Link document that will be created as a record of the document(s) that have been sent for signature.
   
   The Service used is automatically determined by the service you are using to sign the document (for example, DocuSign, Adobe Sign, Annature, FuseSign or myprosperity). If you happen to have more than one service connected, you will see a selection for Service in the Send for Signature so you can select which to use.
   
   The following example shows the Send for Signature for Annature with the Recipients displayed.
   
   
   
   
3. The Client name is automatically selected as the client of the selected PDF. The email address displays under the Client name.
   
   Recipients - Clicking the Recipients link displays the email address of the selected client. This shows as the "Signer".
   
   Where the client has more than one contact email, you can select one of these to additionally send the request for signature to. Select the email from the drop-down list. You can also create one or more additional email addresses by typing the address in the Recipients field and clicking the Create link. Set any additional Recipients as "Viewer or "CC".
   Where the client does not have an email address, click the link that shows as 0 Recipients and select the recipient.
   Refer to Adding and Changing Recipients when Creating an Email.
   
   
4. Select the Service Status as "Draft" or "Send".
   
   Send - Allows you to completely automate the signature request and it is sent to the service immediately.
   
   Draft - This places the document into Annature as draft, so that you can adjust the message, signing fields and date fields before sending to the client.
   
   
5. If required, select a Template. This needs to be an Email Template and this will populate the Message when the document is sent for signature. The Template can include Merge Fields (for example, the Client's Name) that are used to populate the contents of the Message.
   
   
6. Subject - When sending a single document, the Subject is set as the name of the document.
   
   When sending multiple documents
   The Subject is set as the name of the document of the first document selected. You can change the Subject to be unique and to indicate that a pack of documents is being sent, for example, "2021 document pack". When sending multiple documents, if you leave the subject line as the original name, the merged documents will show as this name in FYI when the pack is returned from the signing service and this can cause confusion of what is the individual document what is the pack.
   
   Note: Changing the Subject will also change the name of the Web Link and the Signed document(s) and for multiple documents, the name of the combined pack of signed documents, when received back from the signing service.
   
   To keep the original document name, do not alter the Subject in FYI  but update the Subject directly in Annature. This will import the document(s) as the original name.
   
   
7. Message - If not using a template message, you can enter a custom Message that will be included when the client receives the request for signature.
   
   
8. In the Workflow, the Status is automatically set as "Pending Client Signature".
   
   
9. Include Reference can be set as "On" or "Off".
   Every document in FYI has a unique reference number and FYI uses this reference number in the filename when bringing the signed document back into FYI (see below).
   When Include Reference is set "On", when multiple documents are sent for signing this reference number is automatically included in the file name of the document that is uploaded.
   
   
10. Click Create.

A Web Link document is created as a record of the document(s) that have been sent for signature.

When sending a single document with the Service Status as "Send", the original document shows as a thread under the Web Link document.  You can display the Drawer for the Web Link and see the relevant documents in the Threads section of the Drawer. Threads for documents display in the same way as email threads. Refer to Managing Email Threads.



For multiple documents, the original documents show as stapled together and are also stapled to the Web Link. You can display the Drawer of any of the document, or for the Web Link, and see the relevant documents in the Stapled section of the Drawer. Refer to Stapled Documents.

Notes: If the Client and the Contact have the same email address, the Contact's mobile or phone number (if there's no mobile) will be used. If the Contact does not have a mobile or phone number specified, the Client's mobile number or phone number (if there is no mobile) is sent through with the signature request.

Opening the Web Link document

When you open the Web Link, you are prompted to login in to the digital signature provider from where you can see the document(s) that were sent for signing either in the Draft or Sent screen according to whether you selected "Draft" or "Send" as the Service Status.

Making Changes to the Draft PDF Document in FYI

Once a document is set as Draft for a signature, it automatically creates a Web Link and does not show as a PDF in FYI. If you need to make any changes to the PDF:

1. In the Web Link, unlink the document in the Thread section of the drawer by clicking the Unlink icon next to the PDF (refer to Unlinking a Document from the Thread in Managing Email Threads).
2. Delete the Web Link document.
3. In the PDF, using the Workflow section of the drawer, change the Workflow Status to "Not Started".
4. Edit and save the PDF document.
5. Resend the PDF for signing.

Note: To edit the document, you need to have an Approval Level of "Approval" to be able to change the Workflow Status from "Pending Client Signature" to a previous Status. Refer to Workflow Basics and to Managing Users.

When the Document is Signed in Annature

When the client receives the document to be signed, they will see the sender of the document as FYIDocs<noreply@annature.com.au> and will also see the name of the FYI user who sent the document.

On the email they receive, they click the Review Documents link and complete the signing process.

On completion, Annature notifies the sender (via email) that the document has been signed.

Annature also notifies FYI that the document is signed. The signed PDF is pulled into FYI and the workflow status will be automatically updated to 'Client Signed'.

For a single document, the signed PDF is allocated a separate FYI Reference number and it is automatically added to the top of the thread, then the Web Link document below this in the thread (as a record of the send) and then the original document. Threads for documents display in the same way as email threads. Refer to Managing Email Threads.

For Multiple Documents
When multiple documents are sent to the client as a combined pack, and the signed documents are returned from the service:

• Each signed document is threaded with its original document. This gives you the option to access each document individually. If the service sends back the originals as well as the signed documents, this is also threaded with the original document.
• Also, a merged copy of all the documents is created for the combined pack of signed documents and this is threaded with the Web Link, and they are stapled together. Refer to Stapled Documents.
• The documents are all allocated separate FYI Reference numbers.

Note: To easily identify the individual documents in FYI as well as the combined pack of documents, when sending multiple documents it is recommended to change the Subject to indicate that a pack is being sent, instead of using the name of one of the documents in the pack.