Get the right staff involved without giving clients control over staff assignments.
The Challenge: Who Signs a Client-Initiated Document?
When a client initiates a document in eSignature, a question arises: if a staff member also needs to sign, how does the system know which staff member should sign?
Unlike user-initiated documents where a staff member can select exactly who needs to sign, clients cannot and should not be able to assign documents to specific staff members. This is where Signing Groups come in.
What Are Signing Groups?
Signing Groups are predefined groups of users who can respond to client-initiated documents. Instead of assigning a document to "John Smith," you assign it to a role like "Case Manager" or "Probation Officer." Any user in that group can then review and sign the document.
Think of it like addressing a letter to "Customer Service" instead of a specific person—anyone on the customer service team can help you.
Why Can't Clients Just Pick a Specific User?
Allowing clients to assign documents directly to specific users creates several problems:
Operational Issues
A client might assign a form to a user who is out of the office, on vacation, or sick, causing delays
If a staff member leaves the organization, documents assigned specifically to them become stuck
When multiple staff members could handle a request, forcing assignment to one person creates unnecessary bottlenecks
Security and Privacy Concerns
Clients would need to see a full list of all staff users in your account
A client could intentionally or unintentionally spam a specific user with multiple form requests
Workflow Flexibility
Many documents don't require a specific person—any supervisor, any case manager, or any administrator could sign
Group assignment allows your team to balance workload naturally
How Signing Groups Work
Setup: An administrator creates Signing Groups in eSignature Group Assignment (for example: "Case Managers," "Supervisors," "Intake Staff")
User Assignment: Staff members are added to the appropriate groups based on their roles
Template Configuration: When creating a template that allows client initiation and requires a staff signature, the template is configured to use a Signing Group instead of a specific user
Client Experience: The client simply initiates the document—they never see or select individual staff members
Staff Response: Any user in the assigned group sees the document and can complete their portion
Example Scenario
Your facility wants clients to be able to request a Travel Permit that requires supervisor approval.
Without Signing Groups (Not Possible) Client would need to select "Jane Doe - Supervisor" from a list of all staff, hoping Jane is available.
With Signing Groups
Create a Signing Group called "Supervisors"
Add all supervisors to this group
Create a Travel Permit template that assigns the approval signature to the "Supervisors" group
When a client initiates the form, any supervisor can review and approve it
If one supervisor is unavailable, another can step in seamlessly
When Do You Need Signing Groups?
You need to set up Signing Groups when:
A template allows client initiation AND
The template requires a staff member signature
You do NOT need Signing Groups when:
Only users (staff) can initiate the document
The client-initiated document only requires the client's signature (no staff signature needed)
Setting Up Signing Groups
Navigate to eSignature > Group Assignment
Create a new Signing Group
Give it a descriptive name that reflects the role (e.g., "Case Managers," "Probation Officers," "Medical Staff")
Add the appropriate users to the group
Save your changes
Once created, these groups will be available when configuring templates for client initiation.
Best Practices
Use role-based names: Name groups by function ("Intake Coordinators") rather than specific purposes ("Travel Form Approvers") so they can be reused across multiple templates
Keep groups current: When staff join or leave, update group membership promptly
Right-size your groups: Include enough users that documents won't get stuck, but not so many that accountability is unclear
Review periodically: Check that group membership still reflects your current team structure
Summary
Signing Groups solve a fundamental challenge in client-initiated documents: getting the right staff involvement without giving clients control over staff assignments. By assigning documents to roles rather than individuals, your facility maintains security, flexibility, and operational efficiency while still allowing clients to initiate the forms they need.