Security
Signer, approver, witness, copy-only: which role should each person have?
A signer fills in their fields and signs. An approver reviews and approves without signing. A witness signs a witness block after the person they witness. Someone set to receive a copy does nothing and simply gets the finished document.
When you add someone to a request in Request Signatures, there is a small dropdown beside their name with four choices. Picking the right one saves a lot of confusion later.
Signer
The main role. *"Fills in their fields and signs."*
A signer sees the fields you placed for them (signature, initials, name, date, text boxes, tick boxes, dropdowns, attachments) fills them in, and signs. They are the people the document is actually about.
Every request must have at least one signer.
Use it for: everyone who is agreeing to the document. Both parties to a contract. The employee on an offer letter. The tenant and the landlord on a lease.
Approver
*"Reviews and approves. Places no signature."*
An approver reads the document and approves it. They have no fields, so there is nothing for them to fill in. Their approval is recorded (who they are, when they approved, from which address) and it appears on the certificate of completion.
Use it for: an internal step before the document goes further. A manager authorising an expense claim before finance signs it. A legal reviewer confirming a contract may go out. A supervisor signing off a purchase.
The key point: they are recorded as agreeing, but their name does not appear as a signature on the page.
Witness
*"Signs as a witness after the person they witness."*
A witness confirms that a particular person signed. When you choose this role, a second dropdown appears ("Witnesses the signature of") where you pick which signer they are witnessing. A witness gets their own fields and signs like a signer does.
Because witnessing means *watching someone else sign*, a witness must come after that person in the order. If you place them earlier, the tool tells you to move them down.
Use it for: documents where a witness is customary or required. Some statutory declarations, some property and family documents, some lending agreements.
Receives a copy
*"Gets the signed copy when everyone is done. Nothing to do."*
No fields. No signature. No turn in the order. When everything is finished, they are emailed the signed document and the certificate of completion.
There is also an option, "Tell copy recipients now", to email them at the start as well, so they know the document is on its way.
Use it for: your accountant, an archive mailbox, a colleague who needs to know but is not a party, the other side's administrator.
Choosing quickly
| The person... | Role |
|---|---|
| is agreeing to the document | Signer |
| must approve, but is not a party | Approver |
| is confirming they saw someone sign | Witness |
| just needs the finished file | Receives a copy |
What ends up on the record
Every role appears on the certificate of completion with their role named: signers with what they signed and how many fields they completed, approvers with when they approved, witnesses with whose signature they witnessed, copy recipients with when they were sent the file. The timeline shows the whole sequence.
Practical notes
- Colour coding. Each recipient gets their own colour, and the fields you place for them are shown in it. With four people on a page, that is the difference between a clear layout and a guessing game.
- Recipients cannot swap roles later. Set them correctly before sending.
- Everyone needs their own email address. The same address twice on one request is rejected. Each person's link is personal.
- Roles and order. How the roles interact with the signing order is covered in signing order: one after another, or everyone at once.
Common questions
What is the difference between a signer and an approver?
A signer fills in fields and places a signature on the document. An approver reviews and approves without signing and has no fields; their approval is recorded on the certificate of completion.
What does a witness do on an electronic signature request?
A witness confirms that a named person signed. You choose whose signature they witness, and they sign after that person.
Why must a witness come after the person they witness?
Because witnessing means confirming you saw someone sign. Signing first would make no sense, so the request order has to put the witness afterwards.
What does 'Receives a copy' mean?
That person has nothing to do. They are emailed the finished signed document and the certificate of completion once everyone else has finished.
Can two people share one email address on a request?
No. Each person's link is personal and tied to their address, so the same address cannot appear twice on one request.
Is an electronically witnessed signature legally valid?
It depends on the document and the country. Some documents require a witness to be physically present. Check the rules that apply before relying on remote witnessing.