10 Tips for Successful Electronic Signatures
10 practical tips to help you get the most out of electronic signatures in your business.
Electronic signatures save time, money, and paper — but to get the most out of them, it's important to do it right. Here are 10 practical tips that will make your signing process smooth, fast, and professional.
Table of Contents
1. Prepare the Document Before Sending
Make sure the document is final and ready before you send it for signing. Typos, missing clauses, or incorrect details will cause delays. Tip: Ask someone else to read the document before sending.
Once the document is sent for signing through SignFlow, it is locked for changes — so you cannot correct it afterwards. This preserves document integrity and security.
2. Mark Signature Fields Clearly
Clear signature fields = less confusion = faster process. Make sure that:
- Every signature field is placed in the right location on the document.
- It is clear who needs to sign each field (especially with multiple signers).
- Additional fields (date, name, ID) are clearly marked.
3. Use Automatic Reminders
People are busy and emails get buried. Automatic reminders are the solution. In SignFlow, you can set reminders that are automatically sent to signers who haven't yet signed — every day, every two days, or every week.
A gentle and polite reminder can shorten the time to receive a signature from days to hours.
4. Ensure a Complete Audit Trail
An audit trail is the key to legal validity of an electronic signature. Make sure your platform records:
- When the document was sent
- When it was opened by each signer
- When it was signed
- IP address and device type
- Identity verifications performed
5. Use Appropriate Identity Verification
Match the verification level to the document's importance:
- Simple document (purchase order, internal approval): Email verification is sufficient.
- Business contract: Email + SMS verification.
- Sensitive document: Two-factor authentication + secret code.
The stronger the verification, the stronger the legal proof — but the process is also slightly longer for the signer. Find the right balance.
6. Create Templates for Recurring Documents
If you send the same types of documents repeatedly — service contracts, NDAs, lease agreements — create a template. In SignFlow, you can create a template with pre-defined signature fields and send it to each new client with a single click.
7. Add a Covering Message
When you send a document for signing, add a brief message explaining:
- What the document is
- Why they need to sign
- By when they need to sign
A clear message reduces the chance the signer will ignore the email or delay signing.
8. Set an Expiration Date
Give every document an expiration date. If the signer hasn't signed by the date, the document is automatically cancelled. This prevents old documents from continuing to "float" around and creating confusion.
9. Back Up Signed Documents
Although SignFlow automatically backs up all documents, it is recommended to keep a copy as well — in the cloud (Google Drive, OneDrive) or in your document management system. Good digital organization saves headaches later.
10. Train Your Team and Clients
If your team is new to digital signatures, take a few minutes to explain the process. The same goes for your clients — add brief instructions to the covering message. In most cases the process is so simple that no training is needed, but good communication prevents problems.
- Prepare final documents before sending — once sent, there's no way to correct them
- A complete audit trail is the key to legal validity
- Templates and automatic reminders save enormous amounts of time
Summary
An electronic signature is a powerful tool that saves time and money. These 10 tips will help you use it as efficiently and securely as possible. The most important thing is to choose a reliable platform that meets the requirements of Israeli law and provides a complete audit trail.
SignFlow provides all the tools you need — templates, reminders, identity verification, bulk sending, and more. Visit our features page for details, or our pricing page for plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important tip for electronic signatures?
The most important tip is to ensure a complete audit trail — a record of who signed, when, and from where. This is what gives an electronic signature strong legal validity. Additionally, it is important to choose a platform that meets Israeli legal requirements.
How many signers can be added to one document?
SignFlow has no limit on the number of signers. You can add as many signers as needed and set a signing order — for example, Party A signs before Party B. The system manages the process automatically and sends notifications at the right time.
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