Overview

E-Signature lets you send PDF documents for electronic signature inside CPAAutomation. Each request is packaged as an envelope containing the documents, recipients, fields to complete, signing rules, and an audit trail.

Development notice: E-Signature is an early work in progress and is not intended for public use. Do not rely on it for legally binding agreements or use it to store sensitive documents. The in-product disclaimer appears once per browser session.

What you can do

• Send one or more PDFs for signature - add signers, optional CC recipients, and fields directly on each page.
• Control signing order - ask signers to complete the envelope sequentially or let everyone sign in any order.
• Track every envelope - see who has viewed, consented to, signed, or declined a request.
• Reuse common documents - save documents, signer roles, and field positions as templates.
• Download completion evidence - completed envelopes include a digitally sealed PDF and a certificate of completion.
• Check document integrity - verify the embedded digital seal and compare a PDF with CPAAutomation's stored record.

How an envelope works

An envelope moves through four main stages:

Stage	What happens
Prepare	The sender uploads PDFs, adds recipients, and places fields. The envelope remains a draft.
Send	CPAAutomation emails the eligible signer or signers and records the send in the envelope's audit trail.
Sign	Each signer reviews the electronic-records disclosure, adopts a typed or drawn signature, and completes assigned fields.
Complete	After the last signature, CPAAutomation prepares the final PDF, adds completion evidence, and applies a tamper-evident digital seal.

The seal and audit trail provide evidence about the document and signing process. They do not by themselves guarantee that an agreement is enforceable in every jurisdiction or situation.

Who does what

• Senders create envelopes, assign fields, monitor progress, send reminders, void active requests, and download completed files.
• Signers open the secure link delivered to the email address selected by the sender, consent to electronic records, and complete their assigned fields. No CPAAutomation account is required.
• CC recipients use their secure link for read-only access and are included in the completion notification.

Where to find it

Open E-Signature in the CPAAutomation sidebar (/dashboard/esign). The page has three views:

View	What it contains
All	Envelopes you sent, with status filters and signing progress.
Awaiting my signature	An optional inbox for signed-in users whose account email also appears on an envelope.
Drafts	Envelopes you have started but not sent.

Use the buttons at the top of the page to open Legal basis, Templates, Verify, or create a New envelope.

Get started

To send a document:

1. Click New envelope and upload your PDFs or select a template.
2. Add the people who need to sign and place their fields.
3. Review the request and click Send for signature.
4. Follow progress from the envelope detail page.

Continue to Sending an Envelope for the complete workflow.

To sign a document:

1. Open the request from its email link or from Awaiting my signature.
2. Review and accept the electronic-records disclosure.
3. Adopt your signature, complete all required fields, and click Finish signing.

See Signing an Envelope for details.