The signing experience
What signers see when they open a request — reviewing the document, consenting to sign electronically, filling fields, and submitting.
This page describes what a signer does after a signature request is sent. The flow itself is the same for everyone; the only difference is how each party gets in.
Opening the request
- Counterparty signers open their unique link from the "Please sign" email. No account or login is needed — the link itself authenticates them. Links expire 30 days after the request was sent. A link that has expired, already been used, or been cancelled shows "This signing link isn't valid."
- Teammate signers (other members of your organization) sign in-app while logged in to Fusial. They reach the request from the "You've been asked to sign" email or their in-app notification, both of which link straight to the signing screen.
- You, if you added yourself, sign in-app as well — you can open the envelope and sign as soon as it's been sent, without waiting for a notification.
The first time a signer opens their request, Fusial records the view — the signer's status moves from pending to viewed, with a timestamp, IP address, and browser captured for the audit trail.
Reviewing the document
The signer lands on a Review & sign screen showing the exact PDF that will be signed — the final, flattened version of the contract with no tracked-change marks. They can read the whole document before committing to anything.
Consenting to sign electronically
Before any signature is captured, the signer must affirmatively agree to do business electronically. Fusial shows an ESIGN Act + UETA consent disclosure and the signer selects I agree.
This consent is a legal prerequisite, not a formality:
- It confirms the signer's electronic signature is the legal equivalent of a handwritten one under the U.S. ESIGN Act and UETA.
- It confirms they can access and retain the document electronically, and may request a paper copy or withdraw consent before signing by contacting the sender.
Fusial records the consent — with its version, timestamp, IP, and browser — as part of the audit trail, and summarizes it on the certificate of completion.
Filling in fields and signing
The signer fills the fields assigned to them. Depending on the field type they'll be prompted to click to sign, click to initial, click to add date, click to add name, or type into a text box.
Fusial uses a typed-signature model — there's no draw-with-your-mouse canvas. When the signer adopts their signature, Fusial fills the fields from their name:
- Signature and Name are filled with the signer's typed name.
- Initials are filled with their typed initials.
- Date is set to the day they sign.
- Text is free-form.
Every required field must have a value before the signer can submit; if one is empty, Fusial asks them to complete every required field. Once everything required is filled, the signer submits.
What happens after a signer submits
When a signer submits, Fusial records their field values, marks them signed, and stamps the moment with their typed name, IP address, and browser. It then looks at the whole envelope:
- If some but not all signers have signed, the envelope becomes partially signed and waits for the rest. Outstanding signers can sign in any order.
- If that was the last signer, the envelope becomes completed and Fusial automatically seals the document — see Completion & the certificate.
Either way, the envelope's creator is notified that a party signed.
Concurrent signing is safe: if two signers submit at the same moment, Fusial serializes them so the envelope is only marked completed once everyone is genuinely done.
Signing order
There's no enforced sequence. Every signer's link is live as soon as the envelope is sent, so parties can sign in parallel or in whatever order suits them. The envelope only completes once all signers have signed.