E-Signatures

ServiceCortex includes built-in electronic signature support so you can request signatures on documents and generated forms without leaving the platform. Signers can complete the process in-app if they are team members, or via a secure magic link sent by email for external parties.

Requesting a signature

To request a signature on a document:

1. Open the document from Documents and click Request Signature.
2. Enter the signer's details:
   • Signer name -- the full name of the person signing (2-100 characters).
   • Signer email -- the email address where the signing invitation will be sent.
   • Message (optional) -- a personal note included in the signing invitation email.
   • Expiry days (optional) -- how many days the request remains valid, from 1 to 90 days. Defaults to 7 days if not specified.
3. Click Send Request. The system generates a unique signing token and sends the invitation.

Only one active signature request is allowed per document at a time. You must wait for the current request to be signed, cancelled, or expired before sending a new one.

Signature request statuses

All statuses except Pending are terminal -- once a request reaches Signed, Expired, or Cancelled, it cannot change.

How signing works

ServiceCortex supports two signing methods:

Magic link signing (external signers)

External signers -- such as clients or subcontractors -- receive an email with a secure link. The link does not require a login:

1. The signer clicks the link in their email.
2. They review the document and draw or type their signature.
3. The signature is captured as SVG data and recorded alongside the signer's IP address for audit purposes.
4. The request moves to Signed status.

If the signer opens the link after the expiry date, the system automatically marks the request as Expired and displays a message.

In-app signing (team members)

Team members who are logged in can view their pending signature requests from Documents > My Pending Signatures:

1. Navigate to My Pending Signatures to see all documents awaiting your signature.
2. Click on a request to review the document.
3. Draw your signature and click Sign.
4. The system verifies that your email matches the designated signer before accepting the signature.

Cancelling a request

You can cancel a pending signature request at any time. Navigate to the document and click Cancel Request. Only requests in Pending status can be cancelled.

Viewing signed documents

After a document has been signed, you can:

• Download the signed copy -- navigate to Documents > Signed Documents and click the download icon. A time-limited download URL is generated (valid for 5 minutes).
• Send a receipt to the signer -- click Send Signer Receipt to email the signer a copy of the signed document with a 24-hour download link.

Signature workflow for generated documents

When using document templates, the signature workflow integrates with signer roles:

1. A document is generated from a template and filled in by a team member.
2. The document is submitted for signatures, creating requests for each required signer role.
3. Depending on the template's signing order:
   • Sequential -- signers are invited one at a time, in the order defined by the signer roles.
   • Parallel -- all signers are invited simultaneously and can sign in any order.
4. As each signer completes their signature, the system tracks progress.
5. When all required signers have signed, the document is marked as complete.

Activity tracking

Every signature action is recorded in the document's activity log:

Expiry handling

Expired requests are processed automatically by a background job. When a pending request passes its expiry date:

1. The status changes to Expired.
2. A domain event is emitted for any configured automations.
3. The signer can no longer use the signing link.

To re-request a signature after expiry, create a new signature request on the same document.

What's next

• Set up document templates with signer roles for structured signing workflows.
• Manage your documents to organise signed and unsigned files.
• Configure email templates to customise signature invitation emails.