Knowledge Base

What is an electronic signature?

The US Federal ESIGN Act defines an “electronic signature” as an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

Electronic signatures have been used to sign offer letters, sales contracts, permission slips, rental/lease agreements, liability waivers, financial documents and more.

An electronic signature, as defined under the European Union eIDAS act (No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market), covers the broad category of all electronic signatures, including “data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign”.

The basic digital signature offered by Pipedrive’s eSignature feature is a subtype of an electronic signature with advanced security features.

A basic digital signature uses PKI (Public Key Infrastructure). Crucial characteristics of the basic electronic signature are the following:

• Digital certificate issued by a third party (Ensured)

• Asymmetric or public-key encryption

• IP Address capture

With Pipedrive’s e-signatures feature, signers can receive a one-time authentication code to check, but not guarantee, their email validity. This is an optional security feature that can be enabled or disabled for each signature request.

Are eSignatures legally binding?

Electronic signatures have been widely accepted and used in several countries for many years. Pipedrive’s digital signatures are designed to meet standard security requirements, including asymmetric or public-key encryption.

How can my sales team benefit from using the eSignatures feature?

Using the eSignatures feature helps your sales team move faster by digitalizing manual processes. It‘s especially useful for remote teams or when customers don’t have easy access to printing equipment.

Key benefits include:

• Integration with cloud storage solutions like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and SharePoint

• Automatic storage of signed documents within the relevant deal for easy access by the owner and followers

• Optional security features like one-time authentication codes sent via email to verify signers

What is the Reasonable Use Policy?

Pipedrive will closely monitor eSignature usage. If we notice that the feature is being used for reselling, abused in any other way, or is unduly burdensome, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to prevent or suspend a user’s access to the feature.

If my document has all the required signatures, can I cancel it?

Once a document has collected all necessary signatures, the process is considered complete and you’re unable to cancel it.

The eSignatures feature is designed to finalize the document once all parties have signed. If you need to make changes to a completed document, you’ll need to create a new version and restart the signing process.

Can I still use the same version of a document if I cancel the signing?

Yes, it’s possible to reuse the same document version after a cancellation. If you cancel a signing process because you forgot to add a signer, for example, the document remains available in your deal or document storage.

To restart the process:

• Go to the deal detail view and open the document tab

• Select the document version you wish to send

• Add your signers (up to ten per document) and click "Send"

The new signing process will have a fresh 60-day expiration period.

I sent a document for signing, but forgot to add a signer. Can I add them after I sent the document?

It’s not possible to add new signers to an existing signing process. If you need to add a signer after you send the document, you’ll need to cancel the existing signing process and create a new one.

How many signers can I add to a document?

You can add up to 10 signers to a single document. Please keep in mind that you can’t add new signers once the signing process has started.

If you forget to include someone, you’ll need to cancel the existing process and create a new one. Once a document has collected all required signatures, it can’t be canceled.

How long do signers have to sign?

The signing process remains active for 60 days from the date the request was sent. If the document isn’t signed within this timeframe, the link will expire.

If you choose to cancel a document before it’s completed, you’re still able to use that same version of the document to start a new signing process later.