How to collect multiple signatures on one PDF

Why passing a PDF around goes wrong

The old way is a chain: you sign, email it to the second person, they sign in Preview and send it to the third, and so on. Versions multiply. Someone signs the copy from two emails ago. Somebody's signature lands on the wrong line. At the end there are four slightly different PDFs and nobody is sure which is final.

It also leaves no record. If one of five shareholders later says they never agreed, the file shows a picture of their signature and nothing more.

Giving each signer their own boxes

The key step is assigning every field to a person. A three-party agreement might have a signature, printed name and date for the Seller, the same for the Buyer, and a Witness block under each. Each signer should only be able to fill their own boxes.

Sign PDF does most of this for you. We read the labels near each blank, such as 'Landlord', 'Tenant 1', 'Tenant 2' or 'Witness', and colour-code the boxes by signer. If a document just says 'Signature' four times with no names, we create numbered signers and you match them to people. You can also type into the assistant: 'add a witness for each tenant' or 'each party initials every page'.

Everyone at once, or one after another

By default all signers get their email at the same time and sign in any order. That is fastest and suits most documents, such as a group consent form or a partnership agreement where everyone signs the same page.

Sometimes order matters. An employee signs before the director countersigns, or a tenant signs before the landlord. On the Full plan you can set a signing order, so each person is emailed only when the one before has finished. See our guide to setting a signing order for the detail.

Tracking who has signed

Your dashboard shows each signer's status. When one person is holding things up, send them a reminder from the dashboard, or turn on automatic reminders (Full plan). If someone declines, they give a reason and you can void, fix and resend.

When the last person signs, everyone receives the same sealed PDF. The certificate of completion lists every signer with their verified email, IP address, device and times, so each signature has its own evidence.

Limits in other tools

Google's eSignature in Docs and Drive allows up to 10 signers per request, according to its help page. Free tiers elsewhere count each request or envelope against a small monthly allowance. We do not cap signers per document. We do not offer bulk send (one document to hundreds of people who each get their own copy), so for mass consent forms you would send separately or use a provider with that feature.