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Adobe Acrobat Sign Guide

What's New

  1. Pre-Release Notes
  2. Release Notes
  3. Important Notifications

Get Started

  1. Quick start guide for administrators
  2. Quick start guide for users
  3. For Developers
  4. Video tutorial library
  5. FAQ

Administer

  1. Admin Console Overview
  2. User Management
    1. Adding users
      1. Add a User
      2. Add Users in Bulk
      3. Add Users from your Directory
      4. Add Users from MS Azure Active Directory
    2. Create function-focused users
      1. Technical accounts - API driven
      2. Service accounts - Manually driven
    3. Check for users with provisioning errors
    4. Change Name/Email Address
    5. Edit a user's group membership
    6. Edit a user's group membership through the group interface
    7. Promote a user to an admin role
    8. User Identity Types and SSO
    9. Switch User Identity
    10. Authenticate Users with MS Azure
    11. Authenticate Users with Google Federation
    12. Product Profiles
    13. Login Experience 
  3. Account/Group Settings
    1. Settings Overview
    2. Global Settings
      1. Account tier and ID
      2. New Recipient Experience
      3. Self Signing Workflows
      4. Send in Bulk
      5. Web Forms
      6. Custom Send Workflows
      7. Power Automate Workflows
      8. Library Documents
      9. Collect form data with agreements
      10. Limited Document Visibility
      11. Attach a PDF copy of the signed agreement 
      12. Include a link in the email
      13. Include an image in the email
      14. Files attached to email will be named as
      15. Attach audit reports to documents
      16. Merge multiple documents into one
      17. Download individual documents
      18. Upload a signed document
      19. Delegation for users in my account
      20. Allow external recipients to delegate
      21. Authority to sign
      22. Authority to send
      23. Power to add Electronic Seals
      24. Set a default time zone
      25. Set a default date format
      26. Users in Multiple Groups (UMG)
        1. Upgrade to use UMG
      27. Group Administrator Permissions
      28. Replace recipient
      29. Audit Report
        1. Overview
        2. Allow unauthenticated access on the transaction verification page
        3. Include reminders
        4. Include view events
        5. Include agreement page/attachment count
      30. In Product Messaging and Guidance
      31. Accessible PDFs
      32. New authoring experience
      33. Healthcare customer
    3. Account Setup
      1. Add logo
      2. Customize company Hostname/URL    
      3. Add company name
      4. Post agreement URL redirect
    4. Signature Preferences
      1. Well formatted signatures
      2. Allow recipients to sign by
      3. Signers can change their name
      4. Allow recipients to use their saved signature
      5. Custom Terms of Use and Consumer Disclosure
      6. Navigate recipients through form fields
      7. Decline to sign
      8. Allow Stamps workflows
      9. Require signers to provide their Title or Company
      10. Allow signers to print and place a written signature
      11. Show messages when e-signing
      12. Require signers to use a mobile device to create their signature
      13. Request IP address from signers
      14. Exclude company name and title from participation stamps
    5. Digital Signatures
      1. Overview
      2. Download and sign with Acrobat
      3. Sign with Cloud Signatures
      4. Include metadata for Identity Providers
      5. Restricted Cloud Signatures Providers
    6. Electronic Seals
    7. Digital Identity
      1. Digital Identity Gateway
      2. Identity Check policy
    8. Report Settings
      1. New report experience
      2. Classic report settings
    9. Security Settings
      1. Single Sign-on settings
      2. Remember-me settings
      3. Login password policy
      4. Login password strength
      5. Web session duration
      6. PDF encryption type
      7. API
      8. User and group info access
      9. Allowed IP Ranges
      10. Account Sharing
      11. Account sharing permissions
      12. Agreement sharing controls
      13. Signer identity verification
      14. Agreement signing password
      15. Document password strength
      16. Block signers by Geolocation
      17. Phone Authentication
      18. Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA)
      19. Allow page extraction
      20. Document link expiration
      21. Upload a client certificate for webhooks/callbacks
      22. Timestamp
    10. Send settings
      1. Show Send page after login
      2. Require recipient name when sending
      3. Lock name values for known users
      4. Allowed recipient roles
      5. Allow e-Witnesses
      6. Recipient groups
      7. Required fields
      8. Attaching documents
      9. Field flattening
      10. Modify Agreements
      11. Agreement name
      12. Languages
      13. Private messages
      14. Allowed signature types
      15. Reminders
      16. Signed document password protection
      17. Send Agreement Notification through
      18. Signer identification options
        1. Overview
        2. Signing password
        3. One-Time Password via Email
        4. Acrobat Sign authentication
        5. Phone authentication
        6. Cloud-based digital signature
        7. Knowledge-based authentication
        8. Government ID
        9. Signer Identity reports
      19. Content Protection
      20. Enable Notarize transactions
      21. Document Expiration
      22. Preview, position signatures, and add fields
      23. Signing order
      24. Liquid mode
      25. Custom workflow controls
      26. Upload options for the e-sign page
      27. Post-sign confirmation URL redirect
    11. Message Templates
    12. Bio-Pharma Settings
      1. Overview
      2. Enforce identity authentication
      3. Signing reasons
    13. Workflow Integration
    14. Notarization Settings
    15. Payments Integration
    16. Signer Messaging
    17. SAML Settings
      1. SAML Configuration
      2. Install Microsoft Active Directory Federation Service
      3. Install Okta
      4. Install OneLogin
      5. Install Oracle Identity Federation
    18. Data Governance
    19. Time Stamp Settings
    20. External Archive
    21. Account Languages
    22. Email Settings
      1. Email header/footer images
      2. Permit individual user email footers
      3. Customize the Signature Requested email
      4. Customize the To and CC fields
      5. Enable Linkless Notifications
      6. Customize email templates
    23. Migrating from echosign.com to adobesign.com
    24. Configure Options for Recipients
  4. Guidance for regulatory requirements
    1. Accessibility
      1. Accessibility Compliance
      2. Create accessible forms with Acrobat desktop
      3. Create accessible AcroForms
    2. HIPAA
    3. GDPR
      1. GDPR Overview
      2. Redact a user
      3. Redact a user's agreements    
    4. 21 CFR part 11 and EudraLex Annex 11
      1. 21 CRF part 11 validation pack
      2. 21 CFR and EudraLex Annex 11 handbook
      3. Analysis of shared responsibilities
    5. Healthcare customers
    6. IVES support
    7. "Vaulting" agreements
    8. EU/UK considerations
      1. EU/UK Cross-border transactions and eIDAS
      2. HMLR requirements for deeds signed electronically
      3. The impact of Brexit on e-signature laws in the UK
  5. Download Agreements in Bulk
  6. Claim your domain 
  7. Report Abuse links

Send, Sign, and Manage Agreements

  1. Recipient Options
    1. Cancel an email reminder
    2. Options on the e-signing page
      1. Overview of the e-sign page
      2. Open to read the agreement without fields
      3. Decline to sign an agreement
      4. Delegate signing authority
      5. Restart the agreement
      6. Download a PDF of the agreement
      7. View the agreement history
      8. View the agreement messages
      9. Convert from an electronic to a written signature
      10. Convert from a written to an electronic signature 
      11. Navigate the form fields
      12. Clear the data from the form fields
      13. E-sign page magnification and navigation
      14. Change the language used in the agreement tools and information
      15. Review the Legal Notices
      16. Adjust Acrobat Sign Cookie Preferences
  2. Send Agreements  
    1. Send page overview
    2. Send an agreement only to yourself
    3. Send an agreement to others
    4. Written Signatures
    5. Recipient signing order
    6. Send in Bulk
      1. Overview of the Send in Bulk feature
      2. Send in Bulk - Configure a parent template
      3. Send in Bulk - Configure the CSV file
      4. Cancel a Send in Bulk transaction
      5. Add reminders to Send in Bulk
      6. Reporting for Send in Bulk
  3. Authoring fields into documents
    1. In-app authoring environment
      1. Automatic field detection
      2. Drag and drop fields using the authoring environment
      3. Assign form fields to recipients
      4. The Prefill role
      5. Apply fields with a reusable field template
      6. Transfer fields to a new library template
      7. Updated authoring environment when sending agreements
    2. Create forms with text tags
    3. Create forms using Acrobat (AcroForms)
      1. AcroForm creation
      2. Creating accessible PDFs
    4. Fields
      1. Field types
        1. Common field types
        2. In-line Images
        3. Stamp Images
      2. Field content appearance
      3. Field validations
      4. Masked fields values
      5. Setting show/hide conditions
      6. Calculated fields 
    5. Authoring FAQ
  4. Sign Agreements
    1. Sign agreements sent to you
    2. Fill & Sign
    3. Self-signing
  5. Manage Agreements
    1. Manage page overview
    2. Delegate agreements
    3. Replace Recipients
    4. Limit Document Visibility 
    5. Cancel an Agreement 
    6. Create new reminders
    7. Review reminders
    8. Cancel a reminder
    9. Access Power Automate flows
    10. More Actions...
      1. How search works
      2. View an agreement
      3. Create a template from an agreement
      4. Hide/Unhide agreements from view
      5. Upload a signed agreement
      6. Modify a sent agreement's files and fields
      7. Edit a recipient's authentication method
      8. Add or modify an expiration date
      9. Add a Note to the agreement
      10. Share an individual agreement
      11. Unshare an agreement
      12. Download an individual agreement
      13. Download the individual files of an agreement
      14. Download the Audit Report of an agreement
      15. Download the field content of an agreement
  6. Audit Report
  7. Reporting and Data exports
    1. Overview
    2. Grant users access to reporting
    3. Report charts
      1. Create a new report
      2. Agreement Reports
      3. Transaction Reports
      4. Settings Activity Report
      5. Edit a report
    4. Data Exports 
      1. Create a new data export
      2. Edit a data export
      3. Refresh the data export content
      4. Download the data export
    5. Rename a report/export
    6. Duplicate a report/export
    7. Schedule a report/export
    8. Delete a report/export
    9. Check Transaction Usage

Advanced Agreement Capabilities and Workflows

  1. Webforms 
    1. Create a web form
    2. Edit a web form
    3. Disable/Enable a web form
    4. Hide/Unhide a web form
    5. Find the URL or script code 
    6. Prefill web form fields with URL parameters
    7. Save a web form to complete later
    8. Resize a web form
  2. Reusable Templates (Library templates) 
    1. US Government forms in the Acrobat Sign library
    2. Create a library template
    3. Change a library template's name
    4. Change a library template's type
    5. Change a library template's permission level
    6. Copy, edit, and save a shared template
    7. Download the aggregate field data for a library template
  3. Transfer ownership of web forms and library templates
  4. Power Automate Workflows 
    1. Overview of the Power Automate integration and included entitlements
    2. Enable the Power Automate integration
    3. In-Context Actions on the Manage page
    4. Track Power Automate usage
    5. Create a new flow (Examples)
    6. Triggers used for flows
    7. Importing flows from outside Acrobat Sign
    8. Manage flows
    9. Edit flows
    10. Share flows
    11. Disable or Enable flows
    12. Delete flows
    13. Useful Templates
      1. Administrator only
        1. Save all completed documents to SharePoint
        2. Save all completed documents to OneDrive for Business
        3. Save all completed documents to Google Drive
        4. Save all completed documents to DropBox
        5. Save all completed documents to Box
      2. Agreement archival
        1. Save your completed documents to SharePoint
        2. Save your completed documents to One Drive for Business
        3. Save your completed documents to Google Drive
        4. Save your completed documents to DropBox
        5. Save your completed documents to Box
      3. Webform agreement archival
        1. Save completed web form documents to SharePoint Library
        2. Save completed web form documents to OneDrive for Business
        3. Save completed   documents to Google Drive
        4. Save completed web form documents to Box
      4. Agreement data extraction
        1. Extract form field data from your signed document and update Excel sheet
      5. Agreement notifications
        1. Send custom email notifications with your agreement contents and signed agreement
        2. Get your Adobe Acrobat Sign notifications in a Teams Channel
        3. Get your Adobe Acrobat Sign notifications in Slack
        4. Get your Adobe Acrobat Sign notifications in Webex
      6. Agreement generation
        1. Generate document from Power App form and Word template, send for signature
        2. Generate agreement from Word template in OneDrive, and get signature
        3. Generate agreement for selected Excel row, send for review and signature
  5. Custom Send workflows
    1. Custom Send Workflow Overview
    2. Creating a new Send Workflow
    3. Edit a Send Workflow
    4. Activate or Deactivate a Send Workflow
    5. Send an agreement with a Send Workflow
  6. Share users and agreements
    1. Share a user
    2. Share agreements

Integrate with other products

  1.  Acrobat Sign integrations overview 
  2. Acrobat Sign for Salesforce
  3. Acrobat Sign for Microsoft
    1. Acrobat Sign for Microsoft 365
    2. Acrobat Sign for Outlook
    3. Acrobat Sign for Word/PowerPoint
    4. Acrobat Sign for Teams
    5. Acrobat Sign for Microsoft PowerApps and Power Automate
    6. Acrobat Sign Connector for Microsoft Search
    7. Acrobat Sign for Microsoft Dynamics 
    8. Acrobat Sign for Microsoft SharePoint 
  4. Other Integrations
    1. Acrobat Sign for ServiceNow
    2. Acrobat Sign for HR ServiceNow
    3. Acrobat Sign for SAP SuccessFactors
    4. Acrobat Sign for Workday
    5. Acrobat Sign for NetSuite
    6. Acrobat Sign for VeevaVault
    7. Acrobat Sign for Coupa BSM Suite
  5. Partner managed integrations
  6. How to obtain an integration key

Acrobat Sign Developer

  1. REST APIs 
    1. Methods documentation
    2. SDK/Developer Guide
    3. API FAQ    
  2. Webhooks 
    1. Webhook overview
    2. Configure a new webhook
    3. View or edit a webhook
    4. Deactivate or reactivate a webhook
    5. Delete a webhook
    6. Two-way SSL certificates
    7. Webhooks in the API

Support and Troubleshooting

  1. Customer Support Resources 
  2. Enterprise Customer Success Resources 

Content Protection enables authentication-based security to view the contents of completed agreements.

Overview

Content Protection applies an authentication-based security layer to view an agreement after it has been completed. This protection applies to all agreements regardless of how they were created (through the user interface, REST API, SOAP API, Send in Bulk, Custom Workflows, etc. Every agreement is in scope.)

Protection can be applied passively by enabling the inherited protection method. When enabled, all agreements sent from the enabled group must pass an authentication challenge before they can be viewed.

Additionally, senders can be empowered to explicitly configure their agreement to apply protection or not. This method embeds the configuration into the metadata of the agreement and can not be modified once the agreement is sent.

When trying to view an agreement with protection enabled, the participant is challenged to authenticate, either by using the original authentication method or optionally using a one-time password delivered to the participant's email address.

Supported authentication types:

  • Adobe Acrobat Sign authentication
  • Password
  • Phone authorization
  • OTP via Email (OTPvEM)
  • Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) (with required name enabled)

Unsupported authentication types:

  • None (Email)
  • Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) (without required name enabled)
  • Government ID
  • Digital Identity 
Note:

Unsupported authentication methods use the OTP via Email fallback method when enabled.

How it's used

There are two methods by which content protection can be applied to an agreement:

  • Inherited protection allows the group-level setting (whether explicitly set or inherited from the account) to dictate the content protection value for all agreements sent from the group. Changing the setting immediately impacts if viewing the agreement is subject to the content protection authentication challenge. 
  • Embedded protection requires the user to explicitly choose if content protection should be embedded into the transaction metadata. The protection values are immutable once the agreement is sent. Inherited protection values don't impact agreements that have embedded the content protection defined. 

Both application methods have controls to discretely enable or disable internal and external participants.

  • Internal participants are defined as any participant (as identified by their email) who is within the authority of the Acrobat Sign account. If the email is on your user list, they are internal.
  • External participants include every email that isn't an internal participant.

The authentication method used to grant access to view the agreement is based on the original authentication method used during the signature process.

To overcome issues like participants with no authentication method, unsupported authentication methods, and CC'd parties, there is an option to enable the Email One-Time Password via Email authentication method as an alternative vehicle to grant access. This option requires the participant to access their email, retrieve a passcode, and enter it in the challenge field.

Caution:

If content protection is enabled, and the alternative Email One Time Password authentication method is not enabled, participants that use KBA, Government ID, or don't have an authentication method will receive a message that they cannot access the agreement.

This includes CC'd parties and anyone to whom the agreement is shared.

For recipients with a defined signature authentication method, the experience changes depending on that method:

  • Password, Phone, and Acrobat Sign authentication methods use the same method (leveraging the same password and phone number).
  • OTP via Email, Knowledge-Based Authentication, and Government ID leverage the OTP via Email method (provided it's enabled). 
    • If OTP via Email is disabled, then an error is presented, and the participant is denied a view of the agreement.

Configuration

Availability:

Content Protection is available for enterprise license plans only.

Configuration scope:

The feature can be enabled at the account and group levels.

The controls for this feature can be assessed by navigating to Account Settings > Send Settings > Content Protection 

The Send Settings page with the Content Protection controls highlighted

The configurable options are:

The inherited protection controls are defined at the group level and apply to all agreements that don't have embedded content protection defined by the sender.

One control exists for internal users, and a separate control exists for external users. Depending on your agreement strategy, one, both, or neither control can be enabled.

When configuring the controls, a challenge window appears to ensure that you want to enforce content protection. This type of protection is predicated on the control being enabled and is not a persistent form of protection should the control be disabled.

foo

Note:

Once enabled, inherited content protection applies to all new and existing agreements.

When a participant attempts to view an agreement without embedded protection, the relevant control (internal or external) is referenced in real-time to determine if a challenge is required.  When authentication is required, the participant is presented with a challenge page to complete the authentication process.  Once the challenge is successfully completed, the agreement is presented.

If the challenge is unsuccessful, the participant can try again, up to the number of failed attempts allowed. 

If the participant fails to authenticate more than the failure threshold allows, they are presented with an error message and are blocked from trying again for 24 hours.

The error message presented when the agreement challenge is failed too many times in one day.

Successfully authenticating to view the agreement is also limited to a configurable number of times per 24-hour period.

Any attempt to view an agreement more than the defined number of times presents an error message:

The error message presented when the agreement is viewed too many times in one day.

The error message is the same as the threshold for the number of successful views of the agreement. This is an intentional security measure.

Embedded protection requires that the sender configure the protection when the agreement is configured. One control exists for internal users, and a separate control exists for external users. Depending on your agreement strategy, one, both, or neither control can be enabled.

When enabling embedded protection for internal or external participants, a challenge is presented to ensure that you want to add this configuration to the sender's composition process and that you understand that whatever the sender configures is persistent for the agreement's lifetime. There is no option to add or remove this protection at a later date.

foo

With embedded content protection enabled, a required drop-down field is inserted into the classic Send page for each control that is enabled.  The sender must select Enabled or Disabled for each drop-down.

Failure to select an option triggers an error when the sender attempts to send the agreement.

The Send page highlighting the Content Protection fields.

Note:

If an agreement has defined the embedded protection as Disabled, content protection is denied, even if the inherited protection is enabled. 

The setting defined in the agreement metadata is the absolute truth.

When a participant attempts to view an agreement, the agreement metadata is referenced to determine if an authentication check is required. If authentication is required, the participant is presented with a challenge page to complete the authentication process. Once the challenge is successfully completed, the agreement is shown.

If the challenge is unsuccessful, the participant can try again, up to the number of failed attempts allowed. 

If the participant fails to authenticate more than the failure threshold allows, they are presented with an error message and are blocked from trying again for 24 hours.

The error message presented when the agreement challenge is failed too many times in one day.

Successfully authenticating to view the agreement is also limited to a configurable number of times per 24-hour period.

Any attempt to view an agreement more than the defined number of times presents an error message:

The error message presented when the agreement is viewed too many times in one day.

The error message is the same as the threshold for the number of successful views of the agreement. This is an intentional security measure.

The option to use an alternate authentication method is strongly encouraged unless you intend to utterly deny CC'd parties and you don't believe that there are any agreements with no authentication.

Enabling content protection will deny all attempts to view the agreement by anyone who has no authentication method available (including everyone using Email as a type of authentication).

The Email OTP is a free service with no discernable downside when enabled.

The Email OTP challenge with the subsequent email containing the code to satisfy the challenge.

When Email OTP is not enabled, and participants with no authentication attempt to view the agreement, an error is returned:

The error code whe Email OTP is disabled and recipients with no authentication method attempt to view the agreement

Note:

This threshold setting only applies to the  One-Time Password via Email, Knowledge-Based Authentication, and Phone authentication methods. 

This setting defines the number of times an individual participant can access the agreement before they are locked out of the agreement for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, the participant can access the content again, up to the number of successful authentications defined.

When a user exceeds the access threshold, they are presented with an error banner:

The error message presented when the agreement is viewed too many times in one day.

Note:

This threshold setting only applies to the  One-Time Password via Email, Knowledge-Based Authentication, and Phone authentication methods. 

This setting defines the number of times an individual participant can fail to authenticate before they are locked out of the agreement for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, the participant can attempt to access the content again, up to the number of failed attempts defined.

When a user exceeds the failed attempts threshold, they are presented with an error banner:

The error message presented when the authentication method is failed too many times in one day.

The error message is the same as the threshold for the number of successful views of the agreement. This is an intentional security measure.

Best practices

It is strongly recommended that you enable One-Time Password via Email authentication if you intend to use content protection. There are agreement participants who don't have authentication methods. This free service allows an option for them to view the agreement with very little demand on their time or understanding of the process.

Most enterprise customers can likely benefit from the inherited content protection method.

  • Vetting the participant's access to the agreement, even when no authentication was initially required, is generally a good idea. It offers little friction to the participant and provides security when a viewing link is accidentally forwarded in an email.
  • Inherited protection also has the advantage of being dynamically applied, meaning if something breaks a downstream process, the setting can be turned off, and there's no persistent damage.
  • Customers who employ authentication methods like password and phone authentication must contend with the password and phone number long term. Being able to turn off content protection provides a method of access when phone numbers change, or passwords are forgotten.

Requiring a sender to configure the embedded content protection should be carefully considered. There are certainly some processes that demand this granular level of control, but keep in mind that:

  • Every agreement sent from the group must be configured explicitly by the sender; this adds process and invites eventual human error.
  • There is no option to define the default values. Senders must explicitly configure the enabled drop-downs.
  • Embedded content protection has no method to be changed after the agreement is sent.
  • Using phone and password authentication methods presents the opportunity to be locked out from viewing the agreement if the password is lost or the phone number is changed. 

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