If you’re sick of chasing signatures by email or digging through your inbox for the latest signed contract, you’re not alone. Automating signature workflows isn’t glamorous, but it’ll save you hours of hassle every week. This guide is for anyone who wants to set up document signing in Adobesign so it mostly runs itself—no technical wizardry required.
Let’s cut the fluff and get into what actually works.
Why automate signatures in the first place?
- No more manual follow-ups: Set it and (mostly) forget it.
- Fewer mistakes: Automations mean less chance of missing a required field or sending the wrong doc.
- Track everything: See who signed, who didn’t, and where things are stuck.
- Audit trails: Easy compliance if you ever need to prove who signed what, when.
But let’s be real: Automating isn’t magic. If your templates are messy or your workflow is convoluted, automation will just make the mess happen faster. So start simple.
Step 1: Get your Adobesign ducks in a row
Before you automate anything, make sure you have:
- An Adobesign account: You’ll need a paid plan for most automation features.
- Template-ready documents: PDFs or Word docs work fine. Make sure they’re up to date—automation can’t fix outdated contracts.
- A list of signers: Know who needs to sign, in what order, and whether they’re internal or external.
Pro tip: If your process changes a lot, don’t hard-code people’s names into templates. Use role placeholders like “Sales Rep” or “Client.”
Step 2: Create reusable document templates
Templates are the backbone of automation. If you skip this, you’ll just be sending out the same doc manually over and over.
- Go to the Templates section in Adobesign.
- Upload your document.
- Add form fields:
- Drag and drop signature, name, date, and other required fields.
- Assign each field to a role (“Signer 1,” “Manager,” etc.).
- Save as a template. Give it a clear, specific name—future you will thank you.
Don’t overcomplicate it: Start with your most common document (like an NDA or contract) and automate that first.
Step 3: Set up your workflow in Adobesign
Workflows are where the automation magic happens. They control who gets what, in what order, and what happens next.
- Go to Account > Workflow Designer.
- Create a new workflow:
- Name it after the business process (e.g., “New Hire Onboarding”).
- Add your template: Choose the template you created earlier.
- Define participant roles:
- Set up who signs first, second, etc.
- You can add extra steps like reviews or approvals if needed.
- Configure options:
- Set reminders for signers (daily, weekly, or custom).
- Set an expiration date if signatures are time-sensitive.
- Choose if the workflow should send copies to others (like HR).
- Save and test the workflow.
What works: Sequential signing (one after the other) keeps things clean. Parallel signing (everyone at once) sounds fast but can get messy if someone misses a field.
Step 4: Automate sending documents
Now you want the system to send documents automatically—either triggered by an event (like a new employee in HR software) or on a schedule.
Option A: Use Adobesign’s built-in automation tools
- Bulk Send: Upload a list of recipients (CSV) and send the same doc to everyone. Good for annual policy sign-offs or mass updates.
- Reminders and Notifications: Set these up in the workflow and let Adobesign nag people so you don’t have to.
Option B: Integrate with other tools
If you’re using tools like Salesforce, Workday, or Microsoft Power Automate, you can connect Adobesign to trigger workflows automatically.
- Salesforce/Workday: Use the pre-built Adobesign integrations to send contracts directly from those platforms.
- Zapier/Power Automate: Set up a “zap” or flow to send documents when a trigger happens (e.g., a new row in a Google Sheet).
Heads up: Integrations sound great, but they’re only worth it if you’re sending a decent volume or have complex processes. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time setting them up than you’ll save.
Step 5: Track, manage, and troubleshoot
Automation doesn’t mean you can ignore the process. Here’s how to keep things on track:
- Check the Dashboard: See at a glance what’s out for signature, what’s overdue, and what’s done.
- Follow up manually if needed: Some people ignore automated emails. A quick call can move things along.
- Resend or cancel: If someone lost the link or if you made a mistake, you can resend or void the document.
- Audit trails: Every signature is logged with timestamps—super handy for audits or legal questions.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to tweak your workflow. If people keep getting stuck at the same step, the process—not the tool—is probably the problem.
Step 6: Common pitfalls (and how to dodge them)
- Messy templates: If your fields aren’t labeled or mapped to the right roles, people will sign in the wrong place or skip fields.
- Over-automation: Just because you can automate every edge case doesn’t mean you should. Start with the 80% that matters.
- Notification overload: Too many reminders and CCs, and people just tune out.
- Integration headaches: Third-party integrations break more than you’d think. Test thoroughly before relying on them.
Step 7: Iterate, don’t over-optimize
Once your first workflow is running, watch how people actually use it. Are they confused? Is it taking too long? Does someone always forget to sign?
- Adjust templates: Add or remove fields based on feedback.
- Streamline roles: If you’re always skipping steps, maybe you don’t need them.
- Document the process: A one-pager for your team saves endless questions.
What to ignore: Fancy features you don’t need, like advanced authentication or digital seals, unless you’re in a highly regulated industry.
Summary: Keep it simple, fix it later
Automating signature workflows in Adobesign isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of upfront work to get right. Start with your most common document, build a clean template, set up a basic workflow, and see how it goes. Don’t try to automate every corner-case from day one. Watch, learn, and tweak as you go.
Remember: The goal is to make your life easier, not to build a Rube Goldberg machine for signatures. Start simple, automate the boring stuff, and spend your time on work that actually matters.