If you're tired of chasing down signatures or dealing with the endless back-and-forth of printing, signing, and scanning, this guide is for you. Whether you're a small business owner, freelancer, or part of a sales team, you want signatures that actually hold up—without wasting time or getting lost in legal gray areas. Here's a no-nonsense walkthrough for using Getaccept to collect legally binding e-signatures, from setup to successful sign-off.
The Basics: What Actually Makes an E-Signature Legal?
Before you even sign up for anything, let's clear up some confusion. Not all e-signature tools (or signatures) are created equal. For an electronic signature to be legally binding, it needs:
- Clear intent (the signer knows what they're doing)
- Consent (the signer agrees to use e-signing)
- A record of who signed what (and when)
- Tamper-evident audit trails
Getaccept checks these boxes. But—no tool is magic. If your contract is illegal or you’re skipping key steps, an e-signature won't save you in court. With that out of the way, let's get moving.
Step 1: Set Up Your Getaccept Account
First things first—sign up and get your basics in order.
- Create an account. You'll need an email and a password. No surprises here.
- Choose your plan. There's a free trial, but for legally binding signatures and serious features (like audit trails), you'll probably end up on a paid plan. Be honest about your needs.
- Set up your organization. Add your business details, logo, and team members. This matters—recipients see this info, and it’s part of the legal record.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate your setup. You can tweak branding, notification settings, and user permissions later. Start simple.
Step 2: Prepare Your Document
This is where most people mess up—by sending half-baked contracts or PDFs that can’t actually be signed.
- Pick a file format. PDFs are safest. Word docs work, but formatting can get weird.
- Review your document. Make sure it's finalized. E-signing a draft is pointless.
- Upload to Getaccept. Drag and drop, or use integrations (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). Don’t let integrations distract you—if you don’t use them already, just upload the file.
What to ignore: Getaccept offers templates, but unless you’re sending the same contract repeatedly, you don’t need these right away. Focus on getting one document signed, then worry about templates.
Step 3: Add Signers and Set Signing Order
Now it’s time to say who needs to sign. This is where you avoid “missing” signatures or legal headaches.
- List all signers. Enter full names and email addresses. Double-check spelling—typos here mean delays.
- Set the signing order (optional). If one person needs to sign before another (say, your CEO before the client), set the order. Otherwise, everyone can sign at once.
- Add CCs if needed. These people see the document but can’t sign it.
Honest take: Don’t go nuts with CCs or multiple signers unless you really need to. More people = more bottlenecks.
Step 4: Place Signature and Data Fields
This is where you tell Getaccept exactly what you need from each signer.
- Drag signature fields onto the doc. One for each signer, in the right spot.
- Add other fields as needed:
- Name
- Date
- Initials
- Text fields (for things like purchase order numbers)
- Assign each field to the right signer. Getaccept lets you color-code or tag fields by signer. Use this—otherwise, people will get confused about what’s theirs.
What works well: Getaccept’s field placement is straightforward. You see what the recipient will see.
What doesn’t: Don’t try to get fancy with conditional fields or automations unless you’ve tested them. Keep it basic at first.
Step 5: Write the Email Message
You can send a stock email (“Please sign this document”), but you’ll get better (and faster) results with a personal note.
- Subject line: Be clear and direct. “Please sign: [Document Name]”
- Message: Briefly explain what the doc is, why you’re sending it, and what to do next.
- Deadline: Give a realistic due date. If it’s urgent, say so—but don’t cry wolf.
Example:
Hi [Name],
Please review and sign this agreement so we can get started. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Ignore: Don’t waste time on fancy formatting or sales pitches in the signing request. People just want to know what they’re signing.
Step 6: Send and Track the Document
Time to hit send.
- Double-check everything. Look for missing fields, wrong email addresses, or typos.
- Send the doc. Recipients get an email with a secure link.
- Track progress in Getaccept. You can see who’s opened, viewed, or signed. If someone’s dragging their feet, send a reminder with one click.
Pro tip: Don’t harass signers with daily reminders. Once or twice is enough—after that, pick up the phone.
Step 7: Collect the Signature
Here’s what your recipient sees:
- Clicks the link (no account required)
- Reviews the document
- Fills in required fields (name, date, etc.)
- Clicks to sign (usually with a drawn or typed signature)
- Confirms and submits
Getaccept automatically timestamps the signature and locks the document. All changes are tracked.
What works: The process is simple for most people—no confusing downloads or logins.
What doesn’t: Some older browsers or super-strict company firewalls can cause issues. If your signer can’t open the link, send a PDF backup. But that’s rare.
Step 8: Download and Store the Signed Document
Once everyone’s signed:
- Getaccept notifies you (and the signer) by email. You can download the signed PDF.
- Audit trail: The signed copy includes a certificate showing who signed, when, and from what device/IP. This is what makes it legally binding.
- Store it safely. Getaccept keeps a copy, but don’t rely on any single tool—save it to your own system or cloud storage.
Pro tip: If you’re ever challenged on the legality, show the signed PDF with the audit trail. That’s what courts care about.
Step 9: Handle Rejections, Changes, or Mistakes
It happens: someone spots a typo, wants to negotiate, or just refuses to sign.
- If you need to edit: Cancel the original and resend. Don’t try to “patch” a signed document.
- If someone refuses to sign: Ask why. Sometimes it’s a misunderstanding. If not, move on.
- If you made a mistake: Own it, fix it, resend.
Ignore: Don’t waste time arguing about “wet ink” vs. e-signatures. Getaccept’s process is compliant with major laws (like ESIGN, UETA, and eIDAS). If your counterpart still wants a pen-and-paper signature, just print and mail it.
What to Watch Out For
- International deals: Some countries (and courts) are pickier about e-signatures. For big-money deals or government contracts, check with a lawyer.
- Super-sensitive docs: For things like wills or real estate in certain states, e-signatures might not fly. Know your use case.
- Automation rabbit holes: Getaccept has a ton of integrations and automations. They’re cool, but you don’t need them to get signatures. Start simple.
Wrapping Up
Getting legally binding e-signatures with Getaccept isn’t rocket science. The real trick is to keep your process simple, double-check your docs, and don’t let shiny features distract you from what matters: getting the signature, with a clear audit trail, and moving on.
Test your process with one or two deals before you roll it out company-wide. Fix what doesn’t work. Don’t stress about making it perfect—just make it work for you.
And remember: the best e-signature tool is the one that actually gets the job done, with less hassle, not more.