Summary
Signature Requests sends a PDF for electronic signature and shows where every request stands. You upload the document to the Document Hub, add the people who must sign and the fields they complete, choose the signing order and send. Each signer is emailed a personal link and signs in a browser with no account. You follow progress by status, send reminders, check the audit trail and download the signed PDF with its certificate of completion.
Legal note: skillSYMS produces an ordinary electronic signature under section 13(2) of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act. It is not an advanced electronic signature. Where a law specifically requires a signature, or for documents the Act excludes, take legal advice before relying on it.
Who This Guide Is For
- Administrators and enrolment staff sending learner enrolment agreements and consent forms
- Operations managers sending workplace agreements to host employers
- Quality officers sending appointment letters and declarations
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- A role that can send signature requests (administrators, managers and quality officers usually can)
- The document as a PDF
- The name and email address of everyone who must sign, and the order they sign in
Tip: If Signature Requests is not in your menu, ask your administrator whether it is switched on for your workspace and included in your role.
Step 1: Upload the Document
Go to Learners → Documents → Document Hub (/sdp/documents) and create a document with the PDF
attached. Only documents with an uploaded PDF can be sent for signature.
Open the document and click Send for signature. This opens Signature Requests with the new request already pointed at that document.
You can also start from Operate → Documents & Signatures → Signature Requests (/sdp/esign) and
click New signature request.
Step 2: Create the Request
In New signature request:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Document | The PDF to sign. Pre-filled if you came from the Document Hub. |
| What to call this request | Defaults to the document title. Make it findable, e.g. the learner’s name and agreement type. |
| Message to recipients | Optional. Shown in the invitation email and on the signing page. |
| Signing order | Everyone at once, or One after another — for example, employer first and the provider counter-signing last. |
Click Create. The request opens as a Draft.
Step 3: Add Recipients
Under Recipients, click Add and complete Add a recipient:
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
| Full name and Email | The person’s name and the address their link is sent to. One person can appear once per request. |
| Role | Signer (must sign), Approver (must approve, places no signature), Witness (signs as witness), Copy only (emailed when complete, blocks nothing) |
| Order | Their step when signing one after another. Lower numbers sign first. |
| Identify by | Emailed link, or Link + access code |
| Job title | Optional. Printed on the certificate and used by the automatic job-title field. |
If you choose Link + access code, skillSYMS shows a six-character code once. Give it to the signer separately from the email, for example by phone. It cannot be shown again.
Step 4: Add Fields
Under Fields to complete, click Add and complete Add a field:
- Who fills it in — pick the recipient.
- Field — Signature, Initials, Free text, Tick box, or one of the automatic fields: Date signed, Full name and Job title, which skillSYMS fills in at signing.
- Page — the page number, counting from 1.
- Position — a preset such as Bottom right — signature or Below bottom right — date, or Custom… to enter X, Y, width and height as percentages of the page.
- Label and Required — optional label; untick Required for optional fields.
The Preview shows the proportions of the page and where the box will land. It does not show the page’s contents, so check the page number and position against the PDF itself.
Every Signer and Witness needs at least one Signature field, or the request cannot be sent.
Step 5: Send
Click Send. skillSYMS then:
- freezes the document and records its SHA-256 fingerprint;
- locks the recipients and fields, so they can no longer be changed;
- emails a personal signing link to each person who can act now (everyone, or the first step when signing one after another).
A panel titled Signing links — copy these now also appears. Use it only if a signer did not receive the email; the links are shown once.
Step 6: What the Signer Sees
The signer opens the link in any browser. They see the document, a list of the fields they must complete (with page numbers), and a consent statement. They draw or type their signature, tick the box agreeing to sign electronically, and click Sign this document. Or they click Decline to sign and give a reason.
When signing one after another, skillSYMS emails the next person automatically once the previous person has signed.
Step 7: Track and Follow Up
On Signature Requests, the tiles show:
| Tile | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Awaiting | Out for signature |
| Expiring soon | Out for signature and expiring within seven days |
| Overdue | Still out for signature after its expiry date — the links no longer work |
| Completed | Every required person has signed |
Use the Status filter to list Draft, Out for signature, Completed, Declined, Voided or Expired requests. Open a request to see each recipient: Not yet invited, Invited, Opened it, Signed or Declined.
To follow up, click Resend link beside an outstanding recipient. They receive a reminder email with a new link, and their previous link stops working.
Step 8: Verify the Audit Trail
The Audit trail panel lists every event in order. Click Verify audit trail to have skillSYMS recompute the chain. A green result reads Audit trail intact; a red one names altered or missing events.
Step 9: Download the Signed PDF
When the request is Completed, click Download signed PDF. The file has the signatures drawn where the fields were placed, followed by a certificate of completion. Everyone on the request, including Copy only recipients, is emailed that it is complete; the PDF itself is not attached.
Voiding a Request
Administrators can click Void on a request that is out for signature and give a reason. Every outstanding link stops working. A completed request cannot be voided — send a new one to supersede it. If a signer declines, the request ends automatically and the sender is emailed the reason.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- A field on the wrong page: the preview shows proportions, not content. Open the PDF and check the page number before sending.
- Sending to change a draft: once sent, recipients and fields are locked. Finish the draft first.
- Resending when the email is only delayed: Resend link replaces the old link. Anyone using the first email will find it no longer works.
- Waiting for automatic reminders: there are none yet. Check Expiring soon and use Resend link.
- Forgetting the access code: it is shown once. Note it before closing the message.
Verification Checklist
Before moving on, verify:
- The document is a PDF in the Document Hub
- Every Signer and Witness has a Signature field on the correct page
- The signing order matches who must sign first
- The request shows Out for signature after sending
- Verify audit trail reports the chain intact
- The signed PDF has been downloaded once the request is Completed
Next Steps
- Templates & Documents — Generating the documents you send
- Audit Trail & Compliance — The wider audit record
- POPIA & Data Handling — Handling signers’ personal information