When a document needs more than one signature, you have to decide whether everyone gets it at once or one after another. It sounds like a detail, but it changes how fast the document comes back and, sometimes, who is bound to what and when. This guide explains the two approaches, where an approver fits in, and which order suits common documents.
Parallel signing: everyone at once
In parallel signing, every signer is invited at the same time and signs whenever they like, in any order. The document is complete when the last person signs.
Use it when the order does not matter: two co-founders signing a shareholders' agreement, both tenants signing a lease, three parents signing a consent form. It is the fastest option because nobody waits for anybody else, and it is the default in most e-signature tools, including Salsox.
Sequential signing: one after another
In sequential signing, also called signing order or routing order, the document goes to one person at a time. The second signer is invited only when the first has finished, and so on.
Use it when the order changes what people see or agree to:
- Approval before sending. A manager or legal reviewer should check a contract before the client sees it.
- Offer before acceptance. You want the other side to sign first, so you are not bound until they have agreed, then countersign.
- Information that builds up. The first person fills in details, such as a start date or delivery address, that the next person needs to see before signing.
The cost is time: each person waits for the one before. A signer who is on holiday holds up everyone after them, so keep sequences short and set reminders.
Mixing the two: several people at one step
Real documents are often a mix. Two business partners can sign at the same time, but only after a manager has approved the terms, and before your side countersigns. That is a sequence in which one step has two people in it.
Each step starts only when everyone in the step before it has signed. Within a step, people sign in parallel: both are invited together and either can go first. So the sequence keeps its order where it matters, without making two equal parties wait for each other.
Where approvers fit
Not everyone who needs to agree to a document has to sign it. An approver confirms the document is right, often someone inside your own business, without being a party to it. Placing an approver first in a sequence means the client never receives a document that has not been checked.
In Salsox you set this up in the editor's recipients step: give each person a role (signs, approves, views or gets a copy), tick Sign in order (one after another), and put people in order with the arrows. Each person is labelled with their step. To have someone sign alongside the person above them, tick Sign at the same time as step N on their card. A preview under the list shows the finished order:
Here Efua, a colleague, approves the supply agreement first. Then Kofi and Yaw, the client's two partners, sign at the same step, in whichever order suits them. Ama, who drafted it, countersigns once both have signed. Signing order and the approver role are on Salsox's Business plan; without it, everyone is invited at once.
Once the document is sent, its page shows the same order with each step marked done, current or waiting, and names who is next to sign.
Viewers and people who only get a copy are never part of the order: viewers can read the document, and copy recipients get the signed PDF at the end.
Common signing orders
| Document | Suggested order |
|---|---|
| Client contract or quote | Parallel if only the client signs; otherwise client first, you countersign |
| Contract needing internal sign-off | Approver, then client, then you |
| Employment offer | Hiring manager approves, candidate signs, HR or a director countersigns |
| Lease with two tenants | Both tenants at the same step, landlord last |
| Sales agreement with a deposit | Buyer first (paying the deposit at signing), seller countersigns |
| Consent or acknowledgement form | Parallel: each person signs their own copy |
For the sales agreement, our guide to what to include in a sales agreement covers the clauses and a free template.
Why "who signs first" can matter legally
In many legal systems, a signed contract is an offer and acceptance in writing. If you sign first, you may have made a binding offer the other side can accept by signing, even after circumstances change. Letting the other party sign first, then countersigning, means you are not bound until you have seen their signature and checked nothing was altered. For high-value agreements, ask your lawyer which order they prefer.
General information, not legal advice.
Tips for multi-signer documents
- Keep sequences short. Every step adds waiting time; only order the people who truly need it.
- Tell people they are in a sequence. A line in the message such as "Efua will review this first, then you'll receive your link" prevents confusion.
- Group equals together. Co-signers on the same side, such as two tenants or two partners, can share a step rather than wait for each other.
- Watch the status page. The document's page shows who has signed and who is next; reminders go out automatically every three days.
- Fix mistakes without restarting. A wrong email address can be corrected in place; the old link stops working.
For the full process from preparing the PDF to keeping the signed copy, see how to sign a contract online, and for designing approval steps inside a business, document approval workflows.
Set up your first sequence
Create a free account to send documents to several signers at once. Signing order and approvers are on the Business plan; see the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What is sequential signing?
Sequential signing sends a document to one signer at a time, in a set order. Each person is invited only after the previous one has finished.
What is parallel signing?
Parallel signing invites every signer at once, and they sign in any order. The document completes when the last one signs.
Which is faster?
Parallel, because nobody waits for anyone else. Use sequential only when the order matters, for example an approval before the client sees the document.
Can two people sign at the same step of a sequence?
Yes. In a sequential document, people can share a step: both are invited together, sign in either order, and the next step starts once both have signed.
Who should sign a contract first?
Usually the party receiving the offer, so the party who drafted it is not bound until the other side has agreed. The drafter countersigns last.