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Open your document in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Select Tools from the top menu.
Click Request E-signatures.
In the E-Sign tool menu, select Request E-signatures again if prompted.
Under Add Recipients, enter the email addresses of all signers in the order you want them to sign.
CautionRecipients will be notified and able to sign only in the order listed.
Ensure the Set signing order toggle is enabled (ON).
NoteIf this toggle is off, all recipients can sign in any order (parallel signing).
Click and drag recipients to rearrange their order if needed.
Click Next to continue setting up fields and sending the document.
Assign signature fields to each recipient as required.
Click Send to start the signing process in the specified order.
Best practiceIf you need multiple people to sign at the same step (e.g., a group), use 'recipient groups'—this allows any one member of the group to sign at their turn. (Adobe Sign user guide)
Acrobat Pro desktop app
| Signing Order Type | How it Works | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential | Signers receive the document one by one in a set order. | For approvals where one person must sign before the next, like a manager then a director. |
| Parallel | All signers receive the document at the same time. | When the order of signatures does not matter, and you want to get all signatures quickly. |
E-signature requests can fail for a few reasons. A common issue is a typo in the recipient's email address. Another reason is if an attached document needs a signature but you forgot to add a signature field to it. Also, sometimes the email from Adobe Sign might get caught by the recipient's spam filter, so it's good to check that.
Yes, you can automate sending documents for e-signature if you have many to send often. Adobe Acrobat offers an API called the Acrobat Sign API. This allows your systems to automatically create and send agreements. You would define the agreement details and the files, and the API handles the sending, which is great for large-scale operations.
Adding authentication to an e-signature request is important for security and to make sure the right person signs the document. For high-value agreements, using authentication like an email or SMS code means that only the intended signer can access and sign the document. This adds an extra layer of trust and legal proof to your e-signatures.