How to get several people to sign one document
When several people sign the same document, the old way is a relay: you sign, email it to the next person, wait for their scan, email it on. It's slow, and the copies multiply. The better way is one document that everyone signs from their own link, with the order decided up front. Here's how to set that up, including the cases people get stuck on.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
First decide the order
| Setup | How it plays out | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| In order | Each person gets their link when the one before them finishes. | Customer signs, then your manager countersigns |
| All at once | Everyone gets a link right away and signs in any order. | Board resolutions, team acknowledgments |
| Same turn | Within an ordered list, people with the same number sign together. | Two homeowners sign, then you sign last |
| Signer group | Any one of several people signs for the slot. | Whichever partner or manager is free |
The usual rule: whoever makes the offer signs last, after the other side has agreed. Your client signs a quote first, then you countersign; tenants sign a lease before the landlord.
Set it up in SignMaster
Everyone signs the same envelope: SignMaster's word for one send, with one or more documents going to one or more signers. Signers need no account.
- 1
Upload the document
Click New envelope and add the PDF. Several documents can go in the same envelope and be signed in one sitting.
- 2
Add every recipient
On Recipients & order, click Add recipient for each person and enter their name and email. Use Add me for yourself. Set each one's role: Needs to sign, Receives a copy or Can view.
- 3
Choose In order or All at once
Pick In order and drag people into the sequence. To let two people sign on the same turn, set the second one to Same turn as above. Or pick All at once.
- 4
Let a group share a slot, if needed
On a signer, choose Let any one of several people sign, name the group (Accounts, say) and add its members. The first one to sign completes the slot.
- 5
Give each person their own fields
On Fields, pick each person in turn and place their signature, initials, date signed and any text fields. Fields are colored by person, so overlaps are easy to spot.
- 6
Send
On Review & send, click Send for signature. If you're first in line, click Sign now afterward.
Someone in the room?
Mix in-person and remote signing freely. One spouse signs on your tablet with Sign in person while the other signs from a link at work. Both signatures land in the same envelope.
While it's out
- The envelope list shows progress like 2 of 3 signed, and each person's line on the envelope says Signed, Waiting to sign or Up next.
- Reminders go only to people whose turn it is and who haven't signed, on the schedule you set.
- If one person is unreachable, Replace signer hands their turn to someone else with a reason, kept on the record.
- If someone declines or asks for changes, the envelope closes for everyone; duplicate it as a draft, fix it and resend.
What everyone gets at the end
When the last signature is in, every signer and every copy recipient gets the same signed PDF by email. Its certificate of completion lists each signer with their email, IP address, browser and the time they viewed, consented and signed, so there's one authoritative copy instead of five slightly different scans.
Questions? Answers.
How do I get multiple people to sign a PDF?
Send it through an e-signature tool as one envelope with several signers. Each gets their own link and fields, and everyone receives the same signed copy at the end.
Can people sign at the same time?
Yes. Choose All at once, or within an ordered list put several people on the same turn. Their signatures all land on the same document.
What if only one of several managers needs to sign?
Use a signer group. Any one member can sign for the group's slot, and the others are told it's been signed.
Does each signer see what the others filled in?
Signers see the document with what's been completed before them. They can only fill their own fields.