When a signature is too much, ask for an approval
Not every yes needs a handwritten-style signature. A sales manager okaying a discount, a client approving the final artwork, a homeowner agreeing to a revised schedule. For these, an Approve button is quicker for them and clearer on the record: it says exactly what they did.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
What an approval is in SignMaster
Approve is a field you place on the document, like a signature field. The person sees a button on the page instead of a signature box. When they tap it, SignMaster asks them to confirm, telling them that approving records their agreement the same as a signature, and then prints Approved by and their name with the date and time in that spot.
There's no separate approver type of person. Whoever gets the approve field is a signer like any other: they get the email, the private link, the consent step and the reminders. What changes is what they do on the page.
Where approvals fit
- Internal sign-off firstWith a signing order, a manager approves the price on turn one, and the customer only receives the contract once it's approved.
- Design and print proofsSend the proof as a PDF with an approve field under it. The approval and its time are on record before you print 5,000 copies.
- Change ordersA homeowner approves a revised scope or price on a change order without a fresh signature on every page.
- Timesheets and reportsA client approves the hours or the inspection report you did for them, with one tap on their phone.
Set it up
- 1
Add the person as a signer
In the recipients step, add them with Needs to sign, in the right place in the signing order.
- 2
Place an Approve field
Drag Approve from the field list to where the approval belongs, often next to the total or under the proof, and assign it to that person.
- 3
Leave it required
A required approval counts as that person's signature step, so you don't also need a signature field for them. Every signer needs at least one required signature, initials, stamp or approval before you can send.
- 4
Offer a way to say no
Place a Decline field next to it if you want the choice to be obvious. Signers can always decline from the menu too.
What the record shows
The signed PDF shows Approved by, the person's name and the time where the field was. The certificate of completion lists the approval in that signer's summary with the same evidence as any signature: their email, IP address, browser, when they opened the document and the e-signature consent they accepted.
Is an approval as binding as a signature? US law treats an electronic signature broadly, as a sound, symbol or process adopted with the intent to sign, and the confirmation step makes that intent plain. Whether a particular document needs more is a question for your lawyer; are electronic signatures legal covers the basics.
Questions? Answers.
Can one person approve and another sign on the same document?
Yes. Give each person their own fields: an approve field for one, signature fields for the other. A signing order decides who goes first.
Does the approver need an account?
No. Like any signer, they open a private link on any phone or computer and tap Approve.
What if they don't approve?
They can decline with a reason, which closes the envelope and tells you why. You can then fix the document and send a new one.
Can I place approve fields on a template?
Yes. Put the field on the template role, and every envelope made from it asks that role to approve.