Terminology
This glossary defines the key terms used throughout Propper Sign and its documentation. If you are new to Sign, start with the Overview to see how these concepts fit together.
Core concepts
Agreement — A signing transaction that holds the document, the recipients, and a complete record of every action taken. You create an agreement each time you need to collect signatures or approvals. Sign tracks the agreement through a defined lifecycle — from draft through to completion or resolution. See Agreements for details.
Template — A reusable document blueprint with tags pre-placed and recipient roles already defined. Create a template once, then send it as many times as needed without repositioning tags each time. Recipient roles in a template (such as "Contractor" or "Manager") are placeholders you fill with real names and email addresses when sending. See Templates for details.
Tag — An interactive field placed on a document that a recipient fills in or signs. Tags define what each recipient must complete — a signature block, a text field, a checkbox, and so on. The term "tag" matches what you see in the template editor UI. See Tag types for the full reference.
Document — The PDF file attached to a template or agreement. A document serves as the underlying canvas on which tags are placed.
Recipient — Any person or party added to an agreement. A recipient's role determines what action, if any, they must take. Recipients may need to sign, approve, witness, or simply receive a copy.
Sender — The person who creates and sends an agreement. The sender is responsible for configuring recipients, placing tags, and initiating the signing process.
Role — A label that defines what a recipient is expected to do within an agreement. In a template, roles are abstract (for example, "Client") and become concrete recipients when you send an agreement. See Recipient roles for the complete reference.
Agreement statuses
An agreement moves through a series of statuses as recipients act on it. Understanding these statuses helps you track progress and take the right action at the right time.
Created — The agreement has been prepared but not yet sent. You can still edit the agreement, add or remove recipients, and reposition tags while it is in this state.
Sent — Signing invitations have been dispatched to recipients. The agreement is active and awaiting action, but no recipient has opened their email yet.
Delivered — At least one recipient has opened their invitation email. The agreement is in progress at the delivery stage.
In Progress — At least one recipient has begun viewing or acting on the agreement. Signing is underway.
Completed — All required recipients have finished their actions. The agreement is finalized and no further changes are possible. A tamper-evident audit certificate is attached to the document.
Voided — The sender canceled the agreement before it reached completion. Voided agreements preserve their audit trail but cannot be resumed. A new agreement must be sent if signatures are still required.
Expired — The agreement's expiration date passed before all required actions were completed. Like voided agreements, expired agreements preserve their audit trail but remain unsigned.
Declined — A recipient refused to sign or act on the agreement. When a recipient declines, the agreement cannot proceed. You can view the reason for declination in the audit trail.
Recipient roles
Each recipient in an agreement is assigned a role that determines the action required of them.
Signer — Must complete all required tags assigned to them. An agreement cannot reach the Completed status until every signer finishes. This is the most common role.
Carbon Copy — Receives a copy of the agreement for their records. No action is required. Carbon copy recipients are notified when the agreement reaches certain milestones, such as when it is sent and when it is completed.
Certified Delivery — Receives the agreement with tracked delivery confirmation. The system records when this recipient views the document, but no signature is required.
In-Person Signer — Signs the document in person on a shared device that the sender hosts. The sender facilitates the session and hands the device to the in-person signer when it is their turn.
Approver — Must review and approve the agreement before it can continue. Approval does not require a signature — the recipient simply confirms they accept the document as presented.
Editor — Can edit the agreement before signing proceeds. Editors are typically used in workflows where the document content may need adjustment by a recipient before other parties sign.
Witness — Observes and attests to the signing of another recipient. Witnesses are used in legal workflows where a third party must confirm that a signature was made.
Notary — Notarizes the document as part of the signing workflow. Used in Remote Online Notarization (RON) and similar regulated processes.
Intermediary — Receives the agreement and then routes or forwards it. Intermediaries act as a relay point in complex signing chains.
Agent — Acts on behalf of another signer. Agents are used when one party has legal authority to sign for another, such as a power of attorney arrangement.
See Recipient roles for configuration details on each role.
Tag types
Tags are placed on a document to define where and what each recipient must complete.
Signature — Captures the recipient's legally binding signature. Recipients can sign by typing, drawing, or uploading an image of their signature. A signature tag is the most common required tag in any agreement.
Initial — Captures the recipient's initials. Used to acknowledge specific pages or clauses without a full signature.
Text — A free-form text input field. Use text tags to collect information such as names, addresses, or any other written content from a recipient.
Number — A numeric input field. Accepts only numeric values and can be used for quantities, amounts, or other numeric data.
Date — A date picker input for recipients to select or enter a date. Use this tag when you need the recipient to provide a specific date, such as a start date or agreement date.
Checkbox — A single checkbox that a recipient toggles on or off. Use checkboxes for acknowledgements, opt-ins, or any binary yes/no selection.
Radio — A group of mutually exclusive options. The recipient selects exactly one option from the group. Use radio tags when the recipient must choose between distinct alternatives.
Dropdown — A list of predefined options from which the recipient selects one. Dropdowns keep responses consistent and reduce free-text errors.
Attachment — A file upload field. The recipient uploads a document or image as part of their response. Use attachment tags to collect supporting documents, photos, or other files.
Auto-fill: Name — Automatically populated with the recipient's full name from their profile. No recipient input is required.
Auto-fill: Email — Automatically populated with the recipient's email address. No recipient input is required.
Auto-fill: Date — Automatically populated with the date on which the recipient signs. No recipient input is required. This tag is commonly used in place of a manual date input to capture the actual signing date.
Auto-fill: Title — Automatically populated with the recipient's job title from their profile. No recipient input is required.
Auto-fill: Company — Automatically populated with the recipient's company name from their profile. No recipient input is required.
Formula — A calculated value derived from the values of other tags. Formulas let you display computed results — such as totals or derived dates — without requiring recipient input.
See Tag types for a full reference including configuration options, validation rules, and conditional logic.
Signing modes
The signing mode determines the order in which recipients act on an agreement.
Sequential — Recipients complete the agreement one at a time in a defined order. The next recipient is not notified until the previous one finishes. Use sequential signing when the order of signatures matters — for example, when a manager must approve before an employee signs.
Parallel — All recipients are notified simultaneously and can complete the agreement in any order. The agreement is complete when all required recipients have acted, regardless of who finishes first. Use parallel signing to minimize turnaround time.
Bulk — A single template is sent to a large list of recipients, creating a separate independent agreement for each recipient. Each recipient receives and signs their own copy without seeing the others. Use bulk send for situations such as company-wide policy acknowledgements or mass consent collection. See Bulk send for setup instructions.
Authentication methods
Authentication methods verify a recipient's identity before they can access the signing experience. Each recipient can be configured with an independent authentication method.
None — No additional verification is required beyond the secure link delivered to the recipient's email address. Suitable for low-risk or internal workflows.
Email OTP — A one-time passcode is sent to the recipient's email address. The recipient must enter the code before accessing the document. Provides a second layer of verification on top of the signing link.
SMS OTP — A one-time passcode is sent to the recipient's mobile phone number via SMS. The recipient must enter the code before accessing the document. Requires a phone number to be configured for the recipient.
TOTP — Time-based one-time password. The recipient uses an authenticator app (such as Google Authenticator or Authy) to generate a time-limited code. Suitable for recipients who already use TOTP-based multi-factor authentication.
Access Code — The sender sets a static passphrase that the recipient must enter before accessing the document. The sender is responsible for communicating this code to the recipient through a separate channel (for example, by phone or in person).
Identity Provider — Authentication is delegated to an external identity provider configured in your organization's settings. The recipient signs in through the identity provider's own authentication flow before accessing the document. See Identity verification for configuration details.