Tip of the fortnight 4 - Best practices for building your e-signature workflow using forms

Tip of the fortnight 4 - Best practices for building your e-signature workflow using forms

Hello fellow form builders, 

It's another fortnight - ah, time flies, doesn't it! Recently, we rolled out our integration with Zoho Sign (read our announcement post here), and it can be incredibly useful in collecting secure e-signatures from your form respondents.

 
Getting your agreements, contracts, waivers, etc. legally bound through this e-signature workflow is easy, yet every use case needs a distinct workflow setup. That's why today, I want to share a few of the best practices you can follow to get your various deals signed hassle free!



Let's start by discussing the two types of signers your e-signature workflow can involve and the recipient setup that needs to configure for them. Assume a situation where the name and the email of one of the signers are known (say, the Landlord) whereas the other signer is your form respondent (say, the Tenant) whose name and email is not known until the form submission. For this, you need to configure the recipient details in both Zoho Sign and Zoho Forms. I'll break it down for you.
  • In the Zoho Sign template setup, enter the role, action, name and the email address of the Landlord. Add only the role and the action for the form respondent in the same setup when you create the template.


  • In the Zoho Forms integration setup, the landlord's details will be prefilled from the Zoho Sign's setup (Click the Recipient List to view this). Under the Recipient Details, choose the Tenant's Name and Email from the form fields and finish the remaining setup.



Get signatures automatically from verified respondents 

As discussed above, in the e-signature workflow using forms, the signer of the document can be a form respondent, a person of your organization, or even yourself. When you want to instantly send the document, and request a signature when the form submission is made, choose Send the document's link to recipients email inside the integration set up in your form, while also configuring the template and the field mappings. 



Now each recipient has to login into their email to access the link of the signing document before signing it. This way, each signing recipient is verified using their email address to ensure the authenticity of the recipient's signature. A preview of a completed Sales Agreement is shown below where the seller and buyer have signed the document agreeing to the stated norms.



Get signatures from certain form submitters

At times, when you wish to analyze the form submission and request e-signatures only when they meet a set of criteria, you can set up a manual workflow. So now, from the pile of form submissions you receive, you can analyze and manually select the desired entries and trigger the signing document to them. For this, choose None, I will send the document manually while setting up the integration. 

 

Collect signatures in the same device 

From a fitness service waiver to an event participation agreement, it's ideal to get signatures from your clients, employees or customers in-person, right after the form submission. To perform this, add only the role of the signer and mark it as Needs to Sign inside your Zoho Sign template. You don't need to fill out the email address or the name here.



Inside the form integration setup, pick out the email and the name from the form fields and choose Redirect to Zoho Sign document.



In the big picture, when the form is submitted, the document appears on the same device requesting for signature. On signing it, the respondent can click on the "message" icon to send themselves a copy of the signed document. (It is sent to the email address chosen under Recipients Details). Note that the in-person signing is intended for single signing recipient only. To have more than one signers, try adding a host to perform the in-person signing (read more on how to set up this in Zoho Sign template here).  

And, that's a wrap! You can get started with the Zoho Sign template creation here. Once you get the hang of it, read our help document to get started. For further queries, or to share your experience with us, comment below - we'd love to hear from you.  

Until next fortnight,
Prasana









      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          • Sticky Posts

          • Tip #10: Automatically add tags to Zoho CRM records using form responses

            You may be using tags to filter records, create reports based on specific tags, or let your sales team to know which clients to give priority to. Don't skip tagging for the crm records added via forms. The tags can be set to be automatically captured during the form submission. How it works When you set up a configuration to push form entries into CRM, you can add a tag to them automatically. The tag value can vary based on the respondent's input (captured using form fields), or you can include a
          • Tip #2: Prefill forms automatically with existing Zoho CRM data

            How to automatically prefill a form with existing Zoho CRM data? Prefilled forms can be useful when you want your prospects to view and confirm their data, and in a wide range of other situations. In Zoho Forms, we prefill the fields with the values from Zoho CRM using the Zoho CRM field. What is a Zoho CRM field? A Zoho CRM field acts as a two-way communication channel, by sending data to Zoho CRM from forms and fetching information from CRM into Forms. The field will look up data from your CRM
          • Tip #8: Pass Adwords data (GCLID) and UTM parameters to Zoho CRM using forms

            When you are using forms to capture leads, you may wonder: " How did they find me? Which marketing campaign worked best?"  You can answer this question by capturing the Google Adwords data (GCLID) or the UTM parameter details in your CRM using forms. This can be a great way to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns and identify the most effective ways to capture leads.  Capturing GCLID parameters How it works If a person finds your form by clicking an ad, a GCLID gets created. When they fill out
          • ZUG (Zoho User Group) In-person Meetups - Maximize Data Efficiency with Zoho Forms & Beyond

            Hello Zoho Community, Join us for our upcoming meetups in ANZ, where we'll dive into seamless data handling and maximizing efficiency through Zoho Forms and beyond. Explore the potential of Zoho Forms customization and integration, from mastering the
          • Tip #9: Modify deal properties in Zoho CRM using form responses

            How to modify deal properties of Zoho CRM records using form responses? Deal properties in Zoho CRM records are constantly modified based on the status of the deal. You can automatically modify deal properties (like the deal closing date, or deal name) and even update the deal stage, using form inputs. This can drastically reduce the work your team would otherwise do to search and change individual record details manually. How it works This works by integrating the form with the Deals module of Zoho

          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Zoho Browser??

                                    hai guys, this sounds awkward but can v get a ZOHO BROWSER same as zoho writer, etc. where i can browse websites @ home and continue browsing the same websites @ my office, as v have the option in Firefox, once i save and close the browser and again when i open it i will be getting the same sites. If u people r not clear with my explanation, plz let me know. Thanks, Sandeep  
                                  • Where can we specify custom CSS in Zoho Forms custom theme ?

                                    I'm using a form with a dark theme. The OTP popup window is unreadable, because for some reason, the OTP popup background fixes color to white, but still takes the font color specified in the custom theme. This ends up as white on white for me, rendering
                                  • MCP no longer works with Claude

                                    Anyone else notice Zoho MCP no longer works with Claude? I'm unable to turn this on in the claude chat. When I try to toggle it on, it just does nothing at all. I've tried in incognito, new browsers, etc. - nothing seems to work.
                                  • Enable History Tracking for Picklist Values Not Available

                                    When I create a custom picklist field in Deals, the "Enable History Tracking for Picklist Values" option is not available in the Edit Properties area of the picklist. When I create a picklist in any other Module, that option is available. Is there a specific reason why this isn't available for fields in the Deals Module?
                                  • The reason I switched away from Zoho Notebook

                                    My main reason for switching to Zoho was driven by three core principles: moving away from US-based products, keeping my data within India as much as possible, and supporting Indian companies. With that intent, I’ve been actively de-Googling my digital
                                  • Add RTL and Hebrew Support for Candidate Portal (and Other Zoho Recruit Portals)

                                    Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to set the Candidate Portal to be Right-to-Left (RTL) and in Hebrew, similar to the existing functionality for the Career Site. Currently, when we set the Career Site
                                  • Ability to Edit YouTube Video Title, Description & Thumbnail After Publishing

                                    Hi Zoho Social Team, How are you? We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Social that enables users to edit YouTube video details after the video has already been published. Your team confirmed that while Zoho Social currently allows editing the
                                  • Send Supervisor Rule Emails Within Ticket Context in Zoho Desk

                                    Dear Zoho Desk Team, I hope this message finds you well. Currently, emails sent via Supervisor Rules in Zoho Desk are sent outside of the ticket context. As a result, if a client replies to such emails, their response creates a new ticket instead of appending
                                  • Free Webinar : Unlock AI driven business insights with Zoho Inventory + Zoho Analytics

                                    Are you tired of switching between apps and exporting data to build customized reports? Say hello to smarter & streamlined insights! Join us for this exclusive webinar where we explore the power of the Zoho Inventory–Zoho Analytics integration. Learn
                                  • Critical Issue: Tickets Opened for Zoho Support via the Zoho Help Portal Were Not Processed

                                    Hi everyone, We want to bring to your attention a serious issue we’ve experienced with the Zoho support Help Portal. For more than a week, tickets submitted directly via the Help Portal were not being handled at all. At the same time no alert was posted
                                  • Hide/Show Subform Fields On User Input

                                    Hello, Are there any future updates in Hide/Show Subform Fields "On User Input"?
                                  • Cloning Item With Images Or The Option With Images

                                    Hello, when I clone an item, I expect the images to carry over to the cloned item, however this is not the case in Inventory. Please make it possible for the images to get cloned or at least can we get a pop up asking if we want to clone the images as
                                  • Archiving Contacts

                                    How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?
                                  • WorkDrive and CRM not in sync

                                    1/ There is a CRM file upload field with WorkDrive file set as the source: 2/ Then the file is renamed in WorkDrive (outside CRM): 3/ The File in CRM is not synced after the change in WorkDrive; the file name (reference) in CRM record is not updated (here
                                  • Custom validation in CRM schema

                                    Validation rules in CRM layouts work nicely, good docs by @Kiran Karthik P https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/customize-crm-account/validation-rules/articles/create-validation-rules I'd prefer validating data input 'closer to the schema'
                                  • Adding Default Module Image into mail merge field

                                    As with most people finding their way to these forums i have a specific requirement that doesn't seem to be supported by Zoho I have created 2 custom modules to suit my purpose 1 is an inventory type module that lists aluminium extrusions, and all relevant
                                  • Sync Data from MA to CRM

                                    Currently, it's a one-way sync of data from the CRM to MA. I believe we should have the ability to select fields to sync from MA to the CRM. The lead score is a perfect example of this. In an ideal world we would be able to impact the lead score of a
                                  • Is it possible to roll up all Contact emails to the Account view?

                                    Is there a way to track all emails associated with an Account in one single view? Currently, email history is visible when opening an individual Contact record. However, since multiple Contacts are often associated with a single Account, it would be beneficial
                                  • Update CRM record action

                                    Currently, MA only offers a "Push Data" action to push data to a CRM module. This action is built to cover the need to both create a new record and update an existing record. Because it has been implemented this way all required fields on the CRM module
                                  • Notes badge as a quick action in the list view

                                    Hello all, We are introducing the Notes badge in the list view of all modules as a quick action you can perform for each record, in addition to the existing Activity badge. With this enhancement, users will have quick visibility into the notes associated
                                  • What's new in Zoho One 2025

                                    Greetings! We hope you have all had a chance by now to get hands-on with the new features and updates released as part of ZO25. Yes, we understand that you may have questions and feedback. To ensure you gain a comprehensive understanding of these updates,
                                  • Good news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift

                                    Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activities
                                  • Add deluge function to shorten URLs

                                    Zoho Social contains a nice feature to shorten URLs using zurl.co. It would be really helpful to have similar functionality in a Deluge call please, either as an inbuilt function or a standard integration. My Creator app sends an email with a personalised
                                  • Edit default "We are here to help you" text in chat SalesIQ widget

                                    Does anyone know how this text can be edited? I can't find it anywhere in settings. Thanks!
                                  • Quick way to add a field in Chat Window

                                    I want to add Company Field in chat window to lessen the irrelevant users in sending chat and set them in mind that we are dealing with companies. I request that it will be as easy as possible like just ticking it then typing the label then connecting
                                  • How to create a two way Sync with CRM Contacts Module?

                                    Newbie creator here (but not to Zoho CRM). I want to create an app that operates on a sub-set of CRM Contacts - only those with a specific tag. I want the app records to mirror the tagged contacts in CRM. I would like it to update when the Creator app
                                  • Zoho Sheet for Desktop

                                    Does Zoho plans to develop a Desktop version of Sheet that installs on the computer like was done with Writer?
                                  • Allow Manual Popup Canvas Size Control

                                    Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the PageSense popup editor regarding popup sizing. Current Limitation: Currently, the size (width and height) of a popup is strictly controlled by the selected
                                  • Where is the settings option in zoho writer?

                                    hi, my zoho writer on windows has menu fonts too large. where do i find the settings to change this option? my screen resolution is correct and other apps/softwares in windows have no issues. regards
                                  • How to set page defaults in zoho writer?

                                    hi, everytime i open the zoho writer i have to change the default page settings to - A4 from letter, margins to narrow and header and footer to 0. I cannot set this as default as that option is grayed out! so I am unable to click it. I saved the document
                                  • Develop and publish a Zoho Recruit extension on the marketplace

                                    Hi, I'd like to develop a new extension for Zoho Recruit. I've started to use Zoho Developers creating a Zoho CRM extension. But when I try to create a new extension here https://sigma.zoho.com/workspace/testtesttestest/apps/new I d'ont see the option of Zoho Recruit (only CRM, Desk, Projects...). I do see extensions for Zoho Recruit in the marketplace. How would I go about to create one if the option is not available in sigma ? Cheers, Rémi.
                                  • How to import data from PDF into Zoho Sheet

                                    I am looking to import Consolidated Account Statement (https://www.camsonline.com/Investors/Statements/Consolidated-Account-Statement) into zoho sheet. Any help is appreciated. The pdf is received as attachment in the email, this document is password
                                  • Zoho Projects Android app: Integration with Microsoft Intune

                                    Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce that Zoho Projects now integrates with Microsoft Intune, enabling enhanced security and enterprise app management. We have now added support for Microsoft Intune Mobile Application Management (MAM) policies through
                                  • Cant't update custom field when custom field is external lookup in Zoho Books

                                    Hello I use that : po = zoho.books.updateRecord("purchaseorders",XXXX,purchaseorder_id,updateCustomFieldseMap,"el_books_connection"); c_f_Map2 = Map(); c_f_Map2.put("label","EL ORDER ID"); c_f_Map2.put("value",el_order_id); c_f_List.add(c_f_Map2); updateCustomFieldseMap
                                  • Wrapping up 2025 on a high note: CRM Release Highlights of the year

                                    Dear Customers, 2025 was an eventful year for us at Zoho CRM. We’ve had releases of all sizes and impact, and we are excited to look back, break it down, and rediscover them with you! Before we rewind—we’d like to take a minute and sincerely thank you
                                  • About Zoneminder (CCTV) and Zoho People

                                    Hi team I would like to implement a CCTV service for our branches, with the aim of passively detecting both the entry and exit of personnel enrolled in Zoho Peeple, but my question is: It is possible to integrate Zoho People with Zoneminder, I understand
                                  • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

                                    Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,
                                  • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

                                    I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted
                                  • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

                                    Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?
                                  • Admin asked me for Backend Details when I wanted to verify my ZeptoMail Account

                                    Please provide the backend details where you will be adding the SMTP/API information of ZeptoMail Who knows what this means?
                                  • Next Page