What is the difference between 'opened' and 'viewed' actions by the recipient?

Question

When reviewing the Envelope History, two actions in the “Action” column are “Opened” and “Viewed”. What is the difference between these two actions? For example, do both actions provide evidence the recipient saw the email and at least opened/viewed the document?

Sometimes when recipients have not signed the document, I email them and indicate, “I notice you opened (and/or viewed) the document on xxxx but have not signed it. The deadline for xxxx has passed.” When there are strict deadlines contained within the document and recipients try to say they were not aware of/did not see the DocuSign email until after the deadline, I want to be correct if I ‘counter’ with evidence on the report that indicates otherwise.

Thank you!

Christopher.Alpizar · Accepted Answer

Hello @rmyers,Thank you for reaching out to the Docusign Community.According to the guide Envelope History, The action Opened is when the recipient clicks the link to view the documents.Openedrefers to the initial state prior to accepting the legal disclosure (if required), referred to as the Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure, or before continuing past the dimmed state.Openedis recorded only until aViewedaction is recorded. Viewed is when the recipient opens the documents all the way to a viewable state. This includes accepting the legal disclosure (if required) or continuing past the dimmed state and getting to the tagged state where they can begin reading the documents and completing their assigned fields. This action triggers the recipient-viewed notification and updates the recipient status fromSenttoDelivered.Note: Some advanced features and options are supported only in specific Docusign plans. Your account plan might not support some of the options discussed in this help topic. Contact your account administrator for more information about which options are available for your account. Or, visit our Plans and Pricing web page for more details on the features included with your plan. Compare eSignature plans & pricing.Let us know if you need further assistance.Best regards,Christopher | Docusign Community Moderator"Select as Best" below if you find the answer a valid solution to your issue.

Christopher.Alpizar · Answer

Hi @rmyers,I hope you are doing well.I want to confirm if you were able to solve your issue by utilizing the suggested solution or if the information provided was useful. If so, please mark it as the best answer by clicking “Select as Best” to make it easier for other users to find. Otherwise, let me know and I will gladly help you address the situation as soon as possible.Best regards,Christopher | Docusign Community Moderator"Select as Best" below if you find the answer a valid solution to your issue.

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