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Using Approve and Decline Fields in Docusign | Recap & Recording

In this recent Community event, Erik Engelstad from Docusign University explored the use of approve and decline fields in Docusign, focusing on how these fields streamline workflows and enhance compliance. Below, you’ll find key learnings from the event and the full recording.

Key Takeaways:

Approve and decline fields for streamlined workflows – These fields automatically send envelopes to the next recipient upon approval or void them upon decline, simplifying the workflow process. This is particularly useful for contract approvals, purchase orders, and employment offers.

Adding approve and decline fields to documents and templates – Approve and decline fields can be easily dragged and dropped onto documents and templates, making it simple to incorporate them into existing workflows. Setting signing orders is crucial to ensure the correct flow of approvals.

Recording approvals and declines – Approvals and declines are recorded in the envelope history and certificate of completion, providing a clear audit trail and improving compliance and record-keeping.

Using signing groups for flexible approvals – Signing groups allow any member to approve on behalf of the group, ensuring that workflows continue smoothly even if the primary approver is unavailable.

Next Steps:

✅ Watch the full recording below
✅ Got questions? Drop them in the comments below
✅ Stay in the loop! Subscribe to our events page to get notified about upcoming sessions.

Additional Resources:

  • Explore Docusign University for more learning resources.
  • Sign up for future Docusign webinars and deep dive courses.
  • Register for the upcoming AI-assisted review workshop for CLM users.
  • Attend the Momentum conference and community after-party meetup in New York.
  • Participate in the monthly roundup session focusing on eSignature envelopes.
  • Complete the post-event survey to provide feedback and suggest future topics.
  • Post additional questions in the Docusign community or check for existing answers.

Watch the full recording below:

 

Is it possible to use these buttons in the Salesforce Document Generation template? I cannot seem to be able to add these.

Hello ​@gastonrisi,

Welcome to the Docusign Community! 

The answer is yes. Gen produces a document, and eSignature is used to send an envelope (which could include the eSignature 'Approve' and 'Decline' fields).
Gen's job would be to produce the document with the anchor-text strings for which eSignature would detect and place those corresponding fields.
The first step is to create the Document Custom Fields (for the custom Approve and Decline fields) in the Docusign account. Use the wildcard placeholder {r} in the field's anchor text setting/property, and then in the Gen document itself, you will replace {r} with the actual number of the recipient role name that you want the field placed for and assigned to.
Example:
In Docusign, create an approve document custom field with the anchor text setting of something like:
\recipient_approve_{r}\
But then, in the Gen document template, let's say we want that field assigned to our "Signer 1" role name. Then, on the document, you would put the following:
\recipient_approve_1\
If you want it assigned to "Signer 2" role name, then put the following:
\recipient_approve_2\
and so on.

We would recommend that you create a Support case if you need additional help with this. To open a support case in the Docusign Support Center, go to the "Get Support" section and select "Open a Support Case.” Log in using your Docusign credentials and select a case subject. If you have multiple Docusign accounts, choose the appropriate account to continue. Open a case in the Docusign Support Center. 

 

Best regards,

Melanie | Docusign Community Moderator

"Select as Best" below if you find the answer a valid solution to your issue.

Hello! 

Is it possible to have a shared email be used as an approver? Thinking about a situation when the approver is unexpectedly out, how could we get that envelope approved still.

Hello ​@kfoshe,

Thank you for posting your question.

Do you mean shared email /mailbox? Unfortunately, this is not recommended as it may lead to potential errors. If a user views an envelope sent to a shared mailbox, and their browser has a cached login session for a different user, the browser may associate the Docusign session with the wrong user, leading to access problems. 

The best approach for the scenario would be Delegated Signing or the use of a Signing group. More information here👉 Can we delegate signature authority while someone is on vacation?

It's important to note that the delegation setup should be configured prior to going out of the office.

If this is not feasible, I would say that the quickest option to get the document reassigned to someone else is to request the sender to correct the envelope and change the signer's name and email 👉 Correct an Envelope

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!

 

Sincerely,

Melanie | Docusign Community Moderator

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