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In the fast-paced world of digital transactions, the need for streamlined document handling has become more paramount than ever. Sending out documents for signature on behalf of others can be a time-consuming process, especially when dealing with multiple signatories. However, with the advent of innovative electronic signature solutions, such as BoldSign’s sender identity feature, the process has been revolutionized, offering simplicity and efficiency like never before.
In this blog post, let’s explore how to send eSignature documents on behalf of others using BoldSign’s sender identity feature. Whether you’re an executive sending contracts on behalf of your higher authority or an administrative professional managing agreements for multiple clients, understanding how to harness BoldSign’s sender identity feature will empower you to optimize your document workflow and ensure a smooth, efficient, and legally compliant signing process.
The sender identity feature enables users to serve as authorized representatives, to send eSignature documents on behalf of others.
The sender identity feature allows users to request approval from a person or entity to act as their authorized representative. This approval grants the user the ability to send documents for signature on behalf of the approving individual or organization.
With the sender identity feature, users are able to manage the entire signature process efficiently. They can track the status of sent documents, monitor the signature progress, and receive notifications upon completion.
The sender identity feature also offers a high level of control and security. Users can revoke sender identity access if necessary, ensuring that sensitive documents are protected from unauthorized use. Additionally, users can manage access codes to further safeguard the signing process.
To create a sender identity in BoldSign, you have two options: the web app or the API. In this blog post, we will focus on the API method for creating sender identities.
To get started with the API, you need to make a POST /v1/senderIdentities/create API call. The interesting part is that the person you want to send documents for doesn’t need to have a BoldSign account. Any person with an email address can authorize you to send documents on their behalf. The following is an example of the API call using cURL.
curl -X 'POST' \
'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/senderIdentities/create' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"name": "John Cooper",
"email": "john@boldsign.dev"
}'
Upon successful execution, you will receive a 201-response status code along with the sender identity resource ID in the response body. Make sure to store this ID in your database, as you may need it for making other API calls related to this sender identity. The following code shows the example response.
{
"senderIdentityId": "a0f845a4-6272-4050-a4e8-6779a9b7886b"
}
Now you have successfully created a sender identity using the BoldSign API, allowing you to send documents on behalf of John Cooper. Please refer to this documentation for more details: Create a sender identity.
When creating a sender identity, you can customize how the sender receives notifications for the documents sent on their behalf. By specifying the notification settings, you can control when they receive notifications for specific actions. If no notification settings are specified during creation, they will not receive any notifications for updates to their documents.
For instance, in the following example, the notification settings are defined so that the sender receives notifications when the document is sent and when it’s completed, but no notification will be sent if the signer fails the specified authentication. The following is how the request body looks for the previously described configuration.
curl -X 'POST' \
'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/senderIdentities/create' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"name": "John Cooper",
"email": "john@boldsign.dev",
"notificationSettings": {
"sent": true,
"completed": true,
"authenticationFailed": false
}
}'
For a complete list of available notification settings, you can refer to this documentation.
It’s worth noting that you can update these notification settings in the future by using the sender identity update endpoint, which we will cover in later sections. This ensures that you can adapt the notification preferences based on the needs and preferences of the sender, John Cooper, in this case.
After you have created the sender identity, the sender will receive an email containing a link to approve it. The email sent by BoldSign will provide clear information about the request, including details about the requester, the permissions being requested, and the reasons for the request.
By clicking on the provided link within the email, the sender will be directed to the approval page, where they can review and approve the sender identity request.
On this approval page, they can grant consent for the sender identity to act on their behalf. This process ensures transparency and allows the sender to understand and authorize the permissions sought by the requester. By following this straightforward approval process, BoldSign ensures secure and accountable sender identity management for seamless document handling.
curl -X 'POST' \
'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/senderIdentities/resendInvitation?email=john@boldsign.dev' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}' \
-d ''
Users can resend the approval request up to five times for a specific sender identity. However, if an attempt is made to resend the approval request more than 5 times, a 400 response status code will be received, along with the following error message in the response body.
{
"error": "Exceeded the maximum resend verification limit"
}
By having this resend functionality, BoldSign ensures that the approval process remains flexible and accommodating, allowing for effective communication and approval management. Please refer to this documentation for more details: Resend sender identity invitation.
curl -X 'POST' \
'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/senderIdentities/rerequest?email=john@boldsign.dev' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}' \
-d ''
Once the sender identity is created and approved, you can initiate the process of sending documents on the sender’s behalf. From the perspective of the signer, the document will appear to be sent by the person who approved the sender identity.
In this scenario, let’s say John has granted approval to Luther to send documents on his behalf. Consequently, Luther can now send documents on behalf of John. When the signer receives the document, they will see John’s name and email address as the sender, even though Luther is the one initiating the process.
curl --location --request POST 'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/template/send?templateId=80e68eed-38d2-48f8-83b2-8e887e4cd32d' \
--header 'X-API-KEY: {your API key} \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
"onBehalfOf": "john@boldsign.dev"
}'
After executing the API call successfully, the response body will contain the document ID, which you can utilize to track the status of the document.
{
"documentId": "de6350c1-cc8c-4120-a8ed-29e10b7249f4"
}
Please refer to this documentation for more details: Send document on someone’s behalf.
Once a person grants you permission to act on their behalf, you gain the ability not only to send documents on their behalf but also to manage these documents and perform certain actions. You can revoke a document, change the access code for a signer, retrieve document properties, download documents, and access the audit trail.
curl --location 'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/document/behalfList?Status=WaitingForOthers&EmailAddress=john@boldsign.dev' \
--header 'accept: application/json' \
--header 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}'
By utilizing these tracking and management features, BoldSign ensures that the document workflow remains efficient, organized, and easily accessible to manage documents on behalf of others.
curl --location 'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/document/revoke?documentId=de6350c1-cc8c-4120-a8ed-29e10b7249f4' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}' \
--data-raw '{
"message": "Sample revoke message",
"onBehalfOf": "john@boldsign.dev"
}'
It’s important to note that providing the onBehalfOf field in the request body is essential for actions performed on behalf of others. If you omit this field, the API will respond with the following error message, prompting you to specify it. This ensures that you are appropriately executing actions on behalf of others and is not required for regular documents that you have sent under your own name.
{
"error": "The email provided is not a valid sender identity."
}
Please refer to this documentation for more details: Revoke document.
In addition to document management, you can efficiently manage sender identities to perform various actions, such as updating notification settings, revoking sender identities, and deleting those that are no longer required, both through the API and the web application.
curl -X 'POST' \
'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/senderIdentities/update?email=john@boldsign.dev' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"notificationSettings": {
"viewed": true,
"sent": false,
"deliveryFailed": true,
"declined": true,
"revoked": true,
"reassigned": true,
"completed": true,
"signed": true,
"expired": true,
"authenticationFailed": true,
"reminders": true
}
}'
Please refer to this documentation for more details: Update sender identity.
If a sender identity is no longer required, you can delete it using the DELETE /v1/senderIdentities/delete API endpoint. It’s important to note that if you need to send documents on behalf of the same person in the future, you will need to obtain approval from them again. Following is an example of the API call to delete John’s sender identity.
curl -X 'DELETE' \
'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/senderIdentities/delete?email=john@boldsign.dev' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your API key}'
Please refer to this documentation for more details: Delete sender identity.
If the person who granted you permission to send documents on their behalf wishes to revoke that permission for any reason, they can easily do so:
By following either of these methods, they can promptly and easily revoke the permission they previously granted to send documents on their behalf. This ensures that the control over their sender identity remains in their hands, allowing for secure and accountable document handling.
Furthermore, by setting up webhooks, you can automate various actions based on the events received. For instance, when a sender identity is approved or denied, an email can be sent to the requester automatically. Similarly, notifications can be sent to the requester when a sender identity is revoked. For detailed instructions on configuring webhooks, please refer to the Webhooks documentation.
BoldSign’s API and web application combination empowers users to manage sender identities efficiently, streamline document workflows, and stay informed with real-time updates. Whether you are utilizing the API or the user-friendly web application, BoldSign ensures a seamless, secure, and collaborative experience for sending eSignature documents on behalf of others and managing them. Document management has never been more intuitive and efficient.
Please share your comments below. If you need any further assistance, schedule a demo or contact our support team through our support portal.
A seasoned tech enthusiast with over 5 years of hands-on experience in the ever-evolving world of software development. From mastering the intricacies of .NET to harnessing the power of JavaScript, Mohan's expertise extends across the realms of full-stack development. A true problem-solver and a passionate coder at heart, he is always eager to explore new technologies and bring innovative ideas to life.
A seasoned tech enthusiast with over 5 years of hands-on experience in the ever-evolving world of software development. From mastering the intricacies of .NET to harnessing the power of JavaScript, Mohan's expertise extends across the realms of full-stack development. A true problem-solver and a passionate coder at heart, he is always eager to explore new technologies and bring innovative ideas to life.
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