In October 2024, Microsoft announced that SharePoint eSignature would soon be available in 27 European countries. Previously, it was available for organizations in the US, Canada and the UK.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Switzerland is missing in the announcement. Microsoft answered my question about Switzerland.
A check confirms that SharePoint eSignature is now available in Switzerland too.
SharePoint eSignature is once again a SharePoint Premium feature.
With SharePoint eSignature, Microsoft aims to simplify signing and approving digital documents. The solution allows employees to quickly and securely send documents for signature to people inside and outside the organization. The signature provides a digital audit trail that verifies the authenticity of documents and transactions. Finally, the document is extended with a certificate.
- SharePoint eSignature supports PDF documents stored in SharePoint.
- SharePoint eSignature uses the Approvals app in Teams for internal accounts. The eSignature requests are also sent by email (to internal and external persons).
- SharePoint eSignature respects configurations made in SharePoint for sharing documents or restrictions through sensitivity labels.
- SharePoint eSignature supports products such as Adobe Acrobat Sign and DocuSign.
I tested SharePoint eSignature with an example.
Content
Configuration of SharePoint eSignature
1) Syntex pay-as-you-go
The billing for SharePoint Premium features is not new; all features require a one-time configuration of Syntex pay-as-you-go (PAYG). Monthly costs for SharePoint Premium are billed through the Azure subscription. You can skip this step if you have previously set up Syntex pay-as-you-go for other SharePoint Premium features.
- SharePoint eSignature remains inactive if Syntex PAYG was configured prior to the rollout.
- SharePoint eSignature will be enabled for all site collections when Syntex PAYG is newly configured.
2) Enable SharePoint eSignature
Enabling SharePoint eSignature is done quickly or may have been done by Syntex PAYG.
Accounts with the SharePoint Admin or Global Admin role enable SharePoint eSignature and define for which site collections the feature is available in the M365 Admin Center.
If your company uses Adobe Acrobat Sign or DocuSign, the integration for both products can be enabled too. I do not use either product for personal purposes and cannot test them myself.
Microsoft recommends checking configurations for guests in SharePoint if sending eSignature requests to external persons is planned.
SharePoint eSignature is ready for use after the configurations.
Using SharePoint eSignature
3) Prepare document
You need a PDF document to create a SharePoint eSignature request.
ChatGPT created a contract for me as an example for my test, and I customized the document.
In general, SharePoint eSignature does not change an original document. It creates a copy of the document for the signature.
4) Creating a SharePoint eSignature request
Open the PDF document in SharePoint in preview mode. The preview includes a pen with a note requesting a digital signature if SharePoint eSignature is enabled for the site collection. If you also configured other products, there would be a drop-down menu with a selection of which provider to use for the signature.
It now takes you through three steps.
4.1 Specify recipient
It can be internal and external persons. I tested it with one internal and one external person for my demo. You can add 10 recipients per request.
4.2 Define fields
A sender can insert 50 fields for the signature in a document. Three types are available per recipient; one of the fields must be mandatory in each case.
- Signature
- Initials
- Date
Drag and drop the fields into the PDF document to the correct position. Unfortunately, the fields are all very large, and their sizes cannot be changed. You should prepare enough space in the document.
4.3 Name the signature request
You define a name for the signature request. Recipients get this name via email or the Approvals app.
SharePoint is creating and preparing the request.
Now, SharePoint creates a copy of the document in a hidden library and sends requests to the recipients. SharePoint ensures that all recipients have permission to access the document.
The URL identifies the hidden library in which the document is stored.
Microsoft notes that they set the permissions once while creating the signature request. If an authorized person subsequently makes changes to permissions, this can lead to errors with the signature.
Before a signature request is sent and at the completion of the request, certain checks are done to ensure that the sender has the permission to write to the document and the originating folder. If the permission changes when the signature request is in progress, the service might not be able to save a copy of the signed document in the originating folder.
Microsoft calls these documents “working documents“.
When a signature request is created for a document in SharePoint, the SharePoint eSignature service creates a working copy of the document. It’s this working copy that is sent out to all recipients for signing, and it’s how the sender can track the status of their requests. The working copy of the request is stored in a hidden document library in SharePoint. The signature will be added to the working copy of the request document only after all parties have signed. If any party hasn’t signed, the document appears as unsigned, even if one party has already added their signature.
The working copy of the request is stored and retained for five years, or according to the document retention policy established by the SharePoint or tenant admin.
5) Signing a SharePoint eSignature request
All recipients are informed by email and receive a direct link to their request. Internal people also get the request via the Approvals app in Teams.
You must authenticate to SharePoint and agree to additional SharePoint eSignature terms and conditions.
The system provides an option to sign digitally or reject the request from the menu.
You can choose from three fonts and enter your name for the signature.
At the end, a person reviews the request, sends it, and receives an email confirming the step. All actions are logged for every recipient, and the steps taken are recorded in the history.
6) SharePoint eSignature request has been completed or rejected
When all signatures are received or the request is declined, the requestor is notified, and the document is copied to the original storage location in SharePoint.
- Once completed, recipients with signatures can download the signed document within 30 days, after which their link expires.
- Recipients immediately lose access to the document after they reject the request. A download is no longer possible for them.
Every email notification sent in relation to a signature request contains a URL link that allows the recipient to view, review, and sign the document. When a request reaches a terminal state (when the status is Completed, Canceled, or Declined), the recipient has 30 days to view, download, and store the document in a preferred location. After the link expires, it can no longer be used to access the document.
For more protection, when a sender cancels a request, recipients immediately lose access to the request document. The email notification received by recipients won’t contain a URL link to view the request.
The document remains in SharePoint and is digitally certified.
Unfortunately, the result is a pity.
SharePoint eSignature saves a date in US format. It ignores the regional settings of the site collection. I have not yet found an option to change the format or information on how SharePoint defines which format it should use for the signature.
SharePoint eSignature stores the history from the second page onwards.
Costs of SharePoint eSignature
There are two types of costs for SharePoint eSignature.
1) You use SharePoint eSignature for the signature
SharePoint eSignature is billed per request.
SharePoint eSignature – The number of electronic signature requests created. Up to 10 recipients can be included in each request. > $2.00/request
Five monthly requests should be included during a promotion until June 2025.
It is unclear how Microsoft applies the promotion. According to the Azure cost forecast for Syntex PAYG billing, the features are charged. The calculation method for Syntex billing remains unclear since Microsoft introduced SharePoint Premium in November 2023. As usual with all SharePoint Premium features, it is a blackbox.
2) You use an alternative product such as Adobe Acrobat Sign or DocuSign for the signature
The requests are currently not billed via Syntex. Nevertheless, Syntex PAYG billing must be configured. Microsoft may introduce a fee for 3rd party providers in the future.
Although pay-as-you-go billing must be set up to use eSignature, you are not charged for using other signature providers.
