Signing one contract is easy. Signing 30 of them in a row is a different story.
If approving documents is part of your job, you've probably done the same routine more times than you'd like: open the envelope, verify your identity, sign the document, finish, go back to the list and start again.
Signater's bulk signing removes much of that repetition. Select up to 50 pending envelopes, complete the identity checks required by the batch, and work through your documents in a single signing session. Your saved signature and initials are already available when you need them.
The result is simple: fewer interruptions and less time spent signing documents one by one.
Who is bulk signing for?
Bulk signing is designed for anyone who regularly has a stack of documents waiting for their signature.
That might be an executive approving vendor agreements, an HR professional signing offer letters and amendments, a partner signing documents for multiple clients, or a property manager handling paperwork for several properties.
If you're a signer on multiple Signater envelopes, you can bring the ones that are ready into the same session instead of processing them individually.
How bulk signing works
Start from Envelopes → To sign:
- Select the envelopes you want to sign, or choose Select all to select the documents currently shown on the page.
- Click Sign in bulk.
- Complete the identity checks required by the selected envelopes.
- Click Start signing.
- Review and sign each document, or use Sign all ready when available.
Signater also tells you when an envelope isn't ready for your signature. For example, if the sender configured a signing order, you may need to wait for another participant to sign first.
Each bulk signing session can include up to 50 envelopes.
Identity checks are grouped across the session
One of the biggest advantages of bulk signing appears when your documents use identity verification.
Different envelopes may require different verification methods, such as an SMS code, an email code, a selfie, an identity document or facial biometrics. Instead of interrupting your workflow for every document, Signater groups the applicable checks within the session.
When the same verification factor applies to multiple envelopes, you don't have to repeat it for each one. For example, if several envelopes require verification of the same phone number by SMS, confirming that number can cover those envelopes in the batch.
You can also choose Do it later when a verification step isn't ready yet and continue with the documents you can sign.
Passcodes configured specifically for an envelope still need to be entered when you open that document.
Your signature and initials are ready to use
If you've already saved your signature and initials in your Signater profile, they are automatically available throughout the bulk signing session.
If you haven't saved them yet, Signater asks you to create them before you start signing. Once saved, they're available for future documents as well.
Other fields requested by the sender are not filled automatically. If a document requires information such as your name, address or date, you'll still need to provide it.
Review documents individually or sign ready documents together
Bulk signing doesn't change the way you review an individual document. You can open each envelope, read the document, check its fields and click Sign.
For documents that don't require anything else from you, there's a faster option: Sign all ready.
This option only includes envelopes that have no remaining fields, passcodes, identity checks or other actions that require your input.
Before signing, Signater shows you which envelopes are ready and which ones are being excluded, along with the reason. You then confirm that you want to sign the selected documents without opening them.
I declare that I want to sign these 12 envelopes without opening their documents.
That declaration is recorded in each envelope's certificate, providing a clear record that the document was signed without being opened during that part of the session.
What if I don't want to sign one of the documents?
You don't have to stop the entire batch because one document isn't right.
Open the envelope and use Decline, just as you would during a regular signing workflow. That document is declined while the rest of the batch remains available for you to process.
When the session is finished, the Batch complete screen summarizes what happened, including documents you signed, declined or signed without opening.
Every envelope keeps its own record
Bulk signing doesn't combine your documents into a single record.
Every envelope keeps its own signature, certificate and history. From the sender's perspective, each document still has its own complete signing record.
The certificate for each envelope also records information about the bulk signing session, including:
- the Signater account used for authentication;
- the identity checks completed, including their date and time;
- the bulk signing session identifier;
- the number of envelopes included in the session;
- whether the document was opened or signed without opening;
- that the signature and initials used during the session came from the signer's saved marks.
In other words, bulk signing changes how you work, not the individual record kept for each document.
How long does a bulk signing session last?
You can keep working in the same session until you finish the batch, subject to Signater's session limits.
After 20 minutes of inactivity, or 2 hours after the session starts, Signater closes the session.
Anything you've already signed remains signed. Documents you haven't completed stay pending and can be signed in a new session.
If you leave before finishing, To sign shows that you have a bulk signing session in progress so you can return to it.
Who can use bulk signing?
Bulk signing is available on Signater's Business and Enterprise plans.
The important detail is that availability depends on the plan of the account doing the signing, not the plan of the company that sent the envelope.
So if another company sends you a Signater envelope, you can still sign it as part of a bulk session when your own Signater account has the feature enabled.
Want to try Signater before choosing a plan? Create a free account and send up to three envelopes per month on the Free plan, with no credit card required.
Learn more about how envelopes work on Signater and the available identity validation options.
