Sequential vs Parallel Signing: How to Send a Document to Multiple Signers the Right Way

Most signing delays don't happen because someone forgot — they happen because the document was sent to the wrong people in the wrong order. If you're managing contracts with multiple signers, choosing between sequential and parallel signing is one of the most practical decisions you'll make.

Here's how to get it right.

When Sequential Signing Actually Makes Sense

Sequential signing means signers receive the document one at a time, in a specific order. The next person doesn't see it until the previous one has signed.

This matters more than most people realize. Counter-signing online — where one party signs first, then a second party countersigns to confirm — is a classic example. Think employment contracts, client service agreements, or vendor approvals where a manager needs to review and sign before the document goes to legal. Sending it to everyone at once defeats the point.

Use sequential signing when:

• Approval hierarchies exist — a junior employee signs before their department head
• Counter-signature is required — your signature only holds weight after the client commits first
• Each signer's decision depends on the previous one — like a joint venture agreement where co-founders must sign in order

The risk of getting this wrong isn't just procedural. If a manager countersigns before the employee has agreed to terms, you may have an unenforceable document.

When Parallel Signing Gets the Deal Done Faster

Parallel signing sends the document to all parties simultaneously. Everyone signs on their own timeline, independently.

65.3% of documents signed within 24 hours — and parallel signing is a major reason that's possible. When you send a document to multiple signers who don't need to review each other's decisions, waiting for sequential delivery just adds friction.

Use parallel signing when:

• All parties are peers — co-founders signing a shareholder agreement, or multiple clients signing an NDA
• Speed matters more than order — commercial leases, event contracts, or freelance project agreements
• Signer decisions are independent — no one's signature is contingent on anyone else's

A freelancer sending a project contract to two decision-makers at a client company doesn't need them to sign in sequence. They just need both signatures on file. Parallel signing closes that loop faster.

Setting Up Multi-Signer Workflows with GoodSign

GoodSign makes the actual setup straightforward. The drag-and-drop field designer lets you assign specific signature fields, initials, dates, and text inputs to each signer individually — so there's no ambiguity about who needs to fill in what.

When you're preparing a document for multiple signers, you define each recipient, assign their fields, and choose your signing order. For sequential workflows, GoodSign queues recipients automatically — the second signer doesn't receive their email until the first has completed their fields. For parallel workflows, all recipients get notified at the same time.

This matters especially for bulk sending, where you're distributing the same document to multiple separate recipients — each receiving their own independent copy. A staffing agency sending the same employment terms to twenty contractors, for example. Each contract is its own envelope, tracked separately, but the setup only happens once. At $1.50 per envelope with no subscription and no user limits, this scales affordably without forcing you into a monthly seat-based plan you don't need.

How Automatic Reminders Prevent the Black Hole Problem

You've sent the document. Days pass. Nothing. This is the black hole problem, and it kills momentum on deals that were almost closed.

Automatic reminders solve this without awkward follow-up emails. GoodSign sends timed reminders to outstanding signers, so you're not manually chasing people. For sequential workflows, reminders target whoever is currently holding the document — not the entire chain. No one gets pestered before it's their turn.

For agencies or small businesses managing multiple active contracts simultaneously, this is the difference between a process and a headache. Your attention stays on the work, not the admin.

Audit Trails: Why They Matter More Than You Think

Every multi-signer workflow generates questions eventually. Who signed first? Did the client actually receive the document? Was the countersignature added before or after the revised terms were sent?

A complete audit trail answers all of this automatically. GoodSign logs every action — document sent, opened, signed, declined — with timestamps and IP data for each signer. In a sequential workflow, this creates a clear chronological record of how the document