Writer: e-signatures and locking

Writer can collect signatures inside a document: you add a signature field for each person, they sign it by typing or drawing, every step is recorded in an audit trail, and once everyone has signed, the owner can lock the document.

What these signatures are — and aren't

Writer's signatures are a convenient way to record agreement between people who already share a document — an internal approval, a sign-off on a plan, an acknowledgement. They are not a legally verified e-signature service. Please keep in mind:

Signers aren't identity-checked beyond their SingleSign sign-in. A field can only be signed by the signed-in person whose address it's assigned to — but there's no ID check, no certificate, and no independent record kept outside the document.
The rules are enforced by the SingleSign apps, not cryptographically. Signatures, the audit trail and the lock are stored in the document itself. The apps follow the rules, but the document isn't sealed or digitally signed.
Names and times in the audit trail are recorded by each signer's app, not by an independent timestamp authority.
Version history keeps every earlier state, so you can always see what the document said before and after it was signed.

If you need a signature that stands up as a verified legal e-signature, use a dedicated e-signature service.

Adding a signature field

Editors choose Insert ▸ Signature field:

Signer's email — the person who will sign (suggestions come from your contacts).
Label — what the field is for, such as "Signature", "Approved by" or "Tenant".
Email a signing request (opens Mail) — tick it to open a new SingleSign Mail message to the signer, titled "Signature requested: document name", with a link to the document.

Click Insert. The field appears in the text as a dashed box with the label, the signer's address and a Sign button.

The signer needs at least comment access to the document — share it with them as a Commenter or Editor.

Signing

When the assigned person opens the document signed in with that address, the Sign button on their field is active (for anyone else it explains who can sign). Clicking it opens Sign: label, showing who you're signing as:

Type — type your name; it's shown in a handwriting-style font.
Draw — draw your signature with a mouse, trackpad, pen or finger (Clear to start again).

Tick I agree this is my electronic signature for this document and click Sign. The field then shows the signature with "Signed by name · date and time".

An editor can Clear a signature (in Editing mode) — for example if the document has to change after it was signed — and the person can sign again. A field can't be signed twice without clearing it first.

The audit trail

Tools ▸ Signatures and audit trail (or Audit trail under any signature) opens the Signatures panel:

Fields — every signature field, with its signer and whether it's Signed or Pending.
Audit trail — every step, with who and when: signatures requested, signed and cleared, fields removed, and the document locked or unlocked.

Locking the document

When every field is signed, the owner can click Lock document in the Signatures panel. A locked document opens read-only for everyone — in Viewing mode, with no editing or suggesting — and shows a banner saying it's signed and locked, and by whom. Signatures can't be cleared or added while it's locked.

Only the owner can Unlock document, and the unlock is recorded in the audit trail too. As above, the lock is enforced by the SingleSign apps rather than by sealing the file.