E-signing

Overview

OneHQ integrates with Dropbox Sign for electronic signatures. The e-signing workflow handles sending documents, placing signature fields, tracking status via webhooks, and automatically filing signed documents back to client folders.

The end-to-end process covers:

• Sending documents — from the To Sign pipeline or manually from an entity's document view
• Field placement — signature and date fields are positioned using coordinate-based detection from the PDF
• Real-time tracking — Dropbox Sign webhooks push status updates as signers view, sign, or decline documents
• Automatic filing — signed PDFs are saved back to the client's Dropbox folder automatically
• Job status updates — corresponding jobs are updated when documents are signed (e.g. "Out to Sign" to "Signed")

Signing queue

The Practice Signing Queue shows all signing requests across your practice in one view. Access it from the Signing item in the sidebar when in Practice mode.

Each row in the queue displays:

• Document name — the PDF file that was sent for signature
• Signer — the name and email address of the person signing
• Entity — the client entity the document relates to
• Status — the current state of the signing request

Filter the queue by status to focus on what needs attention:

• Pending — documents queued but not yet sent to the signer
• Awaiting signature — sent to the signer and waiting for their action
• Signed — the signer has completed signing
• Declined — the signer has declined to sign the document
• Cancelled — the signing request was cancelled by your practice

From the queue you can resend reminders to signers who haven't responded, cancel pending requests, or download signed copies of completed documents.

To Sign pipeline

The To Sign pipeline automates the process of sending documents for signature. Instead of manually attaching files and entering signer details, you simply drop documents into a designated Dropbox folder and OneHQ handles the rest.

Sending for signature

Documents can also be sent for signature manually from an entity's document view, outside of the To Sign pipeline. This is useful for one-off documents or when you want more control over the process.

To send a document manually:

1. Navigate to the entity and open the Documents tab
2. Select the PDF document you want to send for signature
3. Choose the signer or signers from the entity's contacts
4. OneHQ sends the document via Dropbox Sign with signature and date fields placed using coordinate-based positioning detected from the PDF

The manual flow supports multiple signers — each signer gets their own signature field placement on the document. Once sent, the request appears in the practice Signing Queue alongside all other signing requests.

Status tracking

Dropbox Sign webhooks provide real-time status updates throughout the signing lifecycle. OneHQ processes these webhook events automatically so you always have an up-to-date view of where each document stands.

When a document is signed:

• Job status update — if the signed document corresponds to a job (e.g. a tax return or BAS), the job status is automatically updated. For example, a job marked "Out to Sign" will move to "Signed" once the signer completes the document.
• Signed PDF filing — the completed, signed PDF is automatically downloaded from Dropbox Sign and saved to the client's Dropbox folder, organised by entity and period.
• Signing queue update — the request status in the Signing Queue updates in real-time via Supabase Realtime, so all staff see the latest status without refreshing.

If a signer declines a document, the signing request is marked as declined in the queue. You can then choose to resend the document or cancel the request entirely.

Frequently asked questions