Check and Return - What is a Task Checker and How to Assign Checkers to a Task

Often, before sending out contracts and documents to clients, you need someone from the higher-ups (such as the manager, project leader, or chief executive) to verify and validate the content. Therefore, in this case, you may assign your manager as your checker.

The Check and Return feature enables you to appoint someone who is associated with the task to consent to the information written in the task prior to proceeding with the task to other parties. This helps you and your manager to ensure the accuracy of essential documents and simplifies the document approval workflow.

When creating the task, you can add one or multiple checkers to your different signers based on your organization’s workflow. You may also assign the checker as part of your template setting  (Here’s how: Creating Reusable Templates) to help you optimize your working process. 

The Check and Return feature is only available in “Get Signatures” tasks. This feature doesn’t apply to “Sign Yourself” and “Front Desk Signing” tasks. If you choose a template that includes a checking process, the checking process will be skipped in front desk signing mode.

To learn more about the Check and Return feature, please visit: 

How to Revise the Document if the Task is Returned by the Checker

How to Complete the Checking Process as a Checker

*Note: Check and Return is a premium feature available for Business plan and above. Subscribe to the business plan to start the experience. Get your free trial here.

Check & Return Roles

There are three roles involved in the Check & Return process:

1. Task Owner

The task owner can choose from the signers to be the checker. The task owner can assign checkers to different signers. The task owner may also change the task signers of the task after sending it out (Tutorial: Changing Signers of a Sent Document). 

*Note: If the signer changed by the task owner was meant to be a task checker of a signer in the task, the one replacing the original signer would become the checker for the other signer. For example, A and B were involved in this task;  A was a signer of the task and the checker of B, and when A was replaced by C, C was now the signer of this task, and he would also become B’s checker.

2. Task Signer

Task signers receive signing requests to fill in or sign the assigned field for the task owner.  

3. Task Checker

Task checkers are responsible for checking signers’ signed content. They can approve the task if all fields are filled correctly or return the task if any field needs revision. 

*Note: Only the task owner or signers of the task can be assigned as a checker. You will not be able to assign people outside of this signing request as a checker for the task.

The Signing Flow of Checkers Involved

The signing flow will be slightly different depending on whether the signing sequence has been set in order or not. If the sender has set the signing order, the signing flow will be relatively straightforward by following the preset order. Here is an example of the signing flow when involving checkers in the task.

The basic signing flow of this task

This graph shows a basic signing flow where you can see three roles, including the Task Owner (Sender 1), Task Signers (Signer 1 and Signer 2) and Task Checkers (Signer 2 and Sender 1).  

1. Sender 1 creates the task and invites Signer 1 and 2 to sign. 
2. Checker 1 (Signer 2) is Signer 1’s checker; Checker 2 (Sender 1) is Signer 2’s checker. 

Please check the following examples to see the signing flow in the context of having preset signing orders and non-set signing orders for the task.

Signing Flow 1 - Signing flow in a preset sequence 

When there is a signing order set in the task, the signing process works sequentially. The signing process will not proceed to the next stage until the previous signer or checker has completed their task. The signing and checking process are as follows:

Main Signing Flow  Check & Return Flow

1. Sender 1 assigned the task to two signers (Signers 1 and 2).
2. Signer 1 receives the signing invitation and signs the task.
3. Signer 2 (the checker) receives an email notification for checking the task. 
4. Signer 2 (the checker) finishes checking the task, but the content needs to be revised.
5. Signer 1 receives the notification of the task being returned. 
6. Signer 1 revises the content accordingly and resends the task to the checker. 
7. Signer 2 (the checker) finishes checking the task with a pass.
8. Signer 1 receives the notification of task completion. Signer 1 confirms the completion of the task (if the task requires the signer’s final confirmation). 
9. Signer 2 receives the signing invitation and signs the task. 
10. Sender 1 (the second checker) receives an email notification for checking the task. 
11. Sender 1 (the second checker) finishes checking the task.
12. Signer 2 receives the notification of task completion. Signer 2 confirms the completion of the task (if the task requires Signer’s final confirmation). 
13. Task completed. 

*Note: If the signer’s final confirmation is required, it means after the checker approves the task, the task will be sent back to the signer in order to complete the task by confirming the completed checking process by the checker. If not, the task will complete as soon as the checker finishes checking.

Signing Flow 2 - Signing flow without a preset sequence 

When there is no fixed order in the signing, it means the signing process of the first and second signer can take place simultaneously, and so does the checking process. 

Signing_Main Flow   Return & Check Flow

Therefore, in this case, the checker responsible for checking Signer 2 can start the checking process once Signer 2 has completed signing, even if Signer 1 has not completed his signing. Therefore, the process of the first and second signers will be conducted at the same time. The signing and checking process of a non-set signing order task is as follows:

Signer 1 Perspective:

1. Sender 1 assigned the task to two signers (Signer 1 and 2).
2. Signer 1 receives the signing invitation and signs the task. 
3. Signer 2 (the checker) receives an email notification for checking the task. 
4. Signer 2 (the checker) finishes checking the task, but the content needs to be revised.
5. Signer 1 receives the notification of the returned task. 
6. Signer 1 revises the content accordingly and resends the task to the checker. 
7. Signer 2 (the checker) finishes checking the task with a pass.
8. Signer 1 receives the notification of task completion. Signer 1 confirms the completion of the task (if the task requires Signer’s final confirmation). 
9. Task completed. 

Signer 2 Perspective:

1. Sender 1 assigned the task to two signers (Signer 1 and 2).
2. Signer 2 receives the signing invitation and signs the task. 
3. Sender 1 (the checker) receives an email notification for checking the task.  
4. Sender 1 (the checker) finishes checking the task.
5. Signer 2 receives the notification of task check completion. Signer 2 confirms the completion of the task (if the task requires the signer’s final confirmation). 
6. Task completed.

Sender’s Perspective: How to Assign Checkers to the Signer

Checkers’ assigning process takes place in the task creation stage. Therefore, in order to assign the checker, you will have to create the task first (Tutorial: Create a Task to Get Other’s Signature). After uploading the document for the task, you can manage the signer, and this is where you can access the advanced settings to assign checkers. Please see the below steps to assign checkers: 

1. Identify the signer who you’d like to assign as the checker . 
2. Click “More (···)” for advanced settings.
3. Click the “Select Checkers” to expand the tab.
4. Select the Checker from the list of signers. You may assign one or multiple checkers to a signer. 
5. Tick the “Signer’s Final Confirmation” box if you’d like the task to proceed to the next stage right after the checker has completed checking. 
6. Click “Confirm”.
7. You may find a tick next to the signer’s icon after you have assigned the checker to your signer.

*Note: 

1. Only the sender (task owner) and signers involved in the task may be assigned as checkers. 
2. More details on the ‘Signer’s final confirmation’ setting: 

2.1 If the signer’s final confirmation is required, it means that after the checker approves the task, the task will be sent back to the signer to complete the task by confirming the completed checking process by the checker. 

2.2 If the signer’s final confirmation is NOT required, the task will complete as soon as the checker finishes checking. The time when the signer last signed will be treated as the timestamp on the audit trail.