---
title: "Adding a Participant to a Signature Group"
slug: "adding-a-participant-to-a-signature-group-2"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:01:15Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:01:15Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/adding-a-participant-to-a-signature-group-2"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Adding a Participant to a Signature Group

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**Adding a Participant to a Signature Group**

*Document Templates Management › E-Signature Flow/Groups › Adding a Participant to a Signature Group*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

Adding a participant to a signature group ties a specific signer to one step of a signature process — the same mechanism used for approval-group participants. Each participant has a name, a source (Employees, Roles & Groups, or Vendor/Customer Contacts), and a title for that signing step. Participants can be added in three places: on the template's signature steps (so every generated document starts with them, marked **FROM TEMPLATE**), on a single generated document before its signature process starts, or in the process console while the signature process is running.

# 2. Key Elements

- **Signer** button — on each step of a template's **Who signs, and in what order** list (Approvals & signing step, E-Signatures tab).
- **Signer fields** — Signer source, Signer, Title (unique per template; the signature field binds to it), Reason, and Locked (can't be removed from a generated document).
- **FROM TEMPLATE** participants — pre-configured on the template and copied onto each generated document.
- **Document signing groups** — on a generated document, participants can be added or changed until the signature process starts.
- **Process console** — while a signature process is running, **Add participant** on a group invites an External, Employee, or Company contact participant right away.

# 3. Adding a Signer to a Template's Signature Step

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Administration** icon at the bottom of the left navigation bar, then click **Document Templates**.
2. Click **Open** on the template, click step **3 Approvals & signing**, and select the **E-Signatures** tab.
3. Under **Who signs, and in what order**, find the step (or click **Add step** to create one). Existing signers are listed with their Title, Source, Signer, and Reason.
4. Click **Signer** on the step.

![Template E-Signatures tab with Approvals & signing, Add step, signature step, Signer button, and signer row highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/01-sig-steps.jpg)

1. In the **Add a signer** form, choose the **Signer source**: Employees, Roles & Groups, or Vendor/Customer Contacts.
2. Select the **Signer** (for example, *Assigned Employee/User*).
3. Enter a **Title**. It must be unique on the template, and the signature field in the document binds to it.
4. Optional: enter a **Reason** (for example, *Please review and e-sign this agreement*).
5. Leave **Locked** checked if the signer can't be removed from a generated document.
6. Click **Add signer**, or **Cancel** to close without saving.

![Add a signer form with Signer source, Signer, Title, Reason, Locked, and Add signer highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/02-add-signer.jpg)

# 4. Adding a Participant on a Generated Document

Signing groups copied from the template can be adjusted on a single document until its signature process starts.

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click **Administration** → **Merged Documents**, and click **Open** on the document. (You can also open the document package from its record.)
2. Expand the **Signatures** section.
3. Under **Signing Groups**, click the add-participant icon on the group's row.
4. Choose the source (Employees, Roles & Groups, or Vendor/Customer Contacts) and select the person.
5. Enter a **Title (unique on this document)** and, optionally, the **Reason they are signing**.
6. Click **Add**. The participant appears in the group's **Participants** column. Click **Set up signature process** when the signing groups are ready.

![Document Signatures section with the add-participant icon, participants, and Add a participant form highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03b-doc-add.jpg)

# 5. Adding a Participant to a Running Signature Process

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, open **Approvals & Signatures** → **Negotiation Processes** and click **Open console** on the signature process. (You can also click **Open the process console** from the document's Signatures section.)
2. Under **Groups and participants**, find the group. The *current group* is labeled, and each participant shows a status badge such as *In Process*. Row icons let you re-send the invitation, replace the participant, or remove them.
3. Click **Add participant** on the group.

![Signature process console with Groups and participants, current group, Add participant, participant status, and row icons highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03-console.jpg)

1. In **Add a participant to [group]**, choose **External participant**, **Employee participant**, or **Company contact participant**.
2. Enter the **Full name** and **E-mail address** (or pick the employee/contact), and optionally **why they are being added**.
3. Click **Add**, or **Cancel** to close without adding.

![Add a participant form in the process console with participant type, Full name, E-mail address, reason, Add, and Cancel highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/04-console-add.jpg)

**Note:** Participants added to a running group are invited as soon as they are added.

# 6. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | How to Complete It |
| --- | --- |
| Add a signer to a template step | Administration → Document Templates → Open → Approvals & signing → E-Signatures → Signer → fill in source, signer, Title → Add signer. |
| Keep a signer on every generated document | Leave Locked checked when adding the signer to the template. |
| Add a signer to one document | Administration → Merged Documents → Open → Signatures → add-participant icon → Add (before the process starts). |
| Add a signer to a running process | Negotiation Processes → Open console → Groups and participants → Add participant → Add. |
| Re-send or replace a signer | Process console → participant row → re-send (bell) or replace (people) icon. |