---
title: "Approval and Signature Process Templates"
slug: "approval-and-signature-process-templates-4"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:01:15Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:01:15Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/approval-and-signature-process-templates-4"
---

> ## 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.

# Approval and Signature Process Templates

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**Approval and Signature Process Templates**

*Document Templates Management › E-Signature Flow/Groups › Approval and Signature Process Templates*

**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

Once a process is running, it appears on the **Negotiation Processes** page (**Approvals & Signatures → Negotiation Processes**), which lists "every approval and signature process, with the controls to intervene in a running one." The grid's **Template** column names the document template that started a process, tying a live approval or signature process back to the Document Templates configuration that defined its steps. **Open console** shows a single process's groups, participants, and files.

The signing steps themselves come from the template's **Approvals & signing** step, either set on the template directly or taken from a shared signing process under **Administration → Approval & Signing Processes**.

# 2. Key Elements

- **Negotiation Processes grid:** lists each process's **Process** name, **Type** (Approval or Signature), **Status**, **Record**, **Template**, **Groups**, **Progress**, **Created by**, and **Updated** date.
- **Filters:** a type filter (**Approvals and signatures**, **Approvals only**, **Signatures only**), a status filter (Any status, Active, Paused, Completed, Rejected, Cancelled after starting, Cancelled before starting), **Started only**, and **Search**.
- **Template column:** names the document template that started the process.
- **Open console:** opens the process to review its groups, participants, and files, and to pause, end, or finalize it.
- **Approval & Signing Processes:** the shared signing process templates (Kind = Signing) that document templates can follow.

# 3. Navigating to Negotiation Processes

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Approvals & Signatures** icon (pen) in the left navigation bar.
2. Select **Negotiation Processes**.

![Approvals and Signatures menu with Negotiation Processes highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/01-nav-negotiation-processes.jpg)

# 4. Finding a Signature Process and Its Template

1. On the **Negotiation Processes** page, set the type filter to **Signatures only** (or **Approvals only** for approval processes).
2. Optionally choose a status (for example, **Active**) and leave **Started only** selected to hide processes that have not started.
3. Use the **Search** box or column filters to find the process.
4. Check the **Template** column to see which document template started the process. Click the **Record** link to open the record the process belongs to.
5. Use **Export** to download the list.

![Negotiation Processes grid with filters and Template column highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/02-negotiation-processes-grid.jpg)

**Note:** The **Template** column may be blank for some processes. Open the process console (Section 5) for more detail on a process.

# 5. Opening a Process Console

1. On the **Negotiation Processes** page, click **Open console** on the process's row.
2. Review the summary: **Status**, **Groups**, **Participants**, **Files**, and **Created** date.
3. Under **Groups and participants**, review each group and its participants. Use **Add participant** or **Resend** on a group, or the icons on a participant's row to re-send, replace, or delete that participant.
4. Under **Files in this process**, review the files being signed.
5. Use the buttons at the top to work with the whole process (see the table below).

![Process console with controls highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03-process-console.jpg)

| Button | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Open record** (first icon) | Opens the record the process belongs to. |
| **Signature receipt** (second icon) | Shows who signed what, and when. |
| **Place fields** (third icon) | Pre-defines where each participant signs. |
| **Pause** | Pauses or resumes a running process. |
| **End process** | Ends a process that is not yet finished. |
| **Finalize** | Completes the process. |

**Note:** Controls that do not apply to the process's current status are greyed out. For example, Pause, End process, Finalize, and Resend are unavailable on a completed process.

# 6. Tracing a Process Back to Its Template Configuration

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Administration** icon, search for **Approval**, and click **Approval & Signing Processes**.
2. Click **Signing** to show only signing process templates. The **Templates** column shows how many document templates follow each process.
3. Click **Manage** to review a process's steps and the templates that follow it, or **+ New process** to create one (see Approval and Signature Process Templates under E-Approval Flow/Groups).

![Approval and Signing Processes filtered to Signing](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/04-signing-process-templates.jpg)

1. To see which process a document template follows, go to **Administration → Document Templates**, click **Open** on the template, then click step **3 Approvals & signing** and the **E-Signatures** tab.
2. Review **Use E-Signatures** and the **Signature process** selection. To change it, choose another process and click **Save signature settings**. Use **Open the process to change them** to edit the shared steps.

![Template E-Signatures tab with Signature process highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/05-template-esignatures-process.jpg)

# 7. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | Where / How |
| --- | --- |
| Open the list of running processes | Approvals & Signatures icon → **Negotiation Processes** |
| Show only signature processes | Type filter → **Signatures only** |
| See which template started a process | **Template** column |
| Review or intervene in a process | **Open console** → Pause, End process, Finalize, Add participant, Resend |
| See who signed and when | Console → **Signature receipt** icon |
| Review shared signing processes | Administration → **Approval & Signing Processes** → **Signing** |
| See which process a template follows | Template → step **3 Approvals & signing** → **E-Signatures** → **Signature process** |