How to Use E-Signature
E-Signature lets you send documents for electronic signing directly from Franchise Systems Ai (FS Ai). The feature supports both general document signing and FDD-specific signing flows.
Prerequisite: Your documents must be uploaded to the Library and converted into signable templates before they can be sent for signature.
Preparing a Document for Signature
Upload your document to the Library. From the document's row, open the menu and choose eSignature, then Prepare eSignature to create a signable template. FS Ai processes the document and gives you a field palette (Signature, Text, Date, and Number) to drop onto the pages for signers to complete.
Generating a Public Signing Link
For documents that need to be signed by applicants, open the same document's menu and choose eSignature, then Generate eSignature link to create a shareable URL. Applicants who open the link will need an account to complete the signing.
The link status is tracked automatically. If a previous link has expired, been revoked, or become invalid, the system lets you know and you can generate a new one.
Tracking Submission Status
The platform tracks each submission through its lifecycle:
- Awaiting: Submission created, waiting for the signer
- Sent: Document delivered to the signer
- Opened: Signer has viewed the document
- Completed: All signatures collected; the signed document is saved to your Library automatically
- Declined: Signer declined to sign
When a signer completes a document, the signed PDF is automatically uploaded to your brand's asset library.
FDD Signing Workflow
For Franchise Disclosure Documents, the signing step has additional configuration:
- In the portal editor, add or edit a Sign a Document step
- Toggle Franchise Disclosure Document on under Document Settings
- Choose a specific FDD document, or leave it set to Automatic to assign the FDD based on the applicant's state
When set to automatic, the platform looks up the applicant's state and serves the correct state-specific FDD. You can also toggle Franchise Agreement for franchise agreement signing steps, which works the same way but is tracked separately.
E-Signature in the Portal
Applicants encounter e-signature through the Sign a Document step type in the portal. When they reach a sign step, the document loads in an embedded viewer where they can review and sign without leaving the portal. Once completed, the signed document is processed and linked to their application record.
Sales agents can view signed documents in a lead's detail panel on the dashboard.