Making an E-Signature Required or Optional
This guide shows you how to set an e-signature as required or optional in QuoteCloud, allowing you to control which signatures are mandatory for your documents.
Making an E-Signature Required or Optional
Learn how to set one E-Signature as required and another as optional.
Follow the steps below to apply the change in your QuoteCloud document.
Making an E-Signature Required or Optional
Identify the signatures
Start with the E-Signature blocks in your document. In this example, one signature will be required and another will be optional.Open E-Sign Block Settings
Right-click the signature block you want to change and open E-Sign Block Settings . The settings panel appears on the right.Turn Required off
In the settings panel, turn off the Required option for the optional signature. This allows the document to be completed without that signature.Review optional behaviour
Since the signature is no longer required, the recipient can skip it. Required signatures still need to be completed.Check the indicators
Required E-Signatures are marked with a red indicator. Optional signatures do not show this marker.Preview the document
In document view, confirm the optional signature can be skipped. The required signature still blocks completion until signed.Complete without optional signing
Accept the document without signing the optional E-Signature. The document can still be completed successfully.
FAQs
What does it mean to mark an e-signature as 'required' or 'optional'?
Marking an e-signature as "required" means the signer assigned to that signature field must complete it before the document can be finalized. A required signature ensures critical approvals are captured and prevents the signer from finishing the signing workflow until that field is signed.
Marking a field "optional" lets the assigned signer skip that specific signature while still allowing them to complete other required actions on the document. This provides flexibility for non-mandatory acknowledgements in your sales quoting or proposal documents.
How do I change a signature field from optional to required (or vice versa)?
Open the Document Editor in QuoteCloud, select the e-signature content block you want to modify, and update its required setting in the block properties. The signature block includes a toggle that sets whether the field is required for the assigned signer.
After toggling the required setting, save or publish the document so the change takes effect for recipients. For complete interface details, refer to the e-signature content block documentation inside the Document Editor.
Who can set a signature field as required or optional?
Users who have permission to edit the document—such as the document owner or users granted Document Editor access—can change signature block settings. The ability to toggle required/optional is controlled by your QuoteCloud role and permissions.
Check your organization's Document Editor role and permission documentation if you’re unsure who has edit rights, or contact your QuoteCloud administrator to update permissions.
How does a required signature affect the recipient's signing experience?
A required signature forces the assigned recipient to complete that field before they can finalize the document. During the signing workflow, QuoteCloud guides recipients to required fields and blocks completion until all required signatures are filled.
This behavior helps guarantee critical approvals are captured in your sales quoting software or proposal software workflows, reducing the chance of unsigned critical terms.
Can I require signatures only for specific signers when multiple signers are involved?
Yes. Each signature field is assigned to a specific signer and you can set the required/optional status per field. That lets you require signatures from particular signers while leaving other fields optional.
Use this per-signer control when different stakeholders need to approve different parts of a quote or proposal—useful in multi-party sales processes or complex proposals created with QuoteCloud’s document editor.
What happens if a required signature is left unsigned — can the document be finalized?
If any required signature remains unsigned, the recipient cannot finalize the document. QuoteCloud’s signing workflow prevents completion and continues to prompt the signer to fill any outstanding required fields.
If you need to finalize without that signature, change the field to optional in the Document Editor (if you have permission) or ask the document owner to adjust the requirement.
Are there best practices for using required vs optional signatures in sales quoting and proposal workflows?
Yes. For sales quoting software and sales proposal software, require signatures for key approvals (e.g., contract acceptance, payment authorization, legal terms) and keep non-essential acknowledgements optional to reduce friction and speed up close rates.
Other best practices: assign signature fields to the correct signer, label fields clearly, limit required fields to what’s necessary, and test the signing flow before sending your quote or proposal to clients. These steps help balance compliance with a smooth buyer experience.
Troubleshooting: I changed a field to required but the recipient still skips it — what should I check?
First confirm the signature block was saved/published after you toggled the required setting. Verify the field is assigned to the correct signer — if the assignment is wrong, the intended recipient may not be prompted.
Also check your permissions (you must have edit access), make sure the signer is using the latest version/link of the document, and confirm there are no conflicting workflows (e.g., delegated signing). If the issue persists, contact your QuoteCloud admin or support for help.