Protect a document with an access PIN
Give a signer a 6-digit code they must enter before the document opens. One PIN per signer, set on the recipients step and shared by you, not by email.
An access PIN puts a 6-digit code in front of the signing link, so an intercepted or forwarded email is not enough to open the document. You set the code on the recipients step, one signer at a time, and share it through a channel that is not the email carrying the link.
Who can do this
Anyone who can create and send a document. Available on Growth and above, so check your plan if the lock icon opens an upgrade panel. PINs apply to signers only.
Set a PIN for a signer
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Start a document and work through to Who needs to sign?, or reopen an existing draft with Edit draft.
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Fill in the signer's Full name and email. Their role must be Signer.
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Click the lock icon at the end of their row. Hovering it shows Set access PIN.
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Type six digits into the code boxes, or click Generate for a random one. Anything shorter than six digits keeps Save PIN disabled.
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Click Copy PIN. The button flips to Copied for a second, and the code is now on your clipboard ready to paste into a text message.
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Click Save PIN. A coloured dot appears on the lock icon and the tooltip changes to PIN set - click to edit.
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Repeat for any other signer who needs one, then continue through Continue to prepare and send as usual.
Every signer gets their own code. Leaving a row without a PIN is fine, and that person signs the normal way.
Share the PIN out of band
Send the six digits by text message, or read them out on a call. Putting them in the same email as the link defeats the purpose, since anyone who reaches the inbox then has both halves. Send the code before the signing invitation goes out so the signer is not left guessing.
What the signer sees
Opening the link lands them on a short screen with a lock and the line "The sender protected this envelope with a PIN. Enter the PIN they shared with you." above six empty boxes. Typing the sixth digit checks the code automatically, so most signers never reach for the button underneath.
A correct code drops them onto the usual consent screen with Agree & continue. Once past the PIN they work through the document normally, and the PIN is not asked for again in that session.
Change or remove a PIN
Open the document from Documents, click Edit draft, and go on to the recipients screen. Click the lock icon again, which now reads PIN set - click to edit, and either type a different code or click Remove PIN to take the protection off that signer. Set the PIN before you send: Edit draft appears only while the document is still a draft.
If something goes wrong
- Clicking the lock opens an upgrade panel. Access PINs start on the Growth plan. Everything else on the recipients step keeps working while you decide.
- No lock icon on a row. Its role is set to CC. Change the role to Signer and the icon appears.
- The signer sees "That PIN didn't match." Either a digit went astray or they are using a code meant for a different signer. Re-send the exact six digits for their row.
- "Too many attempts. Try again in 15 minutes." Five wrong entries in a row lock the link for 15 minutes. The document itself is untouched, and the same PIN works once the wait is over.
- You cannot remember the code you saved. Reopen the dialog and the boxes are empty, because the saved code is never shown again. Type a new one, click Save PIN, and share that.
Frequently asked questions
Can every signer share one PIN?
No. Each signer row carries its own code, and you set them one at a time from the lock icon on that row. Two signers can be given the same six digits if you type the same number twice, but the app treats them as separate PINs and never copies one row's code to another.
Where do I send the PIN?
Anywhere except the email thread carrying the signing link. A text message, a phone call, or handing it over in person all work, because the point of the PIN is that someone who intercepts the email still cannot open the document. Send it before the signing invitation lands.
What happens after five wrong entries?
The signing link locks for 15 minutes and shows "Too many attempts. Try again in 15 minutes." Nothing is cancelled and the signer keeps their link. When the 15 minutes pass they can try again with the same PIN, so re-send them the correct code in the meantime.
Can I look up a PIN I already saved?
Only while you are still in the wizard session where you typed it. Once you leave, the lock icon shows PIN set - click to edit but the six digits are blank, because the code is stored scrambled and never handed back. Set a fresh PIN and share that one instead.
Does a CC recipient need the PIN?
No, and the lock icon does not appear on a CC row. CC recipients receive the completed document by email once everyone has signed, without a signing page to open. Switching a row from Signer to CC also drops any PIN you had set on it.
Keep going
Add recipients to a document: signers and CC
Enter a name and email for each person, set the role to Signer or CC, and let the contact lookup fill in anyone you have sent to before.
ReadVerify your identity before signing
Some senders add a six-digit access PIN before the document opens. Where the PIN comes from, how many attempts you get, and what the 15-minute lock means.
ReadSend your first document for signature
Upload a PDF or Word file, add who signs, drag signature and date fields onto the pages, write the email, and click Send for signature. Four steps, a few minutes.
ReadRequest attachments from signersGrowth and up
Ask a signer to upload a photo ID, insurance certificate or tax form alongside their signature. Up to five slots per signer, 10 MB each.
Read