What Is a Signature Spot?
A signature spot is a designated area you place on a page of your document where a specific signer must apply their signature. DottSign will render the signer's digital signature inside that exact spot on the final signed PDF.
You define the spots, DottSign enforces that every spot is completed before the contract is considered fully signed.
Types of spots you can add
Currently, DottSign supports Signature spots: the signer draws, types their name, or uploads an image of their handwritten signature. Each spot captures the signer's chosen signature style and embeds it into the final PDF at the exact position you placed it.
How to add a signature spot
- After uploading your PDF, you'll land on the document editor.
- In the toolbar on the left (or top), click Add Spot.
- The cursor changes to a crosshair, click on the page where you want to place the spot.
- A draggable box appears on the page. Drag it to the exact location (e.g., on top of a signature line).
- Resize the spot by dragging its corners to match the space available.
- From the Assign to dropdown, select which signer this spot belongs to. Every spot must be assigned to a signer.
Repeat this process until all required spots are placed.
Assigning spots to multiple signers
If your contract has more than one signer:
- Each spot must be assigned to exactly one signer
- Spots are colour-coded, each signer gets a unique colour so you can instantly see who signs where
- A signer only sees and interacts with their own spots, they cannot fill in another signer's field
Best practice: Place all spots for all signers before sending, rather than adding signers and spots in batches. This gives you a complete view of the signing layout.
Using signing order with spots
If you've set a sequential signing order for your signers (Signer 1, Signer 2, etc.), DottSign will:
- Send the contract to Signer 1 only at first
- Notify Signer 2 only after Signer 1 has completed all their spots
- Continue the chain until all signers have signed
This is useful for contracts that require a countersignature, for example, an employee first, then an HR manager.
Making a spot required vs. optional
By default, all spots are required, the signer cannot complete the contract without filling them in.
To mark a spot as optional (the signer can skip it):
- Click on the spot to select it.
- In the side panel, toggle Required off.
Note: Optional spots are rarely necessary and can cause confusion. Use them sparingly.
Removing or editing spots
- To delete a spot: Click on it to select it, then press
Delete/Backspaceor click the trash icon in the side panel. - To move a spot: Drag it to the new location.
- To resize a spot: Drag the corner handles.
- To reassign a spot to a different signer: Click the spot and change the Assign to value.
Important: Once the contract is sent, you can no longer edit, move, or remove spots. If you need to change spot placement, cancel the contract and recreate it.
Tips for accurate spot placement
- Zoom in (use your browser's zoom) for precise placement on small signature lines
- For multi-page documents, scroll through every page to confirm spots are on the correct pages
- Signature spots typically work best when they're slightly above the signature line, the rendered signature will visually sit on the line
- Match the spot size to the space available, an oversized spot may visually overlap surrounding text