Digital Signature (eSignature) Custom Field (Signature Pad)
The Digital Signature (eSignature) custom field lets customers, fieldworkers, or admin users hand-draw a signature directly inside OctopusPro using a touch-friendly signature pad (mouse, stylus, or touchscreen). It replaces paper waivers, delivery receipts, and job sign-off sheets while keeping proof of approval attached to the record.
Important: This page covers the Signature custom field type (signature pad inside forms/records). If you want customers to sign a Quote / Booking / Invoice via a secure signing workflow and keep a signed copy for your records, see: Collect Legally-Binding Customer Signatures.
On this page
- What this is for
- Where you can use a Signature field
- How the Signature field works (what gets saved)
- How to set it up
- How customers, fieldworkers, and admins sign
- Records, reporting, and compliance
- Common use cases
- Best practices
- Troubleshooting
What this is for
Use a Signature field whenever you need clear proof that someone approved, acknowledged, or accepted something during your workflow, such as:
- Job completion sign-off: customer confirms work is completed and accepted.
- Terms / waiver acknowledgement: customer acknowledges your terms, liability waiver, or policy.
- Delivery / handover confirmation: proof of receipt (POD) and acceptance.
- Consent collection: customer consents to service authorisation or data usage (where applicable).
- Internal compliance: fieldworker signs contractor / safety acknowledgements.
Pricing impact: The Signature field is a non-monetary field—it does not change service price or duration. Its purpose is approval and record-keeping (not configuration).
Where you can use a Signature field
You can add a Signature field in multiple places depending on where you need the sign-off to happen:
| Location | Typical goal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Services (Inquiry / Quote / Booking flow) | Collect approval during booking/checkout | Customer signs a damage waiver before confirming a booking |
| Embedded Inquiry Widget (Lead Capture Form) | Collect consent at inquiry submission | Website visitor signs a consent statement before submitting an inquiry |
| Customer Profile (CRM) | Store standing agreements on the customer record | Customer signs an ongoing service authorisation once |
| Fieldworker Profile | Internal acknowledgements | Technician signs contractor terms or safety policy |
| Forms & Checklists | On-site inspection/check-out sign-offs | Customer signs an inspection form at job completion |
Related setup guides:
- Custom Fields (Booking, Lead Capture & CRM Data)
- Lead Capture Form (Embedded Inquiry Widget)
- Customer Profile Custom Fields
- Fieldworker Profile Custom Fields
- Forms & Checklists Overview
How the Signature field works (what gets saved)
The Signature field is displayed as an HTML5 signature pad (canvas) where the signer draws their signature. OctopusPro stores the signature and attaches it to the relevant record for audit and future reference.
- Input methods: mouse, stylus, or touch.
- Saved output: a signature image (PNG) plus supporting signature data (for audit/verification).
- Audit details: signatures can be stored with supporting details (e.g., timestamp and signer name) depending on your workflow and the record context.
- Download: signatures can be downloaded as a PNG from relevant records (e.g., booking details) when needed.
Tip: For clearer intent and stronger evidence, pair the signature field with a Full Name field, a Date field, and a Consent checkbox that states exactly what is being accepted.
How to set it up
A) Add a Signature field to Services (Inquiry / Quote / Booking flow)
- Go to Settings → Service Settings → Custom Fields.
- Click New / Create (to add a new custom field).
- Set a clear Label (e.g., “Customer Signature (Approval)”).
- (Optional) Set an Internal ID for consistent exports/integrations.
- Select Field Type = Signature.
- Set visibility flags as required (e.g., show on Customer Portal checkout, show on lead form, show on invoice/PDF where applicable).
- Enable Mandatory if a signature is required to proceed.
- Click Save, then assign the field to the relevant service(s).
Need multi-step booking forms? Group signature + related fields into a dedicated step: Custom Field Groups (Grouping Custom Fields). If you only want the signature to appear after a customer selects a specific option, use conditional fields: Dependent Custom Fields (Conditional Logic).
B) Add a Signature field to the Customer Profile (CRM)
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Customer Profile.
- Create a new custom field and choose Digital Signature (eSign).
- Set who can view/edit it (admin only vs customer visible in portal, depending on your policy).
- Save.
Guide: Customer Profile Custom Fields
C) Add a Signature field to the Fieldworker Profile
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Fieldworker Profile.
- Create a new custom field and choose Digital Signature (eSign).
- Set who can view/edit it (fieldworker self-edit vs admin only).
- Save.
Guide: Fieldworker Profile Custom Fields
D) Add a Signature field to Forms & Checklists
For on-site sign-offs (inspection reports, check-out forms, QA checklists), add a Signature element inside a form/checklist and attach it to your workflow. These signatures are stored with the form submission and are designed for operational documentation (not pricing rules).
How customers, fieldworkers, and admins sign
Admin / Office users (Web App)
Admins can capture a signature when creating or editing a record (e.g., booking). Click the signature action (e.g., Signature / Add signature) and sign using the mouse/trackpad, then save.
Customers (Customer Portal / Website)
If the Signature field is enabled for the Customer Portal checkout (or embedded lead capture form), customers can sign on their own device during checkout/submission, then continue to the next step.
Fieldworkers (Mobile App)
Fieldworkers can capture signatures on-site using the mobile app when the signature field is available to them (based on your visibility settings/permissions). This is commonly used for end-of-job sign-off via Forms & Checklists or job completion workflows.
Records, reporting, and compliance
- Stored with the record: signatures are attached to the relevant booking/inquiry/profile/form submission for later viewing.
- Exports: signatures can be included in PDFs/confirmations depending on where the field is used and what outputs you generate.
- Download: signatures can be downloaded as an image (PNG) from relevant records when needed.
- Reporting: for audits, use reporting filters to find records where a signature has been collected (where available in your reports).
Compliance note: eSignatures are widely recognised in many jurisdictions (e.g., ESIGN/UETA in the U.S., eIDAS in the EU) when you can demonstrate intent and keep supporting evidence. For regulated workflows, confirm your internal/legal requirements and consider capturing additional details (printed name, date/time, consent statement).
Common use cases
- Home services: customer signs completion/satisfaction sign-off to reduce disputes.
- Delivery & logistics: proof of delivery (POD) replaces paper slips.
- Property management: tenant inspection report acceptance with timestamped approval.
- Healthcare / care services: consent acknowledgement captured during booking or form completion (where appropriate).
- Childcare / education: parent/guardian authorisations and acknowledgements.
Best practices
- Use explicit wording: label the field clearly (e.g., “Draw your signature to accept our Terms & Conditions”).
- Add a consent statement: include a checkbox and link to your policy/terms (open in a new tab).
- Capture supporting details: include printed name + date/time fields near the signature.
- Use Custom Field Groups: keep signatures in a dedicated “Approval” step to make intent obvious: Grouping Custom Fields.
- Don’t over-require signatures: make it mandatory only when necessary to avoid reducing conversion during online booking.
- Limit access: restrict who can edit signatures using permissions/visibility settings to protect audit integrity.
Troubleshooting
- Signature field not showing: confirm the field is active, assigned to the correct service/form/profile, and visibility flags allow it to appear in that location (portal/widget/admin/fieldworker).
- Customer can’t see it in the portal: refresh and test the Customer Portal in an external browser (Chrome/Safari). In-app web views can cache content.
- Can’t save the signature: check mandatory/required rules, permissions (who can edit), and whether the record is locked by status/workflow.
- You need a document signing workflow: use the signing process for Quotes/Bookings/Invoices instead: Collect Legally-Binding Customer Signatures.
If you still need help, contact support and include screenshots of (1) the signature field settings and (2) where you expected it to appear.
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