Include in-person signing when composing agreements

Complete signatures in person, without email delays or mobile apps.

In-person signing lets you host a signing session in the Adobe Acrobat Sign web application and guide a signer through the signing process on the same device or a nearby one. This approach is ideal when a signer is physically present and needs to sign immediately, even if they lack reliable access to email or a mobile device.

When to use in-person signing

In-person signing is useful when a signer is physically present and needs to complete signing immediately, without relying on email delivery or mobile apps.

Use in-person signing when you need to:

Complete signatures on the spot, without waiting for email delivery.
Support signers who don't have an email address.
Guide a signer through a document step by step.
Keep complete visibility and audit tracking for hosted signing events.

Typical scenarios include front-desk transactions, on-site approvals, patient or customer intake, and sales or service interactions that require immediate completion.

Availability

In-person signing in the web application is available for the following offerings:

Acrobat Sign Solutions: Supported
Acrobat Sign for Government: Supported
Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro: Not supported

Supported signing flows

In-person signing is supported in:

Request Signature
Custom Workflows

In-person signing is not supported in:

Web forms
Send in Bulk

How in-person signing works

In-person signing uses two roles:

Host – an internal user who starts and manages the signing session.
In-Person Signer – the individual who signs while physically present with the Host.

You assign both roles when you create the agreement.

The Host role

The Host facilitates the signing session.

As a Host, you:

Start the signing session from the Manage page or a host notification email.
Transfer control to the signer during the signing process.
Regain control after the signing is completed or canceled.
Receive notifications and reminders related to hosting.

Hosts must be internal users and must be signed in to Acrobat Sign.

Change Host details

You can replace the Host before a hosted signing session begins.

Replace the Host with another internal user in the same account.
The new Host receives all hosting notifications and reminders.
Any hosted signing session must be restarted by the new Host.

You cannot assign an external user as a Host.

The In-Person Signer role

The In-Person Signer is the person who signs the agreement during a hosted session.

As an In-Person Signer:

You don't receive a signature request email.
You don't see the agreement in your Manage page.
You sign only after the host starts the session.
You may be asked to enter an email address at the end of signing to receive a copy.

The signer’s name is required. An email address may be optional or required, depending on the account's configuration.

Change In-Person Signer details

You can update In-Person Signer details before signing begins.

Correct the signer’s name.
Add or update the signer’s email address, if enabled by your account settings.
The In-Person Signer role cannot be changed.
In-Person Signers cannot delegate the agreement.

These changes don't affect the Host or require a restart of the agreement.

How to configure In-Person Signing through the desktop

Reminders

Reminders help ensure hosting happens on time.

Reminders are sent only to the Host.
- Reminders are never sent to In-Person Signers.
Senders and administrators manage reminders using standard reminder controls.

Limitations to be aware of

Electronic signatures only; digital signatures are not supported.
One in-person signer can be hosted at a time per session.
In-Person Signers cannot delegate agreements.
No signer authentication is applied.
Delivery through SMS or WhatsApp is not supported.