Questions and answers

RealSign is the electronic signature module from Realyst. It helps organisations move from paper-based signatures to secure electronic signing: you upload your documents, choose who must sign or approve them, and RealSign sends them to each person in turn.

Three levels. Every option uses two-factor authentication; they differ in how strongly the signer's identity is bound to the signature.

• Electronic signatures: the standard version, suitable for most documents and contracts.
• Digital signatures: an electronic signature combined with a certificate issued by a certification authority. Realyst has partnered with GlobalSign.
• Advanced digital signatures: a digital signature with each signer's identity verified against the Home Affairs database, including biometric and ID verification.

Read more about the options

There are two editions, and both include unlimited signatures, users and documents.

• Enterprise edition: implemented on site or hosted, with a traditional software licence and a support and maintenance agreement.
• Standard edition: hosted in Azure, for organisations that don't need customisation, with a simple annual licence fee.

Sign in, choose Create in the top bar, and then:

1. give the document a title and upload your files;
2. add the people who must sign or approve, in the order they should act;
3. place each signatory's signature, initials and date fields on the pages;
4. choose Send for signing.

RealSign sends the first person a link by email, or by SMS if they have no email address. When they've finished, the next person in the order is asked.

PDF, Word (.doc, .docx), Excel (.xls, .xlsx), CSV, rich text (.rtf), plain text (.txt) and images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .bmp).

Files that aren't PDFs are converted to PDF for signing. Every file is checked to make sure its content matches its type.

Yes. Each organisation has its own maximum file size. A larger file is refused, with a message that tells you the limit.

A signatory signs the documents, in the fields you place for them. An approver reviews the documents and approves them.

Both act in the order you set, and both confirm a statement first. A signatory agrees that their digital signature is the legal equivalent of their handwritten one. An approver confirms that they have reviewed the documents and that they meet your organisation's requirements.

Yes, if certificate signing is enabled for your organisation. Tick Append Digital Certificate when you set up a document. Once the last person has signed, RealSign also signs that document with a digital certificate.

Open the link in the email or SMS you received, request a one-time PIN and enter it. The PIN comes by SMS, or by email if the sender chose that.

You don't need to create an account: the PIN opens that one document. Preview each file, then choose Sign (or Approve) and confirm.

A PIN can take up to a minute to arrive. Each PIN works once and expires after a short time. You can request a new one 15 minutes after the last.

After 10 incorrect attempts the link is locked, and you'll need to ask the sender for a new one.

Yes. When it's your turn, choose Reject and give a reason. Signing stops and the documents are reset, so the sender can make changes and send them again. The sender is emailed your reason, unless their organisation has switched these emails off.

Each signatory and approver is emailed the signed documents, and the sender is told that signing is complete. Organisations can switch these emails off.

Yes. Open the document and choose Resend to current signatory to send a new link to the person whose turn it is. To avoid flooding them, RealSign waits at least 15 minutes between messages.

Yes, while signing is in progress. Choose Cancel signing and give a reason. The signing links stop working and the documents are reset, so you can edit the document and send it again.

Yes. Each document has a Reports menu with two reports:

• Authorization history: each step, who took it and when, with comments and whether the signing terms were accepted.
• Audit trail: each event, with its time and IP address.

When someone signs or approves, RealSign records the exact wording they agreed to, the time and their IP address.

New user accounts must set it up at their first sign-in. Existing accounts can switch it on from Manage profile.

After your password, you enter a second code from either:

• an authenticator app (recommended), such as Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator or 1Password, which shows a new code every 30 seconds; or
• an email we send you. This is less secure: your mailbox is often protected by the same password, and password reset links go there too.

Sign in with one of the recovery codes you were given when you set up two-factor sign-in. Each code works once. You can create a new set at any time; the old ones then stop working.

If two-factor sign-in is required for your account and you need to move it to a new phone, contact your administrator.

Open the menu under your name and choose Manage profile. Under Change password, send yourself a one-time code by email or SMS (it expires in 10 minutes), then enter it with your current and new password. Changing your password signs you out on every other device.

Forgotten your password? Choose Forgot your password? on the sign-in page and we'll email you reset instructions.

Your details are shown on Manage profile. To change them, contact your administrator.

Call or email our Johannesburg or Cape Town office, email support@realyst.com, or leave your details on the Contact Us page and we'll call you back.

To see RealSign in action, book a demo.