Customize Settings for Your Organization with SignNow
Access an easy-to-use Admin Panel to configure Organization settings for all members at once. No need to spend time managing each account individually.
What it means to customize settings for your organization
Customizing settings for your organization centralizes administrative controls that define how users create, send, and manage electronic signature workflows. Typical configurations include authentication methods, branding and templates, default reminder schedules, document retention rules, and role-based access. For organizations using signNow, these settings are managed at the account or enterprise level to align signing behavior with internal policies and regulatory obligations. Proper configuration reduces manual steps, enforces consistent security controls, and ensures document flows match operational requirements across teams and departments.
Why configure organizational settings
Organizational settings enforce consistency, improve security posture, and align eSignature workflows with legal and operational requirements across teams.
Common challenges when customizing settings
Mapping roles and permissions incorrectly can expose documents to unauthorized users or block necessary access.
Inconsistent template management causes duplicate work and increases the risk of using outdated contract language.
Misconfigured authentication increases friction for signers or weakens security controls for sensitive transactions.
Poorly defined retention rules can conflict with legal holds and regulatory retention requirements.
Representative user roles for organizational setup
IT Administrator
An IT Administrator configures authentication, SSO, API access, and security policies. They review audit logs and integrate signNow with identity providers to ensure consistent user provisioning and secure key management across the organization.
Compliance Officer
A Compliance Officer defines retention schedules, legal acceptability rules, and ensures ESIGN and UETA alignment for US transactions. They coordinate with vendors to establish Business Associate Agreements when handling protected health information.
Teams that commonly adjust organization-wide settings
IT administrators, legal teams, and operations managers typically lead configuration of account-wide settings to meet security and compliance goals.
IT administrators: manage SSO, API keys, and authentication enforcement.
Legal and compliance: set retention, audit, and signature standards.
Operations and HR: design templates, workflows, and approval routing.
Regular reviews by these stakeholders keep settings aligned with policy changes and operational needs.
Key tools to configure for organizational control
Enable features that enforce policies and streamline recurring document processes across teams.
Role Management
Define administrator, sender, and viewer roles with granular permissions to restrict sensitive actions and ensure only authorized users can change organizational settings.
Templates Library
Centralize reusable templates with locked fields, conditional logic, and assigned signer roles to reduce errors and shorten preparation time for repeat documents.
Authentication Settings
Select default signer verification methods such as SSO, two-factor authentication, or knowledge-based verification to match transaction risk levels.
Retention Policies
Configure automatic archival and deletion rules, and ensure export options for records subject to audits or legal holds.
Audit Trails
Preserve detailed, timestamped logs of all document events, signer actions, and administrative changes for compliance and dispute resolution.
Branding Controls
Apply company logos, fonts, and messaging across sent documents to present a consistent, professional appearance while retaining organization-level control.
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Integrations and document sources to consider
Integrating core tools lets organizational settings extend to documents created in other platforms and CRM systems.
Google Docs
Connect templates and apply organizational defaults to documents created in Google Docs, enabling one-click send and preserving account-specific signing rules and authentication requirements.
CRM integration
Link signNow with CRM systems so configured templates, signer fields, and retention rules are applied automatically when documents are generated from contact or opportunity records.
Dropbox integration
Store signed documents in Dropbox while enforcing organization retention settings and access permissions defined in the signNow account.
API connections
Use API-based integrations to programmatically enforce organizational policies and apply preconfigured templates and authentication per transaction.
Create and use customized settings online
Administrators can configure settings through the web console to apply defaults and permissions across the organization.
Navigate to Admin: Open the account settings or admin dashboard.
Adjust policies: Set authentication, retention, and notification defaults.
Apply templates: Assign company templates and set access controls.
Monitor and audit: Review activity logs and export reports as needed.
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Quick setup: configure organization settings
Follow these core steps to establish account-level defaults that match policy and streamline everyday document handling.
01
Access account controls: Log in as an administrator and open the admin console.
02
Set authentication: Choose SSO or 2FA and configure provider details.
03
Define templates: Create reusable templates with role assignments and fields.
04
Configure retention: Set document lifecycle and automatic deletion or export policies.
Audit trail and transaction logging setup
Configure logging to capture necessary event types and retain audit data for legal and compliance needs.
01
Enable full logging:
Capture signature events
02
Preserve IP addresses:
Store signer IPs
03
Timestamping policy:
Use UTC timestamps
04
Export formats:
PDF and CSV logs
05
Retention length:
Set per policy
06
Access auditing:
Log admin actions
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Why choose airSlate SignNow
Free 7-day trial. Choose the plan you need and try it risk-free.
Honest pricing for full-featured plans. airSlate SignNow offers subscription plans with no overages or hidden fees at renewal.
Enterprise-grade security. airSlate SignNow helps you comply with global security standards.
Typical configuration table for automation and workflows
Map workflow settings to standard configuration values so administrators can apply consistent defaults across document processes.
Setting Name
Configuration
Signature Authentication
SSO & 2FA
Reminder Frequency
48 hours
Default Retention Period
7 years
Template Visibility
Organization-only
Audit Log Export
Monthly
Supported platforms and device considerations
Administrators should confirm platform compatibility and mobile behavior before applying organization-wide defaults.
Desktop browsers:Chrome, Edge, Safari
Mobile platforms:iOS and Android apps
APIs and SDKs:REST API support
Test key workflows on desktop, tablet, and mobile to ensure that authentication, templates, and signing experiences behave as expected under organizational settings.
Security controls relevant to organization settings
Authentication Options:Password, SSO, 2FA
Encryption Standards:AES-256 at rest
Access Controls:Role-based access
Audit Logging:Immutable trails
Document Watermarking:Visible identity marks
Session Management:Timeout policies
Industry scenarios for organization-level settings
Examples show how different industries tailor settings to meet regulatory, operational, and security needs.
Healthcare workflow
A hospital configures strict signer authentication and a HIPAA-compliant Business Associate Agreement
Requires two-factor authentication for provider signatures
Protects PHI and records access
Ensures secure, auditable clinical consents, resulting in reduced compliance risk and clearer audit readiness.
Education and student records
A university sets retention rules and limited access for student files
Uses role-based permissions for registrar staff
Applies document retention aligned with FERPA
Leading to controlled access to records and simplified responses to student record requests.
Best practices for secure and accurate organization settings
Apply a consistent review cycle and centralize control to reduce configuration drift and ensure legal compliance.
Define clear role-based responsibilities for administrators
Assign single points of responsibility for security, template management, and compliance reviews so changes to organizational settings are reviewed, documented, and reversible, reducing the chance of conflicting configurations.
Standardize templates and field usage across teams
Maintain a library of approved templates with locked fields and version control, ensuring contract language is consistent and signers complete required data accurately.
Align retention and access with legal obligations
Map document types to retention schedules and legal holds, and ensure access controls prevent unauthorized downloads or deletions that could violate regulatory requirements.
Regularly audit activity logs and configuration changes
Schedule periodic reviews of audit trails and admin changes to detect anomalies, track administrative actions, and confirm that authentication and security settings remain effective.
To enable SSO, an IT administrator configures the identity provider settings in the admin console and exchanges metadata between the provider and signNow; after setup, test with a small group before rolling out organization-wide.
For high-risk or regulated documents, require multi-factor authentication or enterprise SSO combined with strong password policies; consider adding knowledge-based authentication only where legally appropriate.
Lock approved templates at the administrator level, restrict template creation permissions to specific roles, and communicate versioning processes to prevent unauthorized modifications.
Transactions typically include signer identity assertions, timestamps, IP addresses, document version history, and a cryptographic hash of the signed file that supports non-repudiation and forensic review.
Legal holds should suspend scheduled deletion; configure hold procedures in the admin settings so retained documents are excluded from automatic purges until the hold is released.
A cross-functional team including IT, legal, and compliance should approve administrative changes, with change records retained in audit logs to ensure traceability and accountability.
Vendor feature comparison for organizational controls
A high-level availability check of organization-level features across common eSignature providers with signNow listed first as the recommended provider.
Define retention rules and review intervals so document lifecycle policies remain current and defensible.
Template review cadence:
Annual review
Retention policy audit:
Biannual audit
Access rights review:
Quarterly check
Security settings review:
Monthly review
Legal hold verification:
As needed per case
Risks from improper configuration
Unauthorized access:Data leaks
Noncompliance:Regulatory fines
Invalid signatures:Contract disputes
Data loss:Irreversible deletion
Operational delays:Workflow failures
Reputational harm:Customer distrust
Feature availability across leading eSignature providers
Feature-level availability and typical access conditions for five providers, with signNow presented first as the recommended option for organizational deployments.
Feature
signNow (Recommended)
DocuSign
Adobe Sign
Dropbox Sign
PandaDoc
Free trial or tier
Free trial available
Free trial available
Free trial available
Free trial available
Free trial available
API access availability
Yes, with plans
Yes, with plans
Yes, with plans
Yes, with plans
Yes, with plans
Bulk send capability
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
HIPAA / BAA option
BAA available
BAA available
BAA available
BAA on request
BAA available
Enterprise SSO & SAML
Supported
Supported
Supported
Supported
Supported
How to change airSlate SignNow Organization settings
airSlate SignNow Organizations allow teams to improve collaboration, save time on document and user management, brand eSignature workflows, and more. An Admin and Moderators can configure an Organization’s settings which will apply to all members’ accounts. Let’s walk through the entire process of changing an Organization’s settings.
Note: to configure settings you should log in to your airSlate SignNow account as an Admin or Moderator.
Access your Admin Panel
Select My Organizations in the left-hand sidebar.
Alternatively, select your user profile in the upper right corner and click My Account > My Organizations.
Select Go to Admin Panel next to your current membership or organization.
Customize Organization settings
Click the Settings tab in the Admin Panel to access the settings mode.
Here you can change the following options across your Organization:
Select how signers will open your Organization’s documents on mobile devices – using the app, mobile web, or both
Enable or disable the integration with Drawloop Salesforce
Restrict Organization members to accept invites to Teams only from approved Team Admins
Enable or disable the signing guidance for signers
To change a setting, press the Change Settings button or select the option in the dropdown.
Set up HIPAA, PCI DSS, and CFR compliant workflows
airSlate SignNow helps Organizations maintain industry-leading security and compliance standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, 21 CFR Part 11, and SOC 2 Type II. Contact our support team by clicking Open Support Chat to learn how to enable these compliance settings for your Organization.
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