Forum Discussion
Flow and Digital Signatures
Hi saridd
There's a few thoughts I have here depending on your flexibility to execute.
1. If the document is a PDF and not, say, a Word doc, then you'll have a hard time automating it as you can't edit the PDF using flow AFAIK.
If you were able to have a Word doc in the first instance, you could use a connector like Plumsail to insert an image file (digital signature) and then convert the Word doc to PDF as the final copy.
In my flows for example, I have the Word doc sent out to the approver for their review, if they respond with Approved, the flow automatically inserts their signature (image file) and outputs a PDF as the final copy to be stored on SP, emailed, etc.
2. The other alternative is if you have an Adobe Sign licence, you could use that to do digital signatures.
Otherwise to see the flow history, click onto the flow name hyperlink (don't edit) from your My Flows list and you'll see the Run history. Click onto the desired log and you can check the approval outcome there.
If you want to be notified of the approval, you could add an email notification to alert you when something is approved.
Anyway you have a number of options depending on how strict the signature requirement is or whether an email from the Approver authorising the document is allowable, etc.
Let me know how you go? We can adapt the options depending on your circumstance.
Cheers
Damien
- Yep, if you have a digital signature provider that exposes an API you can use to remotely sign your documents I think your scenario is feasible
- Thank you. I am going to try the word and excel file in a flow and off it at the end after the flow is approved. I am completely new to flow so any further assistance by showing me one of your flows already set up to do this would be a great help.
Hi saridd
Below is how you may want to go (my interpretation of your brief requirements) and I've also mocked up a sample Flow to help illustrate the process (hopefully it will make sense to you).
Given you are a beginner you'll also need to play around to get a feel for where the items are that I am about to call out (let me know if you get stuck).
0. In your Word template (Stored on SharePoint), ensure that the signature part of the document says e.g. {{yourImageVariable}:picture}. This is where the image of the digital signature will be inserted if approved.
You can also add in something like {{Approver_Name}} if you also want the approvers name to go with the signature.
1. Create a new blank flow in Microsoft Flow.
2. You may need to delete the manual trigger (click ... and Delete) and then add a suitable trigger which is an event that will begin the workflow (e.g. When an item is created or modified) when the list has a new item added.
3. Add connector Start and wait for an approval and populate appropriate details for the Approver to vet.
You can link to the SharePoint list item (it can use the attributes from When an item is created or modified or you can provide a SharePoint list item link, or both [I tend to do both]).
4. Add a Condition where the Outcome (Start and wait for an approval (V2)) is equal to Approve.
5. (a) If Yes, use Get file content of your template file that requires sign-off.
5. (b) You can use a connector like Plumsail (or Encodian, etc) which lets you insert data into documents (for this example I'll use Plumsail which is a subscription tool).
Type Plumsail into the Choose an action box.
5. (c) Add the Plumsail connector Create DOCX document from template and add the following JSON script.
{
"Approver_Name": (Note: insert from When an item is created or modified > Created By DisplayName),
"yourImageVariable":
}
Note that I have left yourImageVariable output blank for the minute as we must now convert the image file of the signature (get the approver to provide a digital copy of their signature to be used for this process).
6. Go to a website like https://www.browserling.com/tools/image-to-base64 which lets you convert an image to Base64 code which will allow the signature to be inserted into the template. The code will come out a fair long set of characters.
7. Copy the output Base64 code and paste it into the space after the "yourImageVariable": and make sure that the code has " at the beginning and end of it.
Example (I didn't use the full Base64 code or this post will get very long, but you get the idea):
{
"Approver_Name": (Note: insert from When an item is created or modified > Created By DisplayName),
"yourImageVariable": "4jAAAuIwF4pT92AAAgAElEQVR4nOzdd5wdVd0/8M+ZuXV7zaZuCum9h4B0EBAEFAQBAUFFFFCER8QHpdgQsIPCD0F9gMfCA6j0TsAQIJCEhCSk97q72V5umzm/P6bcmblzdzdhs3eX/bxfsNm9d8qZM2fKd06ZgK7r+wHkgYiIiIiIiIh6kxRCCCllLCCEKAeg5jpFRERERERERAORECIvAKANQBEAmeP0EBEREREREQ00QkrZEZBSKkII+8NcpoiIiIiIiIhoALEqyYWS02QQERERERERERicExEREREREeUYg3MiIiIiIiKiHGNwTkRERERERJRjDM6JiIiIiIiIcozBOREREREREVGOMTgnIiIiIiIiyjEG50REREREREQ5xuCciI"
}
8. Put the output into a new Word docx using Create file (SharePoint connector) into a Document Library of your choosing (e.g. a temp holding area) and set the File Name (e.g. filenamehere.docx) and add the file content (Under Create DOCX document from template > Result).
At this point your Word doc will already have the signature inserted. You could stop here if you wanted to.
9. Add SharePoint > Get file content 2 and for File Identifier field use the Path from Create file or if you are just using a static path, search for the file.
10. Add Plumsail > Convert DOCX to PDF and in Document content field use File Content from Get file content 2.
This will take the Word doc output and convert it into PDF format.
11. Use SharePoint > Create file to create the final PDF output. Use File Name with PDF extension like filenamehere.pdf to save the output as a PDF file.
12. You can also add something like Send an email (V2) and let the submitter know that it's been approved or in the not approved side, you can use the same connector to say that the item was rejected.
----------------
I hope this all makes sense. Have a play and move things around as you need to. Would love to know how you go please.
Cheers and best wishes
Damien
Damien_Rosario Hi & thank you for sharing the flow. I am new to power automate and was trying your flow step by step. While i added the plumsail connector 'Create DOCX..' the fields i could see are Connection name and the API Key...can you please suggest how do i proceed.
Thanks much!
Damien_Rosario how to implement it using adobe sign?
Damien_Rosario wrote:Hi saridd
There's a few thoughts I have here depending on your flexibility to execute.
1. If the document is a PDF and not, say, a Word doc, then you'll have a hard time automating it as you can't edit the PDF using flow AFAIK.
If you were able to have a Word doc in the first instance, you could use a connector like Plumsail to insert an image file (digital signature) and then convert the Word doc to PDF as the final copy.
In my flows for example, I have the Word doc sent out to the approver for their review, if they respond with Approved, the flow automatically inserts their signature (image file) and outputs a PDF as the final copy to be stored on SP, emailed, etc.
2. The other alternative is if you have an Adobe Sign licence, you could use that to do digital signatures.
Otherwise to see the flow history, click onto the flow name hyperlink (don't edit) from your My Flows list and you'll see the Run history. Click onto the desired log and you can check the approval outcome there.
If you want to be notified of the approval, you could add an email notification to alert you when something is approved.
Anyway you have a number of options depending on how strict the signature requirement is or whether an email from the Approver authorising the document is allowable, etc.
Let me know how you go? We can adapt the options depending on your circumstance.
Cheers
Damien
i have same scenarioHi Ha_97q
My business is only just getting into Adobe Sign so I haven't explored it yet as I'm in the initial stage of research.
It's on my to-do list for the future so I'll know in the next month or 2 to come.
Until then, I hope the sample above I've created helps to give some form of solution to your requirements.
Cheers
Damien
Hi Damien_Rosario !
Have you been able to play arounds Adobe Sign for automating process of digital signatures like you did with plumsail ? If so, can give me a feedback ? I am facing the same problem.
Thanks in advance !
- That is perfect solution, word in and pdf out
Damien_Rosario May i know how can i use the flow for the Plumsail . I`m still new of this Microsoft 365 . The flow which i can get the automate signature without have to fill . Can you teach me the how to create the flow or if you have some tutorial it would be better .
