Set a sequential signing order

Use sequential stages when one person must finish before another person acts. For example, an employee submits a request, a manager signs, and HR completes the final step.

Plan the sequence

List the actions in business order. Separate the requester from internal review and identify which actions require a signature. A department name is not enough to route an invitation; each signing task also needs the correct recipient.

Keep the sequence as short as the process allows. Each added required signer becomes another completion dependency. If two reviews can genuinely happen together, consider parallel signing.

Review and arrange the stages

1. Open Setup workflow for the form.
2. In To be signed by, check the role names and any fixed Respondent row.
3. For a stage that needs to move, open More options and choose Move up or Move down.
4. Review the resulting sequence from first to last, then choose Next or Save, depending on whether you are creating or editing the workflow.
5. Check the request channel and recipient information before sending.

The list can include related signer rows within the same stage. Do not interpret every indented child row as another sequential stage. Review the grouping when inspecting an existing parallel process.

Check the handoff

Use a sample request to confirm that the first required signer can complete their task and that the following role becomes active as intended. Review what each person can see and edit. A later role should receive the relevant action and information, rather than needing the owner to forward an unrelated email chain.

In the owner's response view, distinguish the initiator's submission from final workflow completion. A submitted response can still require more signatures. Inspect the active stage and the actual signed record before treating the process as finished.

Change an existing process carefully

Review a changed order using a new sample request before collecting more real signatures. Reordering future setup is different from correcting a particular pending response. Inspect the existing response and its activity before deciding whether to follow up or start a new request.

Continue with progress tracking, reminders, or workflow troubleshooting if the next person cannot act.