Why Does a Transaction Show as 'Failed' Despite Successful Signing, and How Can It Be Resolved?
When using document signing platforms, you may encounter situations where a transaction is marked as "Failed" even though all documents have been successfully signed. This article explains the common causes of this issue, provides troubleshooting steps, and offers preventative measures to avoid such discrepancies.
Common Causes of the "Failed" Status
1. Email Distribution Failures
The most frequent cause of a "Failed" status is an issue with email distribution. For example: - The recipient's email address is invalid or unable to receive emails. - The sender's receipt email fails to deliver, marking the transaction as "Failed" even though the documents were signed. - Email providers reject messages due to attachment limits or other restrictions.
2. Integration-Specific Issues
Some integrations, such as HR systems or MicroWeb, may cause transactions to fail if certain conditions are not met: - Missing identifiers like Social Security Numbers (SSN) or Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) can prevent document distribution. - Non-existent sender email addresses in integrations like Addo Sign and tamigo can result in failed transactions.
Troubleshooting Steps
If you encounter a "Failed" status, follow these steps to resolve the issue:
Check Email Delivery Logs - Verify whether the failure is due to an email delivery issue. Look for errors such as invalid email addresses or rejected messages.
Access Signed Documents Directly - If email distribution fails, you can still download the signed documents directly from the app: - Open the transaction. - Navigate to Signing Details > Files. - Download the documents from this section. Note: The "Files" tab under "Transaction Details" does not allow downloads.
Update Missing Identifiers - For integrations like MicroWeb, ensure that external signers have the required identifiers (e.g., SSN or PIN) to enable document distribution.
Correct Sender Email Addresses - For integrations like Addo Sign, ensure the sender email address is valid and exists. Options include: - Changing the sender address to a valid email inbox. - Configuring the system to return signed documents to a static, customer-defined email address.
Preventative Measures
To avoid "Failed" statuses in the future, consider the following:
Disable Unnecessary Email Distribution - If you rely solely on integrations (e.g., HR systems), disable email distribution in your templates to prevent unnecessary email delivery attempts.
Configure Valid Sender Addresses - Ensure all sender email addresses used in integrations are valid and capable of receiving emails.
Verify Recipient Information - Double-check recipient email addresses and ensure they are valid to prevent delivery failures.
Include Required Identifiers - For integrations like MicroWeb, ensure all required identifiers (e.g., SSN or PIN) are included for external signers.
FAQs
Q: Why does a transaction show as "Failed" even though all documents appear signed?
A: This can occur due to email distribution failures, such as invalid recipient addresses or rejected messages. The signing itself is complete, but the system marks the transaction as "Failed" due to the email issue.
Q: How can I access signed documents if the transaction shows as "Failed"?
A: You can download the signed documents directly from the app under Signing Details > Files.
Q: What should I do if my integration fails to distribute signed documents?
A: Check for missing identifiers (e.g., SSN or PIN) or invalid sender email addresses, and update them as needed. By understanding the causes and following these steps, you can resolve and prevent "Failed" statuses in your document signing transactions.