Share document (sharing cases)

A document that is saved in signoSign/Universal can be shared with external persons using the sharing case function. The person does not need to be registered in signoSign/Universal.

What is a sharing case?

A sharing case is an element that is permanently saved in the database. It can be created, edited and deleted. A sharing case is linked to a document. Any number of sharing cases can be created per document.

If a sharing case exists for a document, then the document can be opened, edited and saved in signoSign/Universal Viewer without authentication. Access can be password protected (optional).

A sharing case has the following attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
accessId	`string`	The identifier of the sharing case that is specified in the URL by the parameter s. The identifier must be unique across the entire system.
documentId	`string`	The identifier of the document that is linked to the sharing case.
password	`string`	The optional password that must be entered when the sharing case is opened. It cannot be used simultaneously with the tanAddressee.
emailAddressee	`string`	An optional e-mail address that the link to the sharing case is sent to.
smsAddressee	`string`	An optional phone number that the link to the sharing case is sent to in a text message.
comment	`string`	Optional free text that describes the sharing case.
tanAddressee	`string`	An optional authentication method that contains either an e-mail or a text message. It cannot be used simultaneously with the password.
documentConfiguration	`object`	An optional configuration for documents that are loaded into the signoSign/Universal Viewer.

Creating a sharing case

signoSign/Universal Viewer offers a toolbar button with which a sharing case can be created for the open document. The visibility of the button is defined using the web.sharingButtonVisibility setting. The button is displayed as deactivated if the sharing case function is deactivated using the persistence.documentSharing setting.

Sharing cases can be created, edited, and deleted using the REST API sharing cases resource. Sharing cases created by signoSign/Universal Viewer can also be edited.

Opening a sharing case

A sharing case is opened with a special URL. The URL can be called any number of times and is valid until the sharing case has been deleted or finalised.

The URL for the sharing case can be called via the REST API and takes into account the ssmPublicUrl setting during generation.

Structure of the sharing case URL

Because there may be changes in the structure of the URL, it is always recommended to call the URL via the REST API. If the REST API is not intended to be part of an integration, however, the structure of the URL is documented here. Note that such an integration can cause a greater migration workload in the event of updates.

URL format:
[HOST]/signoSignUniversal/webvieweropen?action=sharedviewer&u=[USERNAME]&s=[ACCESSID]

URL parameters:

Parameter	Description
u	The name of the registered signoSign/Universal user with which the document is opened. The user must have access to the document. Example: `u=john_doe`
s	The `accessId` that was defined when the `sharing case` was created.

Finalising a sharing case

A sharing case is considered completed when the recipient has either completed or rejected the document. Once the recipient has opened the document, they are able to finalize it using the “Finish” button. The only requirement is that all mandatory fields are signed. If the document does not contain any mandatory fields, the recipient can also complete the document without a signature. If the current configuration provides for this, a recipient can also reject a document, stating a reason.

If SMTP settings have been saved and the user name of the sharing user corresponds to a valid e-mail address, the user will be sent an e-mail informing them that the process has been finalised.

Rejecting a sharing case

The rejection of documents can either be activated globally via the configuration or for specific documents via a corresponding document type.

Temporarily saving a sharing case

It is possible to give the recipient of a shared document the option to edit the document at a later date. The document is not closed, but instead saved temporarily. Temporary saving can be activated either globally via the configuration or for specific documents via a corresponding document type.