Recipients and Roles

A recipient can be one of the following:

Signer: The signer is the person who needs to agree to the document's content by applying their digital signature. Think of them as the main actor in a play—they're the ones the document is about.

In nChain Sign, Signer will have to sign the document with their electronic (visual) signature, as well as cryptographic signature.

Authoriser: The authoriser is like a director behind the scenes. They don't make changes to the script (the document) itself, but their approval is essential. They review the content and, by adding their digital signature, they're giving the go-ahead. This role is crucial when a document needs a green light from someone in charge before it can be considered valid or complete.

In nChain Sign, Authoriser signs the document solely with their cryptographic signature.

Recipient who Receives a Copy: A recipient who receives a copy is like an audience member who saw the whole play. They don't get involved in the action, but their presence is important. They don't sign or alter the document. Instead, they receive a copy of the signed document and can observe the document flow.

Let’s look at how this would work in practice

A digital signature request for a Health and Safety Inspection at a restaurant involving the above-defined-roles.

1. The Health Inspector visits the establishment and performs the inspection

2. The Health Inspector digitally self-signs the report (Signer role)

3. The Restaurant Manager reviews and signs the report (Authoriser role) and allows the document to be shared at a higher level (for example with the CEO).

4. The restaurant owner is a Recipient. They are simply being kept informed about the procedure.