Approval with e-signature

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Approval with e-signature

    The Approval with e-signature feature in ServiceNow enables users to approve or reject approval records by re-entering their login credentials, ensuring compliance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11 electronic signature requirements. This plug-in securely captures and stores the printed name of the signer, the date and time of the signature, and the signature’s meaning (approval or rejection), which are recorded in the activity stream and audit history of the record.

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    Key Features

    • Compliance: Validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11, supporting regulatory needs for electronic signatures.
    • Supported Tables: By default, supports approval on Change Request [changerequest] and Standard Change Proposal [stdchangeproposal] tables, with the ability to add or remove other approval tables requiring e-signature authorization.
    • Approver Authentication: Approvers must re-enter user credentials (local user records or Multi-Provider Single Sign-On integration) to authorize approval or rejection, with failed credential attempts preventing state changes.
    • Approval Tracking: Each approval record maintains an activity stream tracking all changes, including e-signature approvals, ensuring auditability.
    • Approval Options: Approvals can be executed via context menus, UI actions, or by changing the state field on the Change Request form, each triggering the credential confirmation dialog.
    • User Credential Sources: Supports local User [sysuser] database and external identity providers accessed through Multi-Provider SSO (SAML 2.0), requiring setup before enabling e-signature approvals.
    • Plugin Activation and Management: Activation of the Approval with e-signature plugin enables e-signature across all applicable approval tables. Procedures exist to deactivate e-signatures and configure the plugin settings.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By implementing Approval with e-signature, organizations can enforce stricter approval processes that meet regulatory standards, enhance security through credential revalidation, and maintain comprehensive audit trails. Customers should ensure user credentials are properly configured locally or via SSO before enabling the plugin. This feature is especially critical for industries requiring compliance with electronic signature regulations, helping to reduce risk and improve governance.

    Approve or reject an approval record by re-entering your login credentials. See the history of an approval from its activity stream or its audit history.

    Support for Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11

    The Approval with e-signature plug-in is validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature requirements. This plug-in is required for compliance to 21 CFR Part 11.

    Each time someone approves a record, the system stores this information.
    • The printed name of the signer
    • The date and time when the signature was made
    • The meaning of the signature (approval or rejection)

    This information is stored as part of the activity stream and audit history of the record.

    Approval tables

    By default, Approval with e-signature supports these tables.
    • Change Request [change_request]
    • Standard Change Proposal [std_change_proposal]

    When you add an approval table, any approval for the table needs an e-signature authorization. See Select an approval table to add or remove a table from supporting Approval with e-signature.

    Approver Authentication dialog

    Approvers must enter their user credentials to change the approval state. If the credentials fail, then the approval remains unchanged. The system checks the user credentials against local user records or an active single sign-on integration.

    Dialog to enter user credentials

    Approval History

    Each Approval [sysapprover_approver] record has an activity stream that tracks changes to it. Approvals made by e-signature are stored as field changes.

    Figure 1. Example activity stream
    Example approval showing Bow Ruggeri approving a change request

    Available approval options

    The Change Request [change_request] table provides these approval options.

    List options
    The Change Request table provides context menu options to approve or reject records. When someone selects either the Approve or Reject context menu option, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
    UI actions
    The Change Request form provides UI actions to approve or reject a record. When someone selects either the Approve or Reject UI action, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
    Change record state
    The Change Request table provides a State field to approve or reject a record. When someone selects either the Approved or Rejected state, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.

    User credential sources

    Approval with e-signature supports these types of user credential sources.
    • A set of local User [sys_user] records.
    • A remote identity provider service accessed by the Multi-Provider Single Sign-On (SSO) integration.

    User credentials must be set up before enabling Approvals with e-signature. See Creating users to create local User records.

    See Multi-Provider single sign-on (SSO) to create an integration to a Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 identity provider.