Approval with e-signature

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 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 records by re-entering their login credentials. This functionality ensures compliance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11, which governs electronic signature requirements. Each approval action captures and stores critical signature data, including the signer's printed name, timestamp, and the meaning of the signature (approval or rejection), all recorded within the activity stream and audit history of the record.

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    Key Features

    • Compliance Support: Validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature compliance, required for regulated environments.
    • Approval Tables: By default, supports Change Request [changerequest] and Standard Change Proposal [stdchangeproposal] tables. Additional tables can be added to require e-signature authorization for approvals.
    • Approver Authentication: Approvers must authenticate by entering their user credentials. Failed authentication prevents approval state changes.
    • Approval History Tracking: Each approval record maintains an activity stream showing approval actions as field changes, supporting traceability.
    • Multiple Approval Methods: Users can approve or reject via context menu options, UI actions on forms, or by changing the record’s State field, all triggering credential verification.
    • User Credential Sources: Supports local user records and remote identity providers via Multi-Provider Single Sign-On (SSO) integration. Proper user credential setup is required before enabling this feature.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By implementing Approval with e-signature, organizations can enforce stringent authentication for approval actions, ensuring audit-ready, compliant approval workflows. This is especially critical for regulated industries requiring adherence to Title 21 CFR Part 11. Customers can customize which tables require e-signature approval, ensuring flexibility. The feature’s integration with local users and external identity providers enables seamless authentication experiences while maintaining security. The detailed approval history supports compliance audits and internal reviews.

    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.