documenso/.agents/plans/quiet-jade-river-recipient-signing-groups.md

date, title

date	title
2026-08-04	Recipient Signing Groups

Summary

Allow recipients to be grouped into a single signing step when "Enable signing order" (SEQUENTIAL) is on. Grouped recipients share the same signingOrder number and may act in any order among themselves; the next step only unlocks once every member of the group has completed their required action.

• A step = all non-CC recipients sharing one signingOrder value.
• A group = a step with 2+ members.
• Feature surface: V2 envelope editor only (apps/remix/app/components/general/envelope-editor/envelope-editor-recipient-form.tsx). Backend enforcement is global (any document with duplicate orders behaves correctly, including API-created ones).

No database schema changes: Recipient.signingOrder is already a nullable, non-unique Int (packages/prisma/schema.prisma:647), and all tRPC/REST schemas already accept duplicate values (z.number().optional() everywhere). Today duplicates are only destroyed by client-side normalization.

Amendments (2026-08-04, post-implementation)

• The step badge copy is "Group N" (not "Step N").
• The signing-order number input was removed entirely — grouping, joining, extraction and reordering are drag-and-drop only. The "type-to-join" and "out-of-bounds number extraction" decisions below are superseded; the Ungroup link remains as the non-drag affordance for dissolving a group.
• Known limitation: gap drop-zones keep a constant hit area (drop-target geometry is captured at drag start, so drag-dependent resizing would desynchronise the visible strip from the actual hit area).

Product decisions (agreed)

Topic	Decision
Group representation	Derived from duplicate signingOrder values. No new tables/columns.
Whole-group drag	Required. Step cards are draggable as a unit (nested Kanban DnD).
Grouping gestures	Drag a recipient/step onto a card (combine) or type an existing step number into the order input (type-to-join, DocuSign style).
Removing one member	Drag the member row out to a gap zone, or type an out-of-bounds number (> step count) to become a standalone step at the end.
Ungroup link	Dissolves the whole group into consecutive standalone steps, preserving relative order.
Dictate next signer	Coexists with groups. Dictation UI/rewrite applies only when the completing signer is the last unsigned member of their step and the next step has exactly one member. Otherwise dictation is silently skipped for that transition.
Assistants	May be grouped. A grouped assistant can only assist recipients in strictly higher steps (never group peers).
CSC/TSP (AES/QES) instances	Groups are blocked (editor validation). TSP signing path unchanged.
V1 editors	Unchanged. Editing recipients of a grouped document in a V1 surface flattens groups (accepted limitation).

Current-state reference

Key decision points that assume a single "next recipient":

• packages/lib/server-only/document/send-document.ts:150-157 — SEQUENTIAL initial send notifies .slice(0, 1) of pending recipients.
• packages/lib/server-only/document/complete-document-with-token.ts:368-459 — after completion, const [nextRecipient] = pendingRecipients is activated (sendStatus SENT) and emailed; dictation rewrites that single recipient.
• packages/lib/server-only/recipient/get-is-recipient-turn.ts:40-49 — index-based loop: everyone earlier in the sorted array must be SIGNED. Two recipients sharing an order would block each other.
• packages/lib/server-only/envelope/get-envelope-for-recipient-signing.ts:263-279 — duplicated inline copy of the same index-based loop (feeds V2 signing isRecipientsTurn).
• packages/lib/server-only/recipient/get-next-pending-recipient.ts — returns recipients[currentIndex + 1] for the dictate-next-signer form (V1 sign loader).
• packages/lib/server-only/template/create-document-from-direct-template.ts:674-742 — same single-next assumption for direct-template dictation.
• Assistant scope: packages/lib/server-only/recipient/get-recipients-for-assistant.ts and the assistant branch of packages/trpc/server/envelope-router/sign-envelope-field.ts use signingOrder: { gte: ... }.
• Client normalization: normalizeRecipientSigningOrders (packages/lib/utils/recipients.ts:50-68) force-renumbers non-CC recipients index + 1, destroying duplicates. Used by V2 editor (via packages/lib/client-only/hooks/use-editor-recipients.ts) and V1 editors.
• Editor autosave: watch-effect in envelope-editor-recipient-form.tsx:524-588 diffs signers (incl. signingOrder) and calls setRecipientsDebounced → trpc.envelope.recipient.set (1000 ms debounce); meta changes go through envelope.update.
• The canonical sort everywhere: orderBy: [{ signingOrder: { sort: 'asc', nulls: 'last' } }, { id: 'asc' }].

1. Data model & ordering semantics

• Orders stay dense 1..K (K = number of steps): a grouped document looks like [1, 2, 3, 3, 4].
• CC recipients keep signingOrder: undefined and always sort after steps (unchanged).
• REJECTED semantics unchanged: turn checks treat signingStatus !== SIGNED (including REJECTED) as blocking; rejection independently cancels the document via the existing flow.
• Null orders (legacy/API data) sort last (treated as +Infinity in comparisons).

2. Shared pure utilities — packages/lib/utils/recipient-groups.ts (new)

Client-safe pure functions, fully unit-tested:

• groupRecipientsBySigningOrder(signers) → { steps: Array<{ order: number; members: T[] }>, ccRecipients: T[] }. Steps sorted ascending; members keep array order.
• normalizeGroupedSigningOrders(signers, canUpdate?) → dense-renumbers steps preserving duplicates. Contract mirrors the flat normalizer: steps sort by current order and are renumbered by sequence position; a step containing a locked recipient (per canUpdate) keeps the locked member's persisted order; editable steps never collide into a locked step's number (no accidental grouping — they take the next free position). In practice locked recipients occupy a prefix of the sequence (sequential signing means earlier steps signed first), so positions and persisted orders agree; API-created oddities degrade gracefully like today. CC recipients get undefined and move to the tail.
• Editor operations (each returns a new, normalized signers array; no mutation):
  • reorderStep(signers, fromStepIndex, toStepIndex)
  • mergeSteps(signers, sourceStepIndex, targetStepIndex) — all source members adopt the target step's order
  • moveRecipientToStep(signers, formId, targetStepIndex) — join a group
  • extractRecipientToNewStep(signers, formId, insertStepIndex) — become a standalone step at that gap position
  • ungroupStep(signers, stepIndex) — members become consecutive standalone steps
• getDictatableNextRecipient(recipients, currentRecipientId) → the single next-step recipient, or null when the current signer isn't the last unsigned member of their step or the next step has ≠ 1 member. Shared by server dictation logic and client dictate-form mirrors.

normalizeRecipientSigningOrders (flat) is left untouched for V1 surfaces. isAssistantLastSigner (packages/lib/utils/recipients.ts:25-30) becomes group-aware: warns when any ASSISTANT sits in the last step (equivalent behavior for ungrouped documents).

3. Editor UI — structure & visuals

Component split under apps/remix/app/components/general/envelope-editor/:

• envelope-editor-recipient-form.tsx — retains header actions (AI detect, Add Myself, Add Signer), signing-order/dictate checkboxes, autosave watch-effect (unchanged logic), dialogs, limits alert.
• recipient-step-list.tsx (new) — DragDropContext, outer step Droppable, gap drop-zones, step derivation via groupRecipientsBySigningOrder(watchedSigners).
• recipient-step-card.tsx (new) — card chrome: card-level grip, Step {n} badge (Badge variant="neutral"), group header row (Users2Icon + {n} signers · any order via plural() + right-aligned Ungroup link Button variant="link"), inner member Droppable.
• recipient-row.tsx (new) — moved row internals: row grip, order input, email/name RecipientAutoCompleteInput, RecipientRoleSelect, delete button, advanced RecipientActionAuthSelect.

Rendering rules:

• Form state remains the single flat signers field array (react-hook-form indices = flat array positions); steps are derived at render time only.
• Sequential mode: every step renders as a bordered card. Group cards (2+ members) get the green accent treatment: border-primary-tinted border, light green background, green-tinted order inputs, group header row visible.
• Single-member steps: card with Step {n} badge, card grip, and the member row (with its own row grip) — no group header.
• CC recipients: plain non-draggable cards without badge/order input, rendered after the last step.
• Parallel mode (signing order off): render today's flat rows — no cards, badges, or grouping UI.
• All new strings use <Trans>/t/plural macros.

4. Editor UI — interactions

Drag & drop (nested Kanban, @hello-pangea/dnd)

• Outer Droppable type="STEP" (vertical) contains one Draggable per step; drag handle = card grip. isCombineEnabled on.
• Each step card contains an inner Droppable type="RECIPIENT" with one Draggable per member; drag handle = row grip.
• Gap zones: slim Droppables of type="RECIPIENT" rendered between cards and at both ends. Collapsed (h-2, invisible) normally; while a RECIPIENT drag is active (tracked via onBeforeCapture), they expand to dashed strips (per mock image 2).

Gesture	DnD result	Operation
Card grip → drop between cards	type=STEP, destination	reorderStep
Card grip → drop onto another card's center	type=STEP, combine	mergeSteps
Row grip → drop onto another step card	type=RECIPIENT, destination = that card's inner droppable	moveRecipientToStep
Row grip → drop on a gap zone	type=RECIPIENT, destination = gap droppable	extractRecipientToNewStep
Row grip → drop within own step	destination = own inner droppable	no-op

Hover affordances: target card shows a green ring + floating Release to sign together badge (with users icon) when it is a combine target (snapshot.combineTargetFor) or an inner-droppable hover target (snapshot.isDraggingOver). Existing drag styling (widget background, pointer-events) carries over.

After every operation: normalize → form.setValue('signers', ...) (validate + dirty) → assistant-last-step warning toast when applicable → form.trigger('signers'). The existing watch-effect autosaves.

Signing-order number input

• min=1, max=stepCount + 1 (spinner + typed, data-testid="signing-order-input" kept).
• Value N where N = own step → no-op.
• N in 1..K, other step → moveRecipientToStep (type-to-join; also merges two solo steps into a group).
• N > K → extractRecipientToNewStep at the end (out-of-bounds extraction).
• Invalid input (empty, non-integer, < 1) → ignored (current behavior).

Other interactions

• Ungroup link → ungroupStep.
• Add Signer / Add Myself / AI detection → new standalone step at the end (signingOrder = stepCount + 1).
• Remove signer → existing flow + group-aware normalize (a group of 2 losing a member dissolves into a plain step; empty steps disappear).
• Role change to CC → member leaves its step (normalize moves it to the tail). Role change to ASSISTANT inside a group is allowed.
• Locked recipients (signed or inserted fields, per canRecipientBeModified): row controls disabled as today. A step containing a locked member cannot have its order changed — card grip disabled (no drag/reorder, no combining it into another step) and Ungroup disabled. It may still receive new members (inner drop, combine-as-target, type-to-join), since that never alters the locked member's order; editable peers may still be dragged out individually.
• Drag disabled entirely when: parallel mode, submitting, or (per draggable) CC/locked — matching current isDragDisabled rules.

5. Backend signing flow (group-aware)

Single shared predicate (pure, in recipient-groups.ts): a recipient may act iff no non-CC recipient with signingStatus !== SIGNED has a strictly lower signingOrder (null = ∞).

1. Turn check — get-is-recipient-turn.ts replaces its index loop with the predicate; get-envelope-for-recipient-signing.ts:263-279 deletes its inline copy and calls the same helper. Both keep their existing queries (add the nulls: 'last' + id tiebreaker to the sort in both for consistency).
2. Initial send — send-document.ts: SEQUENTIAL now notifies all pending non-CC recipients holding the minimum pending order (replaces .slice(0, 1)).
3. Completion advance — complete-document-with-token.ts: compute nextGroup = pending (non-SIGNED, non-CC) recipients at the minimum order. Activate (sendStatus SENT + sentAt) and email only members with sendStatus !== SENT, each via the existing send.signing.requested.email job. This one rule covers both cases: mid-group completion (remaining peers already SENT → nothing sent, no advance) and step transition (all next-step members activated together). The "waiting for others" pending email to the just-signed recipient is unchanged. Mirror the same logic in create-document-from-direct-template.ts.
4. Dictate next signer — rewrite (nextSigner name/email + RECIPIENT_UPDATED audit log) applies only when allowDictateNextSigner && nextGroup.length === 1 and that member is freshly activated (sendStatus !== SENT). Server form source get-next-pending-recipient.ts and the client mirrors (envelope-signing-provider.tsx, document-signing-page-view-v1.tsx, direct-template-signing-form.tsx) all switch to getDictatableNextRecipient — the form only renders when the completing signer is the last unsigned member of their step and the next step has exactly one member.
5. Assistants — get-recipients-for-assistant.ts and the assistant branch of sign-envelope-field.ts change gte → strictly-greater semantics so grouped assistants cannot act for group peers. Implementation must verify whether the current gte lists include the assistant themself and preserve that self-inclusion explicitly (OR id = assistant.id) if so.
6. CSC/TSP — no changes to execute-tsp-sign.ts (head-of-queue advance stays safe even if duplicates arrive via API). The editor blocks group creation on CSC instances via the existing CSC superRefine in ZEditorRecipientsFormSchema: add an issue when any non-CC duplicate signingOrder exists.

No email template, webhook, audit-log, or job-definition changes: activation emails, events, and logs are already per-recipient.

6. Validation & compatibility

• ZEditorRecipientsFormSchema gains the CSC no-duplicates issue only; tRPC/REST schemas stay z.number().optional() (duplicates are now legitimate).
• Templates: groups carry into created documents (signingOrder copies verbatim in template → document creation and document duplication). Verified by unit/E2E coverage.
• V1 editors and embed authoring keep the flat normalizer: opening & saving recipients there flattens groups into consecutive steps (accepted, documented limitation).
• API consumers that already send duplicate orders gain correct parallel-group behavior automatically.

7. Testing

Unit (vitest, packages/lib) — new recipient-groups.test.ts (+ extend recipients.test.ts):

• Step derivation (duplicates, nulls, CC exclusion, stable member order).
• normalizeGroupedSigningOrders: preserves groups, compacts gaps, locked-recipient anchoring, CC tail.
• Each editor operation: merge, join, extract (incl. out-of-bounds), reorder, ungroup, dissolve-on-removal.
• Turn predicate: group member allowed when lower steps signed; blocked by any lower unsigned/REJECTED; parallel mode; null orders; single-member equivalence with old behavior.
• getDictatableNextRecipient: eligibility matrix (mid-group vs last-of-group × next step size 1/2+/none).

E2E (Playwright, packages/app-tests, per the envelope-editor-v2-e2e skill):

• Editor: type-to-join creates a group (badge Step 3, header 2 signers · any order, green styling), persistence after reload, Ungroup restores sequential steps, out-of-bounds extraction.
• Signing flow: document [1, (2,2), 3] — after step 1 signs, both group members can access signing (either order); step 3 is blocked (waiting page) until both complete, then unlocks; activation emails fire once per member.
• One best-effort drag smoke test (combine two solo steps); drag logic correctness is otherwise covered by unit tests.

8. Out of scope

• Named groups, quorum ("k of n") semantics, or per-group metadata (would require an explicit group entity — future migration if ever needed).
• Whole-group drag into another group via card grip is a merge (mergeSteps); there is no "insert group inside group" concept.
• V1 editor group awareness.
• TSP/CSC parallel signing.