Policy Sign Off

This SharePoint Add-in creates a way for staff to read, acknowledge and agree to company policies online.

Feature Comparison Frequently Asked Questions Step-by-Step Instructions

Bulletproof Apps are no longer available for download in the Microsoft AppSource store and will be retired permanently on December 1, 2022. Please contact Bulletproof for custom app development services using Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.

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Getting Started

How do I download the app?

Follow these steps to download Policy Sign Off from Microsoft AppSource. (We'll do our best to keep the screenshots up to date, your actual steps may vary)

When browsing web pages describing Policy Sign Off on the Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint site, click the Download from Microsoft AppSource button. Or, go directly to https://appsource.microsoft.com and search for "Bulletproof".

On the Microsoft AppSource page for Policy Sign Off, click GET IT NOW.

Links to the terms of use and privacy policy are provided. Click Continue.

Select a SharePoint site, and click Continue. This step makes the app available to SharePoint. (Note: to make the app available to all site collections, install the app at the root site collection of your SharePoint tenant.)

A link is provided that describes the required permissions for the app. Click ADD IT.

You may be asked to click Continue to confirm, or click Trust It.

Uncheck the box if you don't want to immediately add Policy Sign Off to the root site of your site collection. Click Return to site.

To add Policy Sign Off to a specific site, follow the steps in the next help topic How do I add the app to my SharePoint site.

How do I add the app to my SharePoint site?

After downloading the Policy Sign Off app from Microsoft AppSource, you can add the app to a site just like any other list or library. Follow these steps:

Before you add the Policy Sign Off app to your SharePoint site, consider the following:

We recommend that you (1) create a new site or site collection to keep the app in it's own site or (2) add the app to a site where you know that you want to add the web part to an existing web page.
During the deployment process, many lists will be created on your site. You may want to apply unique permissions to each list using your own SharePoint security groups.
The deployment process requires that Site Columns and Content Types be created at the Site Collection level. You must have the appropriate permissions.

Open the gear menu, and select Site Contents.

In the Classic Experience, click add an app.

In the New Experience (the Modern UI), select New > App.

Click the icon for Policy Sign Off.

If this is the first time you are adding the app to your site, you'll need to grant permissions. Click Trust it. The following permissions are required:

Site Collection. Site Columns and Content Types are created at the root website of your site collection. In addition to being SharePoint best practice, it allows the app to be installed on multiple sites.
Site. Lists are created on the current site to store data for the app. Your data is stored on your site, not with Bulletproof.
Users. The app needs to know information about the current user such as display name and email address.

Information about data and privacy can be found at https://bulletproofapps.azurewebsites.net/Home/Privacy.

When the installation is completed, you should see Policy Sign Off listed in your Site Contents.

Add the Policy Sign Off web address to your Trusted Sites list in Internet Explorer

**NOTE** The Internet Explorer browser is not officially supported by Bulletproof.

Add https://bppolicysignoff.azurewebsites.net to your Trusted Sites list, or you may not be able to browse the app. You may only see error messages or timeout messages, because the browser doesn't trust the site. This not only applies to the Internet Explorer browser, it could help other browsers as well.

Deploy lists, site columns, and content types to your site

Many lists, site columns, and content types must be created on the site where the app is installed to manage products, shopping cart, orders, etc. Follow these steps to complete the deployment:

From the navigation menu, click Deploy.

Under the heading Infrastructure Definitions, you can review a list of all Site Columns, Site Content Types, Lists and Libraries that will be deployed to your site. Site Columns and Content Types are deployed to the Site Collection, and Lists are deployed to the site where the app is installed. You must have appropriate permissions to these locations.

Under the heading Deployment Status, click Deploy Now.

Messages will be displayed showing the progress of the deployment. When the deployment is completed, the status indicator will read Deployed.

In the upper left-hand corner of the screen, click the link Go back to [your site name].

Click Site Contents using the gear menu or from the left-hand navigation.

You should see four (4) new lists:

PSO Administrators. A custom list that contains all users who are administrators of the Policy Sign Off app. These users can access all app administration pages. The user who installs the app is added automatically.
PSO Policies. A custom list that contains information about your company policies, such as Policy Name, Effective Date, and the link to your policy document. Note that you can link to any type of document or video that staff are required to acknowledge, not just company policies.
PSO Sign Off. A custom list that contains a record of when staff agree to and acknowledge your policies.
PSO Staff List (**NEW** in Version 1.1.0). A custom list to enter all staff names and their managers. This is required for the Policy Sign Off Reports page.

Add a policy that staff are required to acknowledge

All policy information is added to the PSO Policies list. Links can be added to any document or video that staff are required to acknowledge, not just company policies. Follow these steps:

Open the gear menu, and click Site Contents.

Click the PSO Policies list.

Click New Item (Classic Experience).

Or, if you are using the New Experience (Modern UI), click New.

Enter policy information, then click Save.

Product Name. The name of the policy (or other document) which is displayed on the Sign Off Page.
Effective Date. The date on which the policy is in effect. When you update the effective date for an existing policy, the app will expect staff to sign off on the updated policy.
Link to Policy. **NEW** in Version 1.1.3. Enter a link to the policy document in the Web Address field. If you enter a description, that text is used by the app to customize the link text. Leave the description blank and the app will generate default text.
Ready for Sign Off. Select "Yes" for the policy to be displayed on the Sign Off Page. Otherwise, the policy will not be displayed to staff.
Policy Required For (optional). By default, all staff are required to acknowledge a policy. You can restrict who is required to sign off on a policy by entering SharePoint user(s) or SharePoint group(s). NOTE: this does not work with Active Directory security groups individually or added to SharePoint groups, because apps from Microsoft AppSource are restricted from seeing that information.
Custom Message (optional). A default message will be displayed for the policy unless you enter your own custom message. If you use HTML formatting, we recommend that you apply direct formatting. Heading styles on your site will not look the same as heading styles on the Sign Off Page.

Browse the policy sign off page

Once you've added a policy, you should be able to see it on the Sign Off Page. Follow these steps to verify that the Sign Off Page is working.

Open the gear menu, and click Site Contents.

Click the Policy Sign Off app.

In the navigation menu, click Sign Off Page.

Verify that you can see policy information entered in the PSO Policies list.

Check the I acknowledge... checkbox, and click Save.

Click Go back to [My Site Name].

Open the gear menu, and click Site Contents.

Click the PSO Sign Off list.

Verify that you see a record of your acknowledgment. Click the Policy Name to view the item.

Notice that when items are saved, the Created and Last Modified dates inform you that the Policy Sign Off app created the item "on behalf of" the SharePoint user.

Add staff and managers to the PSO Staff List

New in version 1.1.0. To get started, add yourself to the PSO Staff List so that you can test the Sign Off Reports. Eventually, all staff must be added to this list if you want to generate reports about who has or has not acknowledged policies. Follow these steps:

Open the gear menu, and click Site Contents.

Click the PSO Staff List.

Click New Item (Classic Experience).

Or, if you are using the New Experience (Modern UI), click New.

Enter staff information, then click Save.

Display Name. A more friendly display name for the user (not displayed on reports).
Staff Name. The SharePoint user account for the staff person. Required for the staff person to appear on the Sign Off Reports page.
Manager Name. The SharePoint user account for the manager. Required for the staff person to appear in the "My Staff" manager's reports on the Sign Off Reports page.
Employment Status. Only "Active" staff will be displayed on the Sign Off Reports page.
Staff Position. (Optional) The position or job title for the staff person.
Staff Phone (Work). (Optional) The staff person's work phone number.
Staff Phone (Mobile). (Optional) The staff person's mobile phone number.
Staff Email. (Optional) The staff person's email address.

To quickly add staff in bulk to this list, you can copy and paste into the list. In the LIST ribbon, click Quick Edit.

Select and copy data from an Excel spreadsheet, and paste it into the list.

IMPORTANT: this method will not work unless you do the following.

All columns in Excel must be in the EXACT same order as the columns on the Quick Edit page.
The Staff Name MUST be the email address used in SharePoint and Office 365.
The Manager Name MUST be the email address used in SharePoint and Office 365.

Browse the Sign Off Reports page

New in version 1.1.0. The Sign Off Reports page compares the PSO Staff List to the PSO Sign Off list and provides reports on who has or has not acknowledged policies.

Open the gear menu, and click Site Contents.

Click the Policy Sign Off app.

In the navigation menu, click Sign Off Reports.

Select a policy, and click Generate Report.

The following report options are available in the Show menu. The staff listed in the reports will be restricted to the staff identified in the Policy Required For column in the PSO Policies list, if applicable.

All Staff. Displays all "Active" staff in the PSO Staff List and shows whether they have signed off on the policy or not.
All Staff Who Have NOT Acknowledged. Displays all "Active" staff in the PSO Staff List who have NOT acknowledged a policy (no data in the PSO Sign Off list).
All Staff Who Have Acknowledged. Displays all "Active" staff in the PSO Staff List who have acknowledged a policy (data exists in the PSO Sign Off list).
My Staff. Same as the All Staff report; however, the report only shows staff where the current user's name is entered in the Manager Name column.
My Staff Who Have NOT Acknowledged. Same as the All Staff version of the report above; however, the report only shows staff where the current user's name is entered in the Manager Name column.
My Staff Who Have Acknowledged. Same as the All Staff version of the report above; however, the report only shows staff where the current user's name is entered in the Manager Name column.

What permissions should I apply to the new lists?

You can use the built-in permission levels that come with SharePoint, or create your own custom levels. Follow these guidelines:

The PSO Administrators list contains a list of all users who are administrators of the Policy Sign Off app. Administrators can see all of the administrative pages and menu items. Regular users can only see the Sign Off Page.

Regular users should only have read-only permissions to this list. The built-in SharePoint Visitors group with Read permission level can be used.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

The PSO Policies list contains information for all company policies (or other documents/videos that require acknowledgment). This includes the Policy Name, Effective Date, Link to the Policy, etc.

Regular users should only have read-only permissions to this list. The built-in SharePoint Visitors group with Read permission level can be used.
You may want to delegate policy management to users who should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members group with Edit permission level can be used.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

The PSO Sign Off list contains a record of when all staff have agreed to and acknowledged their assigned policies.

Regular users must be able to add new items to this list, because the app inherits the current user's permission level. The built-in SharePoint Members group with Edit permission level can be used; however, regular users DO NOT require edit or delete permissions. We recommend creating a custom permission level that only allows users to add new items to this list.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

**NEW** in version 1.1.0. The PSO Staff List contains a list of all staff and managers. You must enter data in this list for the Policy Sign Off Reports page to work, because a list of all staff must be compared to the list of staff who have acknowledged policies.

Regular users should only have read-only permissions to this list. The built-in SharePoint Visitors group with Read permission level can be used.
You may want to delegate maintenance of staff and managers to others who would be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members group with Edit permission level can be used.
Administrators should be able to edit this list. The built-in SharePoint Members or Owners groups with Edit or Full Control permission levels can be used.

Why does the app redirect me to "azurewebsites.net"?

Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint use the SharePoint Provider Hosted Add-In Framework. This means that Bulletproof hosts a website in Microsoft Azure cloud services that contains all of the app's web pages and web parts. Every website in Microsoft Azure is assigned a web address like "myapp.azurewebsites.net". When you click on the app in your SharePoint site, you get redirected to this site. All apps are secure and authenticated by your SharePoint site.

Policy Sign Off - User Guide

How do I agree to and acknowledge a document or video?

All items that require your acknowledgment are listed on the policy sign off page. Follow these steps:

Open the gear menu on the site where the app is installed, and click Site Contents.

Click the Policy Sign Off app.

(App administrators only) In the navigation menu, click Sign Off Page.

Find the desired policy, and click the link to read the document (or watch the video).

Check the I acknowledge... checkbox, and click Save.

An Acknowledged message will be displayed. Please note that the date will not be displayed until the page is refreshed.

How do I know what I've already acknowledged?

All previous acknowledgments are listed on the policy sign off page. Follow these steps:

Open the gear menu on the site where the app is installed, and click Site Contents.

Click the Policy Sign Off app.

(App administrators only) In the navigation menu, click Sign Off Page.

All policies that you have acknowledged will be listed along with any new policies that require your sign off.

How do I get reports on who hasn't acknowledged a policy?

New in version 1.1.0. For details, click to expand the Getting Started category in the online help, and browse the online help topic Browse the Sign Off Reports page. You can generate reports on who has or has not acknowledged a policy.

Policy Sign Off - Administration

Overview of administration pages accessible from the navigation menu

Most users will only use the Sign Off Page. Administrators have an Administrator Dashboard and pages for Deployment Options, Configuration Options, Contact Information, Upgrade Options, and Online Help.

The Administrator Dashboard gives you a quick status update on the following:

Deployment Status - shows if required lists and libraries have been deployed to the site.
Contact Information - shows if contact information and communication preferences have been entered.
Current License - shows your current license level and messaging when upgrades are available.
Payment Status - shows the current payment status and messages when payment is due.

The Deployment Options page is where you deploy Site Columns, Content Types, Lists and Libraries to your site. There are three (3) lists required for Policy Sign Off data. All data remains on your SharePoint site, so that you have complete control over your data.

**NEW** in Version 1.1.3. The Configuration Options page is available with a free license and paid subscriptions.

Mobile URL for Policy Sign Off. This web address can be used to access the mobile-friendly Sign Off Page directly from any mobile device.
Effective Date Label Text. Customize the label text for the Effective Date on the Sign Off Page and Web Part. Leave blank for the default label text.
Acknowledgement Label Text. Customize the label text for the Acknowledgement checkbox on the Sign Off Page and Web Part. Leave blank for the default button text.
Save Button Text. Customize the text for the Save button on the Sign Off Page and Web Part. Leave blank for the default button text.

The User Management section at the bottom of the page is used to manage user licenses.

The Contact Information page is where you enter primary contact information and communication preferences. This person will receive notifications regarding product updates and maintenance.

The Upgrade Options page is where you can purchase a paid subscription and manage upgrades. This page also provides status indicators and messaging regarding Current Version, Current License, and Payment Status.

The Online Help page provides all online help topics and also includes a form to submit a request to Bulletproof Support.

The More SharePoint Add-Ins page lists additional apps you may be interested in. Bulletproof also offers Security as a Service, Managed Services, Professional Services, Educational Services, and more.

The Sign Off Page is where staff go to agree to and acknowledge policies. This is the default page when non-administrators browse the app.

Use the Administrator Dashboard to monitor the app

The Administrator Dashboard is the home page for app administrators and will display a variety of status messages. See below for a sample of the status messages you may see on the dashboard.

When the Company Store app is first added to any site, the Deployment Status will show as Not Deployed.

After you have completed deployment of Site Columns, Content Types, Lists and Libraries, the Deployment Status will change to Deployed.

Contact Information will show as Not Verified until you confirm a primary contact and choose communication preferences.

You will start with a Free license as the Current License.

When you purchase a subscription, the Current License will show the license level. You will also see messaging about when your subscription will expire.

When using the Free version, Payment Status will show as No Payment Required.

Once payment is completed and you have an active subscription, Payment Status will show as Paid.

Default view recommendations for SharePoint lists

All SharePoint lists will be visible to users of the Policy Sign Off app. Here are some recommendations to make the experience more user friendly.

Can I customize the Sign Off Page and web part?

**NEW** in Version 1.1.3. Yes, the entire Sign Off Page and web part is customizable. Some elements can be customized for each policy using the PSO Policies list, and some elements are customized globally using the Configuration Options app page.

Can I link to documents and videos other than policies?

Yes, you can link to anything that staff are required to agree and acknowledge. The documents and videos must be accessible using a web browser, and they can be stored inside or outside of SharePoint.

Can I receive email alerts when staff acknowledge policies?

Yes, follow these steps to create an email alert on the PSO Sign Off list. Or, you can use Power Automate (a.k.a., Flow) to create custom workflows on any SharePoint list created by the app.

On your SharePoint site, open the gear menu, and click Site Contents.

Click the PSO Sign Off list.

Using the Classic Experience, click the List tab in the ribbon, open the Alert Me menu, and click Set alert on this list.

Using the New Experience (Modern UI), open the ellipsis menu (...), and click Alert Me.

Enter a meaningful Alert Title, for example "New Policy Acknowledgment". Set the Change Type to New items are added. Update other options as desired, and click OK.

Can I use my own SharePoint page for Policy Sign Off?

Yes, the Sign Off Page is available as a web part which can be added to any SharePoint page on the same site where the app is installed. Follow these steps:

If your web page uses the New Experience (Modern UI), click Edit.

Click the Plus (+) icon to add a web part, and click Policy Sign Off.

You may want to resize the web part to prevent unnecessary scroll bars. If so, click the pencil icon.

Make one or more changes as needed.

Check Resize to fit the page to automatically size the web part and fit to mobile devices.
Adjust the Width and Height if you prefer a fixed size. You may see scroll bars.

Click Save and close (or click Publish).

If your page uses the Classic Experience, follow these steps. These screenshots were taken using a Web Part Page. Click Edit Page.

Click Add a Web Part in the desired web part zone.

Select Policy Sign Off, and click Add.

Edit the web part properties, and adjust the Height and Width to manage scroll bar issues. Click Apply to save new web part properties.

Click Stop Editing to save the page.

Upgrade to a new version

Minor software patches and bug fixes will be applied automatically. However, when new functionality becomes available, you'll be notified that a new version is available. Follow these steps to upgrade to a new version.

When new functionality is available, you'll see messages displayed on both the Administrator Dashboard and Upgrade Options pages.

From the navigation menu, click Upgrade.

Click Show/Hide Version History to see a list of all new features and bug fixes included in the new version.

Click Upgrade Now. New SharePoint infrastructure will be deployed, and the new functionality will be immediately available.

How do I uninstall the app from my site?

You can uninstall the app from the Deployment Options page. Follow these steps:

Manage User Licenses

How do I manage user licenses?

User licenses for Bulletproof Apps are managed on the Configuration Options administration page. Here are some guidelines for managing licenses:

In the top navigation menu for your app, click Configure.

Scroll down to the User Management section.

If your Total Licenses shows Unlimited, then your app can be used by an unlimited number of users. No user management is required. Please note that depending on the app, there may be restrictions on the number of users allowed per site.

Otherwise, Total Licenses will show the maximum number of user licenses available, and additional options will be visible.

Total Licenses. The maximum number of users who can use the app.
Automatically Add Users. When this box is checked, users will be automatically granted a license and added to the Authorized Users list.
Authorized Users. The list of users who are authorized to use the app.

To manually add a new Authorized User, enter their email address in one of the textboxes and click Save.

At first, just the email address will be visible on the Configuration Options page.
When the user first browses the app, their SharePoint display name will be added to the page.
If you have a license level with hundreds of users, this list could be very long. Use your browser's "Find on Page" functionality to search for individual user names (on Microsoft Windows web browsers, this can usually be found by pressing Ctrl-f).

Purchase a Subscription

Pay for a subscription online

To start the payment process, go to the Upgrade Options page and click Pay Now for the desired subscription level. You'll be taken to the Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint website to Verify Your Address and confirm your purchase. Then, you'll be redirected to PayPal to complete the purchase. Follow these steps to purchase a subscription.

From the navigation menu, click Upgrade.

Click Pay Now to start the payment process.

A new browser tab will open, and you will be redirected to the secure Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint website to verify your address. Enter your company address, then click Verify and Save.

Click Buy Now to confirm, and you will be redirected to a secure PayPal site to complete the purchase. A variety of payment methods are available.

After you complete your purchase, PayPal will notify us of the payment. The Payment Status on the Administrator Dashboard and Upgrade Options pages should be immediately updated to Paid. If your payment status is not updated within 24 hours, please contact Bulletproof Support for assistance.

Get Help

Browse the online help

Before contacting Bulletproof Support, please browse the online help topics on this site. We try to provide all of the information you need to install, configure, administer, and use the app.

How do I submit a request to Bulletproof Support?

The app administrator can submit a request by filling out the form on the Online Help page. Follow these steps:

Does Bulletproof offer additional SharePoint support?

Yes, Bulletproof has a team of SharePoint Support staff and offers support contracts as a Managed Service. Bulletproof also has a team of SharePoint Consultants in the Professional Services division who can assist you with planning, architecture, custom development, and general consulting. Go to https://www.bulletproofsi.com for more information.

Does Bulletproof make any other apps?

Yes, please visit the Bulletproof Apps website at https://bulletproofapps.azurewebsites.net for detailed descriptions.