Generating automated messages within messaging threads that facilitate digital signatures by verified users

Abstract

This disclosure covers systems and methods that verify a user's identity and generate automated messages within a messaging thread to prompt the user to digitally sign a digital document. Before generating such automated messages, the disclosed methods and systems optionally cause a client device to transition from presenting a newsfeed comprising a third party's digital content item to (alternatively or additionally) presenting a messaging thread. For instance, in some embodiments, the methods and systems provide a messaging thread for a user and the third party upon receiving a selection by the user of an option within the newsfeed associated with the digital content item. Within the messaging thread, the methods and systems then generate automated messages that prompt the user to digitally sign the digital document, such as a digital petition or contract.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 generating a first automated message within a messaging thread between a client device and a third party, the first automated message comprising a signature option to digitally sign a digital document;   in response to receiving a selection of the signature option from the client device, generating a second automated message within the messaging thread comprising an image of a digital signature and an add-signature option to add the digital signature to the digital document;   receiving a selection of the add-signature option from the client device;   verifying an identity of a user associated with the client device; and   adding the digital signature to the digital document based on receiving the selection of the add-signature option and verifying the identity of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the second automated message comprises generating the second automated message comprising an edit-signature option to edit a stored digital signature associated with the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the second automated message comprises one or more of:
 generating a preloaded image of a previous digital signature of the user; or   generating a digital signature field for drawing a digital signature for the user.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the second automated message comprises automatically generating the image of the digital signature based on a name designated for the user associated with the client device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the first automated message comprises generating the first automated message to include the signature option and a digital document thumbnail depicting at least a portion of the digital document. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a new-signature option from the client device to create a new digital signature for the user; and   in response to receiving the selection of the new-signature option, providing a digital signature field for creating the new digital signature for the user and including an option to upload the new digital signature for a user account associated with the user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying the identity of the user comprises comparing a location of the client device and a device identifier of the client device to locations and device identifiers of one or more client devices tracked within a user history for the user. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:
 generate a first automated message within a messaging thread between a client device and a third party, the first automated message comprising a signature option to digitally sign a digital document;   in response to receiving a selection of the signature option from the client device, generate a second automated message within the messaging thread comprising an image of a digital signature and an add-signature option to add the digital signature to the digital document;   receive a selection of the add-signature option from the client device;   verify an identity of a user associated with the client device; and   add the digital signature to the digital document based on receiving the selection of the add-signature option and verifying the identity of the user.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to generate the second automated message by generating the second automated message comprising an edit-signature option to edit a stored digital signature associated with the user. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to generate the second automated message by one or more of:
 generating a preloaded image of a previous digital signature of the user; or   generating a digital signature field for drawing a digital signature for the user.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to generate the second automated message by automatically generating the image of the digital signature based on a name designated for the user associated with the client device. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to generate the first automated message by generating the first automated message to include the signature option and a digital document thumbnail depicting at least a portion of the digital document. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
 receive a selection of a new-signature option from the client device to create a new digital signature for the user; and   in response to receiving the selection of the new-signature option, provide a digital signature field for creating the new digital signature for the user and including an option to upload the new digital signature for a user account associated with the user.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to verify the identity of the user by comparing a location of the client device and a device identifier of the client device to locations and device identifiers of one or more client devices tracked within a user history for the user. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 generate a first automated message within a messaging thread between a client device and a third party, the first automated message comprising a signature option to digitally sign a digital document; 
 in response to receiving a selection of the signature option from the client device, generate a second automated message within the messaging thread comprising an image of a digital signature and an add-signature option to add the digital signature to the digital document; 
 receive a selection of the add-signature option from the client device; 
 verify an identity of a user associated with the client device; and 
 add the digital signature to the digital document based on receiving the selection of the add-signature option and verifying the identity of the user. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to generate the second automated message by generating the second automated message comprising an edit-signature option to edit a stored digital signature associated with the user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to generate the second automated message by one or more of:
 generating a preloaded image of a previous digital signature of the user; or   generating a digital signature field for drawing a digital signature for the user.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to generate the second automated message by automatically generating the image of the digital signature based on a name designated for the user associated with the client device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to generate the first automated message by generating the first automated message to include the signature option and a digital document thumbnail depicting at least a portion of the digital document. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 receive a selection of a new-signature option from the client device to create a new digital signature for the user; and   in response to receiving the selection of the new-signature option, provide a digital signature field for creating the new digital signature for the user and including an option to upload the new digital signature for a user account associated with the user.