Docusign API, place all signature tags before sending

Question

I'm using the Docusign REST API. I've created an envelope with multiple recipients and I've retrieved the sender URL to open up the web consult to place signature/initial tags.

Is there any way with the API to not allow the sender to actually SEND without dragging at least one signature tag per recipient?

Answer 1

Re: Is there any way with the API to not allow the sender to actually SEND without dragging at least one signature tag per recipient?

Not specifically. But here are some ideas to improve the situation:

Include signer tabs for the sender

As part of creating the envelope, include a signer recipient tab for each of the recipients. Then the person editing the document would simply move the tab around on the screen rather than having to drag it over from the tab toolbox on the left side.

Give more responsibility to your integration application

Enable your integration to have more control over the business process and therefore not show the "sending screen" to the sender. This way, your senders spend more time interacting with your app, and your app has more control over the situation.

For example:

• If only a couple of document types will be sent, enable the sender to choose the document type and to fill in its parameters via your app. Then you can send the document out for signing and your app can place the various tabs.
• Or when the sender uploads a document to your app, you can check the document for anchor text such as "//signer1//" Then, your app adds a signer tab with anchor text //signer1//. See this recipe.
• Or enable the senders to upload docs, but use a standard "Signing page" that your app will append to all of the envelopes. When the signer signs, the extra doc (the signing page) looks as a continuation of the prior docs in the envelope. Your app would auto-generate the signing page, including the signature tabs on that page.

If you can, I would recommend that you not enable people to upload docs. (Or maybe just attachments to the main docs). Instead, reach agreement with the business process owner on what are the possible docs that can be sent. Figure out the best format for each, and enable your app to auto-generate the docs based on inputs from the senders and from other business databases/apps.