The Digital Transformation of Document Signing with DocuSign

How Dynamic Fields Work in DocuSign

• Template Creation: First, we need to  create a template document that includes placeholders for dynamic fields. These placeholders are typically marked with special tags or identifiers within the document.
• Dynamic Fields: When we are ready to create a signing request, we specify the values for these dynamic fields. DocuSign replaces the placeholders in the template with the actual data we provide, generating a new, personalised document.
• Signing Request: The newly generated document is then used to create a signing request. We can specify the signers, their roles, and the order in which they should sign the document.

Let's consider a scenario where we are creating a template for a real estate contract. The contract needs to include the buyer's name, address, and purchase price, which will vary for each transaction.

• Prepare the Document: First, we need to prepare our document. In a word processor or PDF editor, we can insert placeholders for the dynamic fields. For example, we will use {BuyerName}, {BuyerAddress}, and {PurchasePrice} as placeholders in our document.
• Create the Template in DocuSign:
  • Log in to DocuSign account and navigate to the Templates section.
  • Click on "New Template" and select "Upload Template" to upload the prepared document.
  • Once the document is uploaded, we can define the dynamic fields. In the template editor, we can specify where each dynamic field is located in the document. For example, we will specify that {BuyerName} is located at a specific position on the first page, {BuyerAddress} on the second page, and {PurchasePrice} on the third page.
• Use the Template:
  • When we want to use this template for a new transaction, we can fill in the dynamic fields with the specific information for that transaction. For example, we might fill in {BuyerName} with "John Doe", {BuyerAddress} with "123 Main St, Anytown, USA", and {PurchasePrice} with "$250,000".
  • Once the dynamic fields are filled in, we can send the document for signing. The recipients will see the document with the dynamic fields replaced by the actual data we provided.

Benefits of Using Dynamic Fields

• Efficiency: By using dynamic fields, we can create a single template that can be used for multiple transactions, saving time and effort.
• Personalisation: Each document can be personalised with the specific information for each transaction, ensuring that the document is relevant and accurate.
• Compliance: Dynamic fields can help ensure that documents are compliant with legal and regulatory requirements, as they allow for the inclusion of specific information that may be required by law.

Sample Code Snippet

Below is a simplified example of how we can use the DocuSign eSignature API to use Docusign template with dynamic fields and create a signing request. This example assumes that Docusign account is already set up, obtained API credentials, and installed the DocuSign eSignature SDK.

Creating a dynamic PDF with dynamic fields in Docusign(Request a signature through the app)

This example assumes that Docusign account is already set up, obtained API credentials, and installed the DocuSign eSignature SDK.

• Create the envelope definition
  • The first step in requesting a signature within the app is to define a method (called makeEnvelope in our example) that creates the envelope definition using the following steps:
    • Add a document to the definition by saving it to a variable as a binary-encoded base64 string. If we intend to attach multiple documents, specify the document order using an array. The order of the array sets the order of the documents.
    • Set the signer's data, including their name, email address, and a client user ID (any alphanumeric value is suitable). Including a client user ID automatically specifies the signer as embedded.
    • Create and assign signable fields (also known as tabs) for a specific signer within the document using   AutoPlace. This how-to uses anchor tabs to generate tabs automatically in the document by searching for each occurrence of a specific string of characters in the document and adding tabs at those locations. This example uses the string "/sn1/" for auto-placing the signature (signHere) tab. To configure the anchor tabs, specify the number of units from the anchor text to offset the tab, as well as the string to search for and replace with a signHereTab within the document. We can create multiple signHere tabs for different locations and offsets, if needed.After creating the tabs, assign them to the signer created in the previous step.
    • Set the envelope's status property. To save the envelope as a draft, set status to created. To configure the envelope to be sent immediately after it is instantiated, set status to sent instead. We will set to sent so the email gets triggered after creating the envelope.

We can opt to replace $contentBytes = file_get_contents($demoPath . $pdfFile); with a function call that retrieves the dynamically generated HTML or PDF. This adjustment simplifies the process of updating the PDF content as needed.

• Call DocuSign to create the envelope
  • With the envelope definition and the attributes defined for the signer, document, and custom fields, we can now use the   Envelopes:create endpoint to create an envelope for the transaction.
    • First, instantiate a new instance of the API client (if using a DocuSign SDK).
    • Set the following default request header to add the access token to all API calls."Authorization: Bearer ${ACCESS_TOKEN}"
    • Initialise the Envelopes API.
    • Using the DocuSign integration key and the prepared envelope definition, generate and retrieve an envelope ID using the   Envelopes:create **endpoint.

Conclusion:

Through the second approach, we've streamlined the process by automating PDF generation and utilising it to seamlessly create envelopes with multiple recipients. This enhancement enables us to specify the precise order in which emails are dispatched for document signing, ensuring an efficient and organised workflow.

References:

https://developers.docusign.com/docs/esign-rest-api/