“What’s the perfect date?” Some might say, “April 25th — because it’s not too hot, not too cold, and all you need is a light jacket.” But when it comes to date formats, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Depending on where you are in the world, your ideal date format might look very different. That’s why SignatureAPI is thrilled to introduce our newest feature: customizable date formats and account default date settings.
Introducing Customizable Date Formats
In the world of electronic signatures, precision and clarity are crucial. We understand that date formats can cause confusion, especially in a global context. Whether you prefer the American MM/DD/YYYY, the European DD/MM/YYYY, or the ISO standard YYYY-MM-DD, SignatureAPI now lets you tailor date formats to your needs.
Why Customizable Date Formats Matter
- Clarity and Precision: Avoid misunderstandings and errors by using a date format familiar to you and your clients.
- Consistency: Ensure uniformity across all your documents and processes, crucial for professional standards and legal compliance.
- Global Compatibility: If your business operates internationally, adapting to different regional date formats significantly enhances communication and customer satisfaction.
What the New Feature Includes
Envelope-level Date Formats
You can set a date format at the envelope level via the timestamp_format property. For example, this JSON creates an envelope with the American date format (MM/DD/YYYY) and a 12-hour clock time format (e.g., 11:00:00 AM).
{
"title": "Dummy Consent",
"timestamp_format": "MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss",
"documents": [
{
"url": "https://pub-e5051420e98a4fdfb3fd42a62fbf06fa.r2.dev/five-fingers.pdf"
}
],
"recipients": [
{
"type": "signer",
"key": "human",
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john@example.com"
}
]
}
You can see more examples and formats in the SignatureAPI documentation.
Account Default Date Formats
You can also set an account-wide default date format to ensure consistency. Once set, envelopes will use this date format unless a different format is specified via the timestamp_format property. You can do this in your Dashboard, in the Settings page.

Let’s Make Every Date, Well, Perfect
At SignatureAPI, we believe in continuous improvement and listening to our users. The introduction of customizable date formats is just one step toward making our platform more flexible and user-centric. Explore the new customizable date formats today and see how they simplify your workflow, improve accuracy, and enhance your overall experience.