Introduction
Concepts
Learn the core concepts of SignatureAPI including envelopes, documents, recipients, ceremonies, and deliverables
SignatureAPI organizes the document signing process around five core concepts:
flowchart LR
subgraph Envelope
B[Documents]
C[Recipients]
end
C -- review and sign Documents during --> D[Ceremony]
D -- after completion generates --> E[Deliverable]
Envelope
An Envelope is a container that holds documents and recipients. It organizes and tracks the entire signing workflow from creation to completion.
Documents
Documents are the files within an envelope that recipients need to review and sign. You can provide PDFs directly or generate documents from templates with dynamic data.
Recipients
Recipients are the people who interact with the envelope. Each recipient has a type (signer, approver, or preparer) that determines what actions they can perform.
Ceremony
A Ceremony is a guided session in which a recipient reviews the documents and performs their required actions, such as signing. Each recipient completes their own ceremony, and you can control the signing order (parallel or sequential).
Deliverable
After all recipients have completed their actions, the envelope is completed. A Deliverable is then generated, containing the signed documents and an audit log. The deliverable is sent to the recipients and is available for download via the API.