Skip to main content
A document is a PDF or DOCX file within an envelope. Each envelope can contain between 1 and 10 documents. Recipients sign, approve, or prepare documents during their ceremony. Documents are defined inside the documents array when creating an envelope. They are not created or updated independently. A document belongs to an envelope.

Document formats

SignatureAPI supports two document formats. You must set the format property to match the file type. PDF (format: "pdf") accepts standard PDF files. Place fields using placeholders embedded in the document text or fixed coordinates on a page. DOCX (format: "docx") accepts Microsoft Word files. In addition to places, DOCX documents support template fields that merge dynamic data into the document before signing begins.
If you upload a DOCX file but omit format or set it to "pdf", the API returns a cannot-parse-document error. Always set format: "docx" for Word files.
DOCX files created with Google Docs or LibreOffice may not be compatible. If you get a cannot-parse-document error, open the file in Microsoft Word and re-save it. This resolves most compatibility issues.

Providing a file

Set the url property to a publicly accessible URL for the file. SignatureAPI downloads the file when the envelope is created. You can host files on Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Cloudflare R2, and other services. You can also upload files directly to SignatureAPI and use the returned URL.

Places

Places are areas in a document where recipients interact or where information is displayed automatically. Input places include signatures, initials, text inputs, checkboxes, and dropdowns. Informational places include static text, completion dates, and recipient details. Define places in the places array. Each place has a key and a type.

Place positioning

A place must be positioned in the document. There are two methods. Placeholders: Embed [[place_key]] in the document text. The place appears at that location. This works for both PDF and DOCX documents. Fixed positions: Specify the page, top, and left values in the fixed_positions array. Coordinates are measured in points (1 point = 1/72 inch) from the top-left corner of the page. See Place Positioning for details and examples.

Attributes

// HTTP Status Code 200

{
  "id": "doc_3jBYlxa9gv0fGLzFAnfwxe",
  "envelope_id": "5e5ace5e-bd1e-4d5a-bb1f-6a2b2e42cd13",
  "key": "agreement",
  "title": "Service Agreement",
  "page_count": 3,
  "url": "https://pub-e5051420e98a4fdfb3fd42a62fbf06fa.r2.dev/agreement.pdf",
  "format": "pdf",
  "fixed_positions": [
    {
      "place_key": "provider_signs_here",
      "page": 3,
      "top": 600,
      "left": 72
    }
  ],
  "places": [
    {
      "key": "provider_signs_here",
      "type": "signature",
      "recipient_key": "service_provider",
      "height": 60
    },
    {
      "key": "client_signs_here",
      "type": "signature",
      "recipient_key": "client",
      "height": 60
    }
  ]
}