How to send a document for signature?

This article will walk you through the process of sending a document for signature using the Sign.Plus eSignature API.

Following these steps, you will create an envelope, add a document, set a recipient, insert a signature annotation, and finally send the envelope for signature.

Prerequisites

• A Sign.Plus account with an API Plan
• Your Personal Access Token

Step 1: Create an Envelope

An envelope is a container for documents to be signed by recipients.

1. Send a request to the POST /v2/envelope endpoint to create a new envelope. {
"name": "My wonderful envelope",
"flow_type": "REQUEST_SIGNATURE",
"legality_level": "SES",
"expires_at": 1831280113,
"sandbox": true
}
2. Include your API key in the Authorization header.

3. On success, you'll receive an Envelope object.

   { "id": "<string>" ... }

4. Save the id as the envelope_id

Step 2: Add a document to your envelope

1. Use the POST /v2/envelope/{envelope_id}/document endpoint to add a document.

2. Replace {envelope_id} with the ID you received in Step 1.

3. Send a POST request with the document file in the request body as multipart/form-data.

4. On success, you'll receive a Document object as a response.
   { "id": "<string>" ... }

5. Save the id as the document_id for later.

Step 3: Set a recipient for your envelope

1. Use the POST /v2/envelope/{envelope_id}/signing_steps endpoint to add a recipient.

2. Replace {envelope_id} with your envelope ID.

3. Send a POST request with the following JSON body:

   {
"signing_steps": [
{
"recipients": [
{
"name": "John Doe", "email": "john.doe@example.com", "role": "SIGNER"
} ] } ] }

4. On success, you'll receive an array of SigninStep.

5. Browse the array and take the id name of the recipient for which you want to add the signature frame (signature annotation). Save this id as the recipient_id.

Step 4: Insert a signature annotation in your document

Before adding a signature annotation, make sure you've defined your signature in the Sign.Plus platform.

1. Use the POST /v2/envelope/{envelope_id}/annotation endpoint to add a signature annotation.
2. Replace {envelope_id} with your envelope ID. 
3. Send a POST request with the following JSON body:
   {
"recipient_id": "<recipient_id>",
"document_id": "<document_id>",
"page": 1,
"x": 50,
"y": 20,
"width": 20,
"height": 60,
"required": true,
"type": "SIGNATURE",
}

   Replace <recipient_id> and <document_id>with the appropriate values.

Step 5: Send your envelope for signature

1. Use the POST /v2/envelope/{envelope_id}/send endpoint to send the envelope.
2. Replace {envelope_id} with your envelope ID.
3. Send a POSTrequest to this endpoint.
4. On success, the envelope will be sent to the recipient for signature.
   
   

Conclusion

You've now successfully sent a document for signature using the Sign.Plus eSignature API. The recipient will receive an email notification with a link to sign the document.

For more detailed information on each API endpoint used in this process, please refer to our API documentation.