How to Dynamically Generate PDFs with DocuSign Templates

Learn the best methods to dynamically generate PDFs for DocuSign, optimizing signatures while keeping your documents updated with database information.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/66544977/ asked by the user 'charles boyle' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/14001418/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66545520/ provided by the user 'Larry K' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/64904/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Is there a way to generate dynamic PDFs with Docusign templates

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/licensing
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Dynamically Generate PDFs with DocuSign Templates

Creating dynamic PDFs can often be a daunting task, particularly when you need them to match a specific format and include user data from a database. This guide addresses a common issue: Is there a way to generate dynamic PDFs with DocuSign templates? We will explore the available options to accomplish this efficiently while leveraging DocuSign’s capabilities for signatures.

Understanding the Problem

Imagine you have an extensive contract comprising over ten pages of information that frequently changes. Along with this content, you need to automatically populate user information retrieved from a database. Additionally, you need to send the resulting PDF to DocuSign for signatures. The primary questions are:

Is it better to generate the PDF in-house or use DocuSign solely for the signature process?

How can we keep the content dynamic and update it seamlessly?

Suggested Solutions

Fortunately, there are several approaches to handle this situation. Below, we’ll break down the recommended strategies into manageable sections:

1. Add Dynamic Data to the DocuSign Envelope

Recommendation: One effective and fast approach is to add data via read-only tabs when creating your DocuSign envelopes. This method involves:

Adding text and other types of tabs directly to the document when the envelope is created.

Utilizing a pre-designed template that includes your document along with tab placements for data entry.

Benefits

Your business team can make updates to the PDF without needing a developer's intervention, assuming they follow guidelines properly.

It allows for the flexibility of setting tab values as read-only so that signers cannot modify them, or allowing them to change values where appropriate.

Downside

Customizing the font and size of the added text to blend seamlessly with the existing PDF can be a challenge. However, this does depend on your use case and how critical it is for the text to match the style of the original document.

2. Generate Custom PDFs for Each Envelope

Another option is to create custom PDFs tailored for each envelope sent to DocuSign. Here’s how this method works:

Integration of User Data: The dynamic text is embedded within the PDF, preserving the original document’s font, size, and layout exactly.

Benefits

Gives you precise control over the appearance of the document as the text will be part of the PDF itself.

Downside

This approach typically requires more programming effort compared to using the API calls to add text tabs. Additionally, any changes to the original PDF may necessitate involvement from developers to update the generated files.

3. Generate an HTML Document on the Fly

If you prefer a highly accurate reproduction of your PDF layout, consider generating custom HTML documents dynamically:

This method allows you to create a document that DocuSign can transform into a PDF.

It maximizes the utilization of DocuSign features like Responsive Signing and Smart Sections.

Benefits

You can achieve a great level of customization and aesthetics in the final document.

Downside

Similar to the custom PDF method, generating HTML documents can complicate future updates, as any modifications may require more development work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can dynamically generate PDFs with DocuSign using a variety of methods. The right choice depends on your specific needs regarding ease of updates, document style, and the level of control you require.

For rapid implementation and user accessibility, using read-only tabs in DocuSign is a great choice.

Alternatively, for complete aesthetic control, consider generating custom PDFs or HTML documents.

Whichever meth

Видео How to Dynamically Generate PDFs with DocuSign Templates канала vlogize