Basic process flow

This is a general overview of how the Docusign system works to familiarize API users with terms and process. It is not a faithful reproduction of how the process is implemented, either on the website or in the API.

A sender has a set of documents that they would like to have signed. The sender supplies the name and email address of each person they want to sign the document, and marks the documents with tabs (also known as fields or tags) to indicate where each party should sign or initial. The sender may also choose to let the receiving party free-form sign the document. The sender then places the document into the Docusign system. The Docusign system then notifies each recipient, via the supplied email address(es), that they have been asked to sign a document, and provides a link to the envelope.

When a recipient clicks the link, they will see the documents with Docusign tabs in the locations specified by the sender, representing where they need to click to sign or initial the document. If the sender chooses to use free-form signing the recipient will see the document with a note letting them know to click on the document to sign.

When all recipients have clicked on all of their respective Docusign tabs or added their signature via free-form signing, the document is signed.

When this process is initiated via the Docusign Connect API, the envelope can either be completely specified, which is to say that all tabs (or free-form signing), documents and recipients have been either supplied in the request, or partially specified, meaning that at least one document is present, but recipients and ‘stick e-tabs’ may not be. This second case is used to create a ‘draft’ envelope for the sender and allows him or her to finish sending it online through the web interface.