> You are reading the Docusign Developer Documentation. For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
>
> Documentation indexes by section:
> - APIs and SDKs: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/docs/llms.txt
> - Platform 101: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/platform/llms.txt
> - Extension Apps: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/extension-apps/llms.txt
> - Docusign CLI: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/docusign-cli/llms.txt
>
> Authentication (OAuth, JWT Grant, M2M): https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/platform/auth
> Webhooks and Connect: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/platform/webhooks
>
> OpenAPI specifications: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/openapi.json
> MCP server: https://docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/_mcp/server

# Deliver remote web form instances to users

> Learn how to deliver web form instances to users via email.

> **Note**
>
> The Web Forms API is available in all developer accounts, but only in certain production account plans. Contact [Docusign Support](https://support.docusign.com/s/?language=en_US) or your account manager to find out whether the Web Forms API is available for your production account plan.

A Web Forms API integration launches an [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request or equivalent [SDK](/docs/web-forms-api/sdks) method call to create a [web form instance](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-instances) from a [web form configuration](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-configurations). If the request properties indicate that a remote web form instance is to be created, Docusign sends an [envelope email](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=ulp1643236876813\&topicId=pah1578456451991.html) to each user defined in the request. Depending on the web form configuration, the link in the email may do either of the following:

* Take the user to a web form instance that is embedded in an [envelope](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#esignature-envelopes). After the user populates and submits the form instance, they sign and complete the envelope.
* Take the user directly to the envelope, if the web form configuration does not specify that web form instance submission is required for the user.

**Note:** Instead of delivering web form instances to users, your integration can embed form instances in your website or redirect users to form instance URLs. See [When to use embedded or remote web form instance delivery](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/when-to-use-embedded-or-remote-delivery) for details.

## Roles determine web form instance behavior for users

Roles are defined in a [web form configuration](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-configurations). For each role, several options can be set:

* Whether users associated with the role fill out a [web form instance](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-instances) and [envelope](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#esignature-envelopes), or just the envelope
* The order in which users in each role complete the web form instance and/or envelope. If the configuration specifies a routing order with multiple steps, a user will not receive an envelope email until the users at previous steps in the routing order have completed the web form instance and/or envelope.

  **Note:** When your integration sends an [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request, the envelope email is immediately sent to all users whose role is assigned to the first step of the routing order.
* The web form instance view that will be displayed to users in that role. When a remote web form instance is delivered to more than one user, each user sees a different view of the instance with form fields that are relevant only to them.
* Which tabs the user populates on the eSignature envelope that each user completes. Although all users who fill out a web form instance see the same envelope, they complete different tabs on the envelope. Tab assignments for each role are configured in the [web form template](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-templates).
* Whether or not a user is required to verify their identity before proceeding to a web form instance or envelope. Identity verification can be enabled in the web form template. See [Add Phone Authentication for a Recipient ](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=gav1643676262430\&topicId=lsb1578456522697.html) for more information.

See [Build a Multiple-Recipient Web Form](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=gmi1660583110357\&topicId=inc1745950777430.html)﻿ for details on how to define a web form configuration with multiple roles and set options associated with each role.

## Requirements to create remote web form instances

To create remote web form instances, your Web Forms API integration must:

1. Ensure that it creates instances from a [web form configuration](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-configurations) that supports remote web form instances. See [Web form configuration support for remote web form instances](/docs/web-forms-api/plan-integration/retrieve-configuration-details#web-form-configuration-support-for-remote-web-form-instances) for information about how to verify remote instance support.
2. In the [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request or equivalent [SDK](/docs/web-forms-api/sdks) method call, include this property to designate the instance as remote:
   `"sendOption": "now"`
3. Supply required values for users who will receive envelope emails. See the next sections for details.

## Required user values for remote web form instances

For remote web form instances, the [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request must include values that define each user who will receive the envelope email. User values are supplied as follows:

* At minimum, user values must be provided for the primary recipient role in the [web form configuration](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-configurations). A primary recipient role is required for every configuration, and users in that role fill out both a web form instance and envelope.
* User values for additional recipient roles can be omitted from the `Instances:createInstance` request. Those recipients will be removed from the envelope process unless hard-coded user values already exist on the [web form template](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-templates).

The next sections describe user values that are supplied in an `Instances:createInstance` request.

### Name

A name consists of the user’s first and last name. This value appears in the [envelope email](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=ulp1643236876813\&topicId=pah1578456451991.html). The API integration’s business logic should supply the name for each user.

### Email address

This is the email address to which the envelope email will be sent. The API integration’s business logic should supply the email address for each user.

### Phone number

If a role requires a phone number as part of identity verification, the `Instances:createInstance` request must supply a phone number for a user with that role. When the user selects the link in the envelope email, they are routed to a page where they enter the access code sent to them via SMS or phone call. On successful identity verification, the user proceeds to the web form instance or envelope. See [Add Phone Authentication for a Recipient ](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=gav1643676262430\&topicId=lsb1578456522697.html) for information about how to enable identity verification in a template.

### Role name

**Note:** If an [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request supplies recipient information in the [formValues](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance#schema__createinstancerequestbody_formvalues) object instead of the [recipients](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance#schema__createinstancerequestbody_recipients) object, role names are not needed in the request.

A role name associates an envelope email recipient with a web form configuration role. You can obtain role names for a configuration from the `roleName` property in the [Configurations:getForm](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/configurations/getform) response’s `recipientInfoMap` object. You can also obtain a configuration’s role names by viewing the web form configuration in the [Web Forms builder](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=gmi1660583110357\&topicId=gpc1660591510274.html).

## Options to supply required user values

User information can be supplied in one of two objects in the [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request:

* [recipients](/docs/web-forms-api/plan-integration/deliver-remote-instances-to-users#supply-user-values-in-the-recipients-object)
* [formValues](/docs/web-forms-api/plan-integration/deliver-remote-instances-to-users#supply-user-values-in-the-formValues-object)

### Supply user values in the recipients object

The [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request’s [recipients](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance#schema__createinstancerequestbody_recipients) object can supply the required role name, name, email address, and phone number for each user. For example:

```text
{
  "sendOption": "now",
  "recipients": [
    {
      "roleName": "signer1",
      "name": "Sally Signer",
      "email": "sally.signer@email.com",
      "phoneNumber": {
        "countryCode": "1",
        "nationalNumber": "4155551212"
      }
    },
    {
      "roleName": "signer2",
      "name": "Steven Signer",
      "email": "steven.signer@email.com",
      "phoneNumber": {
        "countryCode": "1",
        "nationalNumber": "2065551212"
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

### Supply user values in the formValues object

The [Instances:createInstance](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance) request’s [formValues](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance#schema__createinstancerequestbody_formvalues) object can be used to define each recipient’s name, email address, and phone number. If you define these values in the `formValues` object, you can omit the [recipients](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/instances/createinstance#schema__createinstancerequestbody_recipients) object from the `Instances:createInstance` request.

To supply these values in the `formValues` object, include key/value pairs for each recipient’s name, email address, and phone number. The key in each key/value pair is the `componentName` for the field that is returned in a [Configurations:getForm](/docs/web-forms-api/reference/webforms/configurations/getform) response. These fields must be mapped to recipients on the [web form template](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/concepts#web-form-templates) as part of the web form configuration. See [Form field definitions](/docs/web-forms-api/plan-integration/retrieve-configuration-details#form-field-definitions) for details.

For example:

```text
{
  "sendOption": "now",
  "formValues": {
    "account_owner_name": "Sally Signer",
    "account_owner_email": "sally.signer@email.com",
    "account_owner_phone": {
      "countryCode": "1",
      "nationalNumber": "4155551212"
    }
    "account_approver_name": "Steven Signer",
    "account_approver_email": "steven.signer@email.com",
    "account_approver_phone": {
      "countryCode": "1",
      "nationalNumber": "2065551212"
    }
  }
}
```

**Note:** If a name, email address, or phone number for a remote web form instance recipient is populated in both the `recipients` object and the `formValues` object, the values must match. If they do not, Docusign returns an error in response to the `Instances:createInstance` request.

## Additional prefill requirements for remote web form instances

These additional requirements for [prefilling](/docs/web-forms-api/plan-integration/prefill-instance-fields) values apply when creating a remote web form instance:

* If the web form instance includes required [envelope custom fields](/docs/web-forms-api/plan-integration/retrieve-configuration-details#envelope-custom-fields), their values must be prefilled.
* If the web form configuration has rules that include or omit documents from the envelope based on the value of web form fields, those field values must be prefilled. See [Add Conditional Rules to a Web Form](https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?bundleId=gmi1660583110357\&topicId=kff1668121038223.html)﻿ for more information.

## Next steps

* Get an overview of the remote web form instance flow in [Web form instance processing](/docs/web-forms-api/web-forms-101/instance-processing).
* See [How to create and send a web form instance](/docs/web-forms-api/how-to/create-send-instance) for code examples that demonstrate the creation of a remote web form instance.