PDF eSigning Templates

PDF eSigning template is the most commonly used type of template in Circularo.

Any PDF document can be saved as a template, along with the definition of signature and fillable fields, participant roles, and even individual recipients.

Already pre-prepared PDF templates (i.e PDF documents that already contain embedded fields) can also be used. Circularo will recognize the fields automatically and replace them with their Circularo equivalents. 

Creating PDF eSigning templates

As mentioned above, you can either

1. upload an already existing PDF Acrobat form with fields, or

2. create a PDF template in Circularo from scratch.

Using an existing PDF form

This option, as of now, comes with some restrictions and limitations, which are the following:

• Only single-user forms can currently benefit from automatic field recognition. It is, of course, possible to add multiple parties/recipients to your PDF form but all fields will be automatically assigned to the same person. 

• Automatic field detection depends on multiple factors, mostly related to the way the form was originally prepared. Therefore, we currently cannot 100% guarantee that all fields will be recognized. 

To learn how to turn an already existing PDF form into a template, see the How to fill and sign PDF forms step-by-step guide.

Creating PDF templates from scratch

New template

To create a template, go to the Templates section in the menu and select New Template. You can also right click on any existing template to Duplicate it.

1. Start with either uploading a new document from your desktop or selecting an existing document stored in Circularo. 

Alternatively, you can also browse your documents stored externally in GDrive, Dropbox, or OneDrive and upload them as a Template directly to Circularo.

2. In the next step, you need to decide whether you want to just save the new Template as-is or if you would like to define the eSigning process including the signature fields and other placeholders.  

A saved template can be updated at any time after you have created and saved it, including the definition of the signatories and other workflow participants, signature fields, and other fillable fields.

3. By clicking on the Continue button, the document will be converted to PDF and you will be able to start defining the signatories and signing fields as you would during the standard eSigning process. 

4. Select signatories and other workflow participants.

5. Set the signing order, add rights, and names/titles to all the recipients, and add specific users if you know that they will be signing the document repeatedly by adding their email addresses.

6. Place the signature and fillable fields for recipients on the template document and set their properties and restrictions.

7. Once the template is ready, it can be either saved or saved and immediately used.

8. After saving the template, Circularo will redirect you to the Template preview, where you can perform any important action (Edit, Rename, Delete, etc.)

Turn document into template

Any existing document in Circularo can be turned into a template - you don’t have to upload it again.

To do so, go to the Templates section in the menu and select New Template. Then go to the From document tab and select the document you want to base your template on.

After clicking Continue, the following steps are identical to creating a template from scratch.

Alternatively, documents can also be saved as templates during the signing process.

Using PDF eSigning templates

Use template

To use your PDF template, go to the Templates section of the menu, select your template and click on the Use template button. On the next page, continue by picking one of these two options:

• Use Template - Continue with the same document on which the template was based originally when first created.

• Upload File - Upload a new PDF file that will replace the original content of the template. All template settings, such as the definition of signatories or fields, will be preserved.

The position of signing fields in a template is fixed.

When uploading a new document to replace the one stored within a PDF eSigning template, keep that in mind. You might need to adjust the positions of the signature fields manually should the uploaded PDF content be different from the original one.

Sign in bulk

If you need to use the template to send a signature request to a large number of recipients, navigate to the dropdown menu and select the Sign in bulk option.

You will be asked to upload a CSV file containing contact details of all the recipients. Email address is a mandatory requirement for this feature to work, names and other details are optional.

TIP: Export a CSV file from your Contacts

In the next step, organize the data from your CSV file to extract the information you need.

Then drag and drop the fields to their corresponding places.

When done, click Next and a copy of the document template will be sent to each recipient as a signature request.

Only single-role templates can currently be bulk signed.