Signing Flow Options

Configure how documents are presented to signers with email delivery, embedded signing, and routing options.

Delivery Methods

Method	Use Case	User Experience
Email	External parties, async	Signer receives email, clicks link
Embedded	In-app signing	Signer signs within your application
Hybrid	Mix of internal/external	Some embedded, some via email

Email Signing

Flow Diagram

Basic Email Signing

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/envelopes" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "emailSubject": "Please sign: Service Agreement",
    "emailBlurb": "Please review and sign this document at your earliest convenience.",
    "status": "sent",
    "documents": [{
      "documentId": "1",
      "name": "Agreement.pdf",
      "documentBase64": "JVBERi0xLjQK..."
    }],
    "recipients": {
      "signers": [{
        "email": "client@example.com",
        "name": "John Smith",
        "recipientId": "1",
        "routingOrder": "1"
      }]
    }
  }'

JavaScript

const sendForSignature = async (accountId, token, documentBase64) => {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/${accountId}/envelopes`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        emailSubject: 'Please sign: Service Agreement',
        emailBlurb: 'Please review and sign this document at your earliest convenience.',
        status: 'sent',
        documents: [{
          documentId: '1',
          name: 'Agreement.pdf',
          documentBase64,
        }],
        recipients: {
          signers: [{
            email: 'client@example.com',
            name: 'John Smith',
            recipientId: '1',
            routingOrder: '1',
          }],
        },
      }),
    }
  );

  return response.json();
};

Python

def send_for_signature(account_id: str, token: str, document_base64: str) -> dict:
    response = requests.post(
        f"https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{account_id}/envelopes",
        headers={
            "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
        },
        json={
            "emailSubject": "Please sign: Service Agreement",
            "emailBlurb": "Please review and sign this document at your earliest convenience.",
            "status": "sent",
            "documents": [{
                "documentId": "1",
                "name": "Agreement.pdf",
                "documentBase64": document_base64,
            }],
            "recipients": {
                "signers": [{
                    "email": "client@example.com",
                    "name": "John Smith",
                    "recipientId": "1",
                    "routingOrder": "1",
                }],
            },
        },
    )
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

Customizing Email Content

{
  "emailSubject": "Action Required: {{documentName}} needs your signature",
  "emailBlurb": "Dear {{recipientName}},\n\nPlease review and sign the attached document.\n\nThis link will expire in 7 days.\n\nBest regards,\nThe Acme Team",
  "brandId": "brand_abc123"
}

Email Notifications

Configure notification preferences per recipient:

{
  "recipients": {
    "signers": [{
      "email": "signer@example.com",
      "name": "John Smith",
      "recipientId": "1",
      "emailNotification": {
        "emailSubject": "Custom subject for this recipient",
        "emailBody": "Custom body text",
        "supportedLanguage": "en"
      }
    }]
  }
}

Embedded Signing

For embedded signing, see the dedicated Embedded Signing Guide.

Quick summary:

Key requirement: Set clientUserId on recipients to enable embedded signing.

Signing Order

Sequential Signing

Signers must sign in order. Signer 2 won't receive notification until Signer 1 completes.

{
  "recipients": {
    "signers": [
      {
        "email": "ceo@company.com",
        "name": "CEO",
        "recipientId": "1",
        "routingOrder": "1"
      },
      {
        "email": "cfo@company.com",
        "name": "CFO",
        "recipientId": "2",
        "routingOrder": "2"
      },
      {
        "email": "legal@company.com",
        "name": "Legal",
        "recipientId": "3",
        "routingOrder": "3"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Parallel Signing

Multiple signers can sign simultaneously by using the same routingOrder.

{
  "recipients": {
    "signers": [
      {
        "email": "party-a@example.com",
        "name": "Party A",
        "recipientId": "1",
        "routingOrder": "1"
      },
      {
        "email": "party-b@example.com",
        "name": "Party B",
        "recipientId": "2",
        "routingOrder": "1"
      },
      {
        "email": "notary@example.com",
        "name": "Notary",
        "recipientId": "3",
        "routingOrder": "2"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Mixed Routing

Combine sequential and parallel:

{
  "recipients": {
    "signers": [
      { "email": "employee@company.com", "routingOrder": "1" },
      { "email": "manager@company.com", "routingOrder": "2" },
      { "email": "hr@company.com", "routingOrder": "2" },
      { "email": "legal@company.com", "routingOrder": "3" }
    ]
  }
}

Flow: Employee → (Manager AND HR in parallel) → Legal

Recipient Types

Type	Description	Can Sign	Receives Copy
signers	Must sign the document	Yes	Yes
carbonCopies	Receives copy when complete	No	Yes
certifiedDeliveries	Must confirm receipt	No	Yes
viewers	Can view but not sign	No	Optional

Adding CC Recipients

{
  "recipients": {
    "signers": [{
      "email": "signer@example.com",
      "name": "Main Signer",
      "recipientId": "1",
      "routingOrder": "1"
    }],
    "carbonCopies": [{
      "email": "legal@company.com",
      "name": "Legal Department",
      "recipientId": "2",
      "routingOrder": "2"
    }]
  }
}

Reminders

Automatic Reminders

Configure automatic reminders in the envelope:

{
  "notification": {
    "useAccountDefaults": false,
    "reminders": {
      "reminderEnabled": true,
      "reminderDelay": "2",
      "reminderFrequency": "2"
    },
    "expirations": {
      "expireEnabled": true,
      "expireAfter": "120",
      "expireWarn": "3"
    }
  }
}

Field	Description
reminderDelay	Days before first reminder
reminderFrequency	Days between reminders
expireAfter	Days until expiration
expireWarn	Days before expiry to warn

Manual Reminders

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/envelopes/{envelopeId}/recipients/{recipientId}/reminder" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "reminderMessage": "Friendly reminder: Please sign the document at your earliest convenience."
  }'

JavaScript

const sendReminder = async (accountId, envelopeId, recipientId, token) => {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/${accountId}/envelopes/${envelopeId}/recipients/${recipientId}/reminder`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        reminderMessage: 'Friendly reminder: Please sign the document at your earliest convenience.',
      }),
    }
  );

  return response.ok;
};

Python

def send_reminder(account_id: str, envelope_id: str, recipient_id: str, token: str) -> bool:
    response = requests.post(
        f"https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{account_id}/envelopes/{envelope_id}/recipients/{recipient_id}/reminder",
        headers={
            "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
        },
        json={
            "reminderMessage": "Friendly reminder: Please sign the document at your earliest convenience.",
        },
    )
    return response.ok

Document Expiration

Setting Expiration

{
  "emailSubject": "Time-sensitive: Contract expires soon",
  "status": "sent",
  "notification": {
    "expirations": {
      "expireEnabled": true,
      "expireAfter": "7",
      "expireWarn": "2"
    }
  }
}

Handling Expired Documents

When a document expires:

1. Webhook document.expired is triggered
2. Signers can no longer access the document
3. You can create a new envelope to resend

// Handle expiration webhook
if (event.type === 'document.expired') {
  const { envelopeId } = event.data.document;

  // Option 1: Create new envelope with same content
  const newEnvelope = await resendEnvelope(envelopeId);

  // Option 2: Notify your team
  await notifyTeam(`Envelope ${envelopeId} has expired`);
}

Voiding Envelopes

Cancel an envelope that's been sent:

cURL

curl -X PUT "https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/envelopes/{envelopeId}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "status": "voided",
    "voidedReason": "Contract terms changed - sending updated version"
  }'

JavaScript

const voidEnvelope = async (accountId, envelopeId, reason, token) => {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/${accountId}/envelopes/${envelopeId}`,
    {
      method: 'PUT',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        status: 'voided',
        voidedReason: reason,
      }),
    }
  );

  return response.json();
};

await voidEnvelope(accountId, envelopeId, 'Contract terms changed', token);

Python

def void_envelope(account_id: str, envelope_id: str, reason: str, token: str) -> dict:
    response = requests.put(
        f"https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{account_id}/envelopes/{envelope_id}",
        headers={
            "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
        },
        json={
            "status": "voided",
            "voidedReason": reason,
        },
    )
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

void_envelope(account_id, envelope_id, "Contract terms changed", token)

warning

Voiding is irreversible. Recipients will be notified that the document has been voided.

Resending Envelopes

Resend signing notifications to recipients who haven't signed:

cURL

curl -X PUT "https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/envelopes/{envelopeId}?resend_envelope=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{}'

JavaScript

const resendEnvelope = async (accountId, envelopeId, token) => {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/${accountId}/envelopes/${envelopeId}?resend_envelope=true`,
    {
      method: 'PUT',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({}),
    }
  );

  return response.json();
};

Python

def resend_envelope(account_id: str, envelope_id: str, token: str) -> dict:
    response = requests.put(
        f"https://api.propper.ai/restapi/v2.1/accounts/{account_id}/envelopes/{envelope_id}",
        headers={
            "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
        },
        params={"resend_envelope": "true"},
        json={},
    )
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

Status Transitions

Status	Description	Can Modify
created	Draft envelope	Yes
sent	Sent to recipients	Limited
delivered	Viewed by recipient	No
completed	All signatures collected	No
declined	Recipient refused	No
voided	Cancelled by sender	No

Next Steps

• Embedded Signing - Sign within your app
• Webhooks - Real-time status notifications
• Error Handling - Handle signing errors