Document Templates

What Are Templates?

Templates are reusable document configurations with pre-placed fields and default settings. Instead of placing fields every time you send a recurring document (like NDAs, offer letters, or contracts), create a template once and send it with one click.

Creating a Template

The template creation wizard guides you through five steps:

Step 1: Template Details

• Name — Internal label for the template
• Description — Notes for your team about when to use this template

Step 2: Documents

• Upload your base document (PDF or image file)
• You can upload multiple files to create a multi-document template

Step 3: Recipient Roles

Define roles instead of specific people — when you send from the template, you assign real people to each role:

• Available role types: Signer, Approver, Carbon Copy, Reviewer
• Example: "Client" (Signer), "Legal Review" (Approver), "Finance" (CC)

Step 4: Place Fields

Drag fields from the palette onto the document and assign them to roles. The template field palette includes:

• Signature, Initial, Date, Text, Checkbox, Radio, Dropdown

Step 5: Branding

Customize the signing experience for this template with your brand colors and logo.

Sending from a Template

1. Open the template and click Use Template
2. Assign each role to a recipient (name + email)
3. Optionally customize the email subject and message
4. Click Send

The document is created with all fields pre-placed, ready for signing.

Template Management

Organize and manage your templates from the Templates dashboard:

• Search & Filter — Find templates by name, category, or tag
• Sort — By name, date created, or last used
• Grid / List View — Toggle between visual grid and compact list
• Favorites — Star frequently used templates for quick access
• Folders — Organize templates into folders and subfolders
• Hide / Unhide — Hide rarely used templates without deleting them
• Duplicate — Clone a template with one click

Template Settings

Each template has configurable settings:

• Default Expiration — Days until the signing request expires (7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days)
• Default Reminder — Automatic reminder frequency for unsigned documents
• Signing Order — Sequential or parallel signing
• Visibility — Private (only you) or Shared (entire organization)

Bulk Send

For Professional plans and above, you can send a template to multiple recipients at once using Bulk Send:

1. Open the template and click Bulk Send
2. Upload a CSV file with recipient details (name, email, role assignments)
3. Preview and confirm
4. ZiaSign creates individual signing requests for each row

Example CSV format:

Template Analytics

Track template performance from the Templates dashboard:

• Times Used — How many documents have been sent from this template
• Completion Rate — Percentage of sent documents that were fully signed
• Average Completion Time — How long it takes signers to complete on average