Web Forms API 101

The Web Forms feature enables you to build web pages that contain fields in which users enter data. User-entered form values can be dynamically incorporated into eSignature envelopes that users sign, as well as exported to your business applications. With the Web Forms builder, you can easily create a sequence of form pages, add form fields, set validation rules, and apply conditional logic.

The Web Forms API enables you to create and manage the web form instances that users fill out. You can also use the API to retrieve data about the web form configurations that are available in your Docusign account. A web form configuration is the set of properties that defines a web form.

With the Web Forms API, you can:

• Deliver web forms to your customers using your preferred method: send them a link via email, embed the form in your web application, or redirect users to the Docusign platform.
• Prefill form fields with customer information from a system of record
• Monitor the status of web form instances and corresponding envelopes generated after form submission
• Track a user’s progress towards completing their web form instance
• Retrieve user-submitted form data for export to external systems

In addition to the Web Forms API, Docusign provides a JavaScript client SDK, Docusign JS, that you can use to seamlessly embed a web form instance into your website. Note that the Docusign JS library cannot be used with remote web form instances. Remote instances are managed entirely through the Web Forms API.

With the Web Forms API and Docusign JS library, you can:

• Ensure that embedded web form instances are secure and unique to each user
• Embed web form instances in a web application, including authenticated sessions
• Customize some UI components of the web form
• Set up event listeners that your application can use to trigger actions

Here is an example of a web form instance displayed in a user’s browser:

These topics describe key features of the Web Forms API: