Use cases

This page describes the recommended workflows for common Docusign CLI implementation scenarios. Each of these use cases presents high-level steps with the relevant CLI commands and links to detailed documentation:

• Use case 1: First-time customization
• Use case 2: Bulk modify a production configuration
• Use case 3: Move a configuration between accounts
• Use case 4: Bulk ingest agreements with metadata

Use case 1: First-time customization

This workflow describes the recommended steps for configuring Agreement Manager for the first time using the Docusign CLI, from installation through deploying a validated configuration to production and ingesting agreements.

Use case 2: Bulk modify a production configuration

This workflow describes how to update or extend an existing Agreement Manager configuration in production. This is useful to:

• Add new custom fields
• Introduce new agreement types
• Update extraction descriptions
• Extend existing mappings in bulk

The recommended approach is:

1. Retrieve the current configuration from production
2. Update it locally
3. Deploy and validate the changes in a fresh developer account
4. Deploy the finalized configuration back to production
5. Reprocess to apply the configuration changes to previously ingested agreements

Use case 3: Move a configuration between accounts

This workflow describes how to move an Agreement Manager configuration from one account to another without modification or retesting. This is useful when you want to replicate the same Agreement Manager setup across multiple accounts or customers, such as deploying a proven configuration from one production account to another. Since the configuration has already been validated, no additional training or testing is required.

Use case 4: Bulk ingest agreements with metadata

This workflow uploads agreements, along with a metadata file that supplies missing or corrected information for the agreement fields. This use case assumes that you have already completed the deployment of your configuration, including all standard and custom fields that will be populated with metadata. See Bulk ingest agreements with metadata for additional prerequisites.

Docusign recommends testing with a subset of documents in your developer account before uploading the full set with metadata in production. The steps below reflect this process.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to retest my configuration when deploying to a new production account?

Not necessarily. If you are replicating a configuration that has already been validated (use case 3), no additional training or testing is required. If you are modifying an existing configuration before deploying to production (use case 2), the recommended approach is to validate the updated configuration in a fresh developer account before deploying to production.

Can I skip the accuracy validation steps and upload directly to production?

The CLI does not prevent you from uploading directly to production, but the recommended practice is to validate configurations in the developer environment first. Deploying an untested configuration to production can result in incorrect AI extraction for live agreements.

What should I do if extraction accuracy is still low after refining the manifest?

Common improvements include adding more diverse training examples (three to five minimum per field, five to 10 per custom agreement type), improving AI definition descriptions so the model clearly understands what each field represents, and ensuring that training documents represent realistic production agreements rather than edge cases. See Test agreement customizations for detailed guidance on improving accuracy results.

How many agreements can I ingest in a single bulk ingest run?

The CLI does not limit the number of files per ingest run. The ingest command supports targeting individual files or entire directories, including recursive scanning of subdirectories. Duplicate detection is built in. Files that have already been ingested are automatically skipped.

Does Docusign re-extract data automatically for existing agreements when I deploy an updated configuration?

No. If you deploy an updated package to an environment where agreements have already been ingested, you must reprocess to update agreement type classifications and re-extract field data based on the definitions in the newly deployed package.

Next steps

• Authenticate the Docusign CLI with your Docusign account.
• Learn how to define custom agreements and fields.
• Review the process to test agreement customizations.