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RECIPIENT_LIMIT_EXCEEDED when sending an envelope via REST API and DocuSign Demo UI

  • July 20, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 22 views

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Hi everyone,

I'm using a DocuSign Developer  account and I'm facing the following error whenever I try to send an envelope using the REST API:

 
{
"errorCode": "RECIPIENT_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
"message": "You have reached the maximum number of recipients permitted for a single transaction in your account. Please ask your administrator to increase your limit."
}

I'm using the C# SDK, and the exception is thrown from EnvelopesApi.CreateEnvelopeAsync().

What I've verified:

  • My account is a Developer (Demo) account.
  • Authentication (JWT OAuth) is working correctly.
  • The same error occurs not only through the REST API but also when I try to send an envelope manually from the DocuSign Demo website.
  • My account usage shows:
    • Envelopes: 108 / Unlimited
    • Workspace: 0 / 500000 MB
  • I'm not seeing any indication that I've reached an envelope sending limit.

Since the error also occurs from the DocuSign web application, I believe this is not an issue with my code.

My questions are:

  1. What exactly causes RECIPIENT_LIMIT_EXCEEDED when the account shows Unlimited envelope usage?
  2. Could this be an account configuration issue or a restriction on my Demo account?
  3. Is there a way to check the maximum recipients allowed per envelope?
  4. Has anyone experienced this issue on a Developer account, and how was it resolved?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

1 reply

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Hi ​@bharathshyam,

 

We appreciate you reaching out to the Docusign Community, and I’ll be happy to help!

We understand your concern regarding the error encountered when trying to send an envelope on your demo account, and we apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused you.

The “recipient limit exceeded” error isn’t caused by your CreateEnvelope request. It’s due to security protections that enforce a cumulative recipient limit on some new developer accounts to help prevent abuse.

To further isolate the issue, could you please limit the number of recipients per envelope to 3-5? If the issue persists, we recommend submitting a Support case through the Docusign Support Center and using the live chat option (chat icon in the lower-right corner). Say “connect with a live agent” and you should be able to reach a support representative, who will help you review your account to determine what’s triggering the limit. 

Also, kindly check the most current announcement related to the recipient limit error through this article: Docusign eSignature 26.1.02.00 Release Notes: May 2026

 

Best regards,

Noralynn | Docusign Community Moderator

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