🚀 API / DocuSign Integration Question 

​@Molsey 

If you’re on Standard or Business Pro and you can create Brands, you can use brandID. If you don’t see Brands or Resource files in Admin, ask DocuSign to enable branding and brand resource files for your account.

Custom branding comes with Standard and Business Pro eSignature plans. Personal does not include it. DocuSign’s product page lists “custom branding” under Standard features.

API-side branding controls require your account to have the canSelfBrandSign / canSelfBrandSend flags enabled. Those are account features, not code changes.

Editing the Email Resource File (ERF) — the thing that lets you change the actual message text of system emails like “Completed” — is not always enabled by default. DocuSign’s developer blog explicitly says to ask your account manager or Support to enable resource files if you don’t see the option. Some customers get it as an add‑on (“Expanded Branding”).

Thank you John! I am updating my team now on this. Much appreciated :)

Quick update: DocuSign Support advised that Branding and ERF aren’t available on my current Business Pro plan, but only on their enhanced direct plans. I’m following up with them to confirm if the “Expanded Branding” option mentioned here can be enabled at my tier.

I’ll update this thread once I hear back - thanks again, John, for the detailed guidance.

​@Molsey Here’s the additional details about the API so you can better understand how it works.

🔹 Once branding is enabled, can we use:

PUT /restapi/v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/brands/{brandId}/resources/email

with a custom XML resource file (including <completedSubject> and <completedBody>) to fully customise those confirmation emails?

As John explained, both the "Company Branding" and "Expanded Branding" options should be enabled to control the brand and its resource file. Once these are enabled on your account, you can use the above API without issue.

Once Company Branding is enabled, you can see the "Brands" page on the Docusign Portal > Admin.
Once Expanded Branding is enabled, you can see the "Resource Files" option on the Docusign Portal > Admin > Brands > hover over a brand > click "Edit."

🔹 Can HTML and placeholders (like signer name or envelope ID) be used inside those tags?

Yes, you can use the HTML inside the resource file. The placeholders (signer name and envelope ID) can also be used.

More information about the Resource File is here: https://support.docusign.com/s/document-item?language=en_US&bundleId=pik1583277475390&topicId=yum1583277332870.html&_LANG=enus

🔹 If we specify {brandId} when sending envelopes via the API, will the customised branding email templates apply automatically?

Yes, you can apply the customized brand email template to the envelope via the "brandId" property (https://developers.docusign.com/docs/esign-rest-api/reference/envelopes/envelopes/create/#schema__envelopedefinition_brandid) in the request body of the CreateEnvelope API.

🔹 And finally, if branding isn’t applied, is there any other way to override the Completed email subject/body via API?

Unfortunately, there's no way to customize the completed email subject/body via API. The API only supports specifying the subject and body for the initial email notification to the recipient.

Thanks so much, ​@Byungjae.Chung  - that’s extremely clear and really helpful. (Sorry for delay responding!)

Between your post and John’s earlier explanation, I now have a full picture of how the branding setup works: both the Company Branding and Expanded Branding options need to be enabled to access the resource files and use the API endpoint
PUT /restapi/v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/brands/{brandId}/resources/email
for editing <completedSubject> and <completedBody>.

I’ve since been in touch with DocuSign Support and Sales, who confirmed that Expanded Branding can be enabled as an add-on for IAM / Business Pro accounts (it’s handled by their Sales team). I’m currently arranging a short call with them to confirm pricing and activation.

Once it’s live, I’ll test the API and update this thread with the results - so there’s a clear reference for others trying to do the same.

Appreciate everyone’s help and the thorough explanations! 🙏