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I would like to use the API to automatically sign a document without the user having to receive an email, go to the site, sign and complete the process there.  I am wondering if it’s possible to sign the document with a previously created signature and prepopulate some of the specific fields on the document.

Hello @gearymarks,

 

No, you cannot automatically sign an agreement in DocuSign. Not in any traditional sense. I don’t know the implications of any legality around automatic signing of a document. Some questions to ask yourself would be, does automating a signature process by code impact: the “signers” intent to sign, implied or express consent of electronically signing, still represent an accurate signature attribution, allow for deliberate application of the signature by a person, etc. and ultimately, do those factors impact the legality of the signed document? 

On the technical side, you could utilize a browser automation tool to replicate human clicks on the DocuSign signing page to accomplish this as a task but I’d not recommend that route to anyone because of the unknowns around enforceability in such a scenario. E-signature does tend to be held to a higher standard to be considered enforceable in comparison to traditional ‘wet’ signatures.

 

Prepopulation of fields is possible via the API by setting the field’s value in the appropriate JSON node.

 


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