Support PDF Embedded Attachments and Require Recipient Acknowledgement Before Signing

Problem

PDF files can contain embedded attachments, such as Excel spreadsheets. For example, a commercial proposal may include the main offer as a PDF and a detailed scope of work or pricing calculation as an embedded Excel attachment.

These embedded files can be opened when viewing the PDF in applications such as Adobe Acrobat. However, when the same PDF is uploaded to DocuSign, the embedded attachments are not visible or accessible to the recipient.

As a result, important contractual information may not be available during the signing process, even though it is technically part of the original PDF.

Requested functionality

I would like DocuSign to support the following capabilities:

1. Display embedded PDF attachments

   When a PDF contains embedded files, DocuSign should detect and display them separately in the envelope or signing interface. Senders and recipients should be able to view or download these files without having to extract and upload them manually as separate envelope documents.

2. Require acknowledgement before signing

   Senders should be able to mark an attachment as required reading. Before the recipient can continue to the signature fields, the recipient should be required to:

   • open or download the attachment,
   • confirm that they have reviewed it,
   • and only then proceed to sign the document.

The acknowledgement should be recorded in the envelope history or certificate of completion, including the recipient, attachment name, date and time.

Example use case

A company sends a proposal for signature. The main PDF contains the commercial terms, while an embedded Excel file contains the detailed project scope.

The recipient should be able to download and review the Excel file directly within the DocuSign signing process. After confirming that the file has been reviewed, the recipient can proceed to sign the proposal.

Business value

This functionality would:

• ensure that recipients can access all relevant contractual documents,
• reduce the risk of recipients overlooking important attachments,
• improve transparency and auditability,
• avoid the need to manually extract and upload embedded files,
• and provide evidence that required supporting documents were made available and acknowledged before signing.