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Do you want to ensure your recipients enter the correct information in open text fields and eliminate NIGO or “not in good order” documents from your eSignature workflows? Leveraging text field validation is an easy way to get started.
🚦 What is text field validation?
Field validation allows you to choose what data your signer is permitted to input into a text field. Docusign provides common validations for you:
Once a field validation is set, signers are prompted to enter the correct information. For example, when the “ZIP” validation is assigned, the signer inputs no more and no less than five digits in that field. When those parameters are not met, the signer is prompted to correct the data, and the document remains incomplete until the data is corrected.
🛠️ Customization
What if you need a validation that is not featured on the list? We thought of that, too. Selecting “Custom” from the dropdown lets you use a regular expression or RegEx pattern to enforce specific data entry. For example, you want your signer to provide a U.S. bank routing number. Selecting “Number” from the validation list helps, but you want to ensure your signer provides exactly nine digits. Inputting the following RegEx string guarantees a 9-digit routing number is input: ^[0-9]{9}$
The following chart features some of our customers’ most popular pre-configured RegEx strings:
| Purpose | RegEx String |
| Enforce U.S. based Phone Numbers, can be modified for International i.e.: ###-###-#### | ^(\d\d\d-\d\d\d-\d\d\d\d)$ |
| Enforce U.S. SSN and U.S. TIN, i.e.: ###- ##-#### or ##-####### | ^(\d{3}-\d{2}-\d{4})$|^(\d{2}-\d{7})$ |
| Enforce U.S. Tax ID number only, i.e.: ##-####### | ^(\d{2}-\d{7})$ |
| Enforce Date or N/A, i.e.: mm/dd/yyyy or “N/A” | ^(\d{1,2}\/\d{1,2})\/(\d{4})$|(^N\/A)$ |
| Enforce a whole number from 0-100, i.e.: percentages | ^((100)|([1-9][0-9])|([0-9]))$ |
| Enforce a whole number with commas optional i.e.: 1,000 or 1000 / 10,000 or 10000 | ^[0-9]+([,][0-9][0-9][0-9])*$ |
| Enforce a number with commas optional and decimal to hundredths place required, i.e.: 1,000.00 or 1000.00 / 10,000.00 or 10000.00 |
^[0-9]+([,][0-9][0-9][0-9])*([.][0-9][0-9])$ |
| Enforce a positive/negative number with commas and decimal to hundredths place optional, i.e.: +1,000.00 or -1,000.00 or 1,000.00 / +1000 or -1000 or 1000 |
^[+-]?[0-9]{1,3}(?:,?[0-9]{3})*(?:\.[0-9]{2})?$ |
| Enforce Last 4 Digits, no more, no less i.e.: account numbers, SSN | ^[0-9]{4}$ |
| Enforce US Bank 9-digit Routing Number, no more, no less i.e.: ######### | ^[0-9]{9}$ |
🧰 Additional Resources
Learn more about text field validation and advanced NIGO-busting methods with these resources.
Docusign Support Center Articles
Docusign University
- Best-practice Guide: Building Advanced Templates - NIGO Ninja Part I
- Complimentary Self-Paced Course: Configure Fields for Sending
🤝 Share Your Experience
Your knowledge is invaluable to other Community members. How are you using text field validation? What RegEx stings have been helpful to you? Share in the comments below.
