You Need to Send the Same Document Over and Over
If you find yourself repeatedly sending out contracts, NDAs, or approval forms, you know the drill. Every time, it’s a fresh upload, the same fields to add, the same recipients to type in, and the same settings to configure. It’s a tedious cycle that eats into your productive hours.
This repetitive task is exactly what DocuSign templates are designed to eliminate. A template is a reusable blueprint for your most frequently sent documents. You set it up once with the document, signature fields, and routing rules, and then you can send it out in seconds for any new agreement.
Whether you’re in HR onboarding new employees, in sales closing deals, or managing vendor contracts, learning to create a template is the single biggest efficiency boost you can get from your e-signature platform. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from a blank slate to a fully functional, time-saving template.
What a DocuSign Template Actually Does
Before diving into the steps, it helps to understand what you’re building. A DocuSign template is not just a saved document. It’s a complete sending package that you can store and recall.
At its core, a template contains three key components: the document file itself, the placement of all necessary fields for signing and data entry, and the predefined routing order for your signers. Some advanced templates also include custom email messages, reminder settings, and even integration with other apps via Connect.
The magic happens when you use the template to send an envelope. You select the template, add the specific recipient names and email addresses for this instance, and hit send. DocuSign automatically applies all your pre-set fields and routing logic to the new envelope, ensuring consistency and eliminating setup errors every single time.
Gathering Your Prerequisites
To create a template, you’ll need a few things ready. First, ensure you have a DocuSign account with template creation permissions. This feature is available on most paid plans, including Business Pro and above. If you’re on a free trial or a very basic plan, you may need to upgrade.
Next, have your final document file prepared. The best practice is to use a “clean” version of the document—one without any old signature lines or placeholder text that might conflict with the digital fields you’ll add. Common formats like PDF, DOCX, or PNG work perfectly.
Finally, know your signer roles. Will this document go to one person, or does it require a sequence, like a client signing first, then your manager for approval? Identifying these roles upfront makes the field placement process much smoother.
Step-by-Step: Building Your First Template
Log into your DocuSign account and navigate to the main dashboard. Look for the “Templates” section in the left-hand navigation menu. If you don’t see it immediately, you might find it under “More” or a similar menu, depending on your account layout. Click on it to go to your template library.
In the template library, you’ll see a blue button labeled “New Template” or “Create Template.” Click this to start the wizard. You’ll be prompted to give your new template a name. Choose something clear and descriptive, like “Standard Service Agreement” or “Employee NDA.” This name is for your internal use, so make it easy to find later.
Uploading and Preparing Your Document
After naming your template, the next screen is where you add your document. Click the “Add Documents” button. You can drag and drop your file directly into the browser window or browse your computer to upload it. DocuSign will process the file and display it on the screen.
Take a moment to review the document preview. Ensure all pages are present and in the correct order. If you uploaded a multi-page file, you can use the page thumbnails on the left to navigate. This is your last chance to catch any formatting issues before you lock the document into the template.
Adding Signers and Defining Roles
Now, move to the “Add Recipients” section. Here, you won’t add specific people’s email addresses. Instead, you define the roles that will receive the document. Think of these as placeholders for the real recipients you’ll specify each time you send it.
Click “Add Recipient.” You’ll see a dropdown to select a role type, such as “Signer,” “Needs to Sign,” “Receives a Copy,” or “Approver.” For a standard signature, choose “Signer.” In the field next to it, give this role a descriptive name like “Client,” “Employee,” or “Vendor.”
If your document requires multiple people to sign in a specific order, add each recipient role and then use the “Routing Order” setting. Set the first signer to “1,” the next to “2,” and so on. DocuSign will enforce this sequence when the envelope is sent.
Placing Fields on Your Document
This is the most hands-on part of creating a template. With your recipient roles defined, you’ll now place the interactive fields onto the document where action is required. Click on a recipient role from the list on the left to select it. The fields toolbar will appear.
Drag and drop field types from the toolbar directly onto the document preview. The most common field is the “Signature” field. Click and hold the signature icon, drag it to the spot where the signer should sign, and release. A yellow field placeholder will appear.
Don’t stop at signatures. Consider what other information you need. Use “Date Signed” fields to automatically capture the signing date. “Text” fields are perfect for fill-in-the-blank information like addresses or dates. “Initials” fields are great for acknowledging specific clauses. Place each field carefully, aligning them with the document’s text for a professional look.
Configuring Field Properties and Rules
Click on any field you’ve placed to configure its properties. A settings panel will open. Here, you can make a field “Required” so the signer cannot complete the document without filling it. You can assign a field to a specific recipient role if you have more than one.
For text fields, you can set data validation rules. For example, you can specify that a field must contain an email address format, a number, or a date. This prevents errors and ensures you get clean data from your signers. You can also add tooltip text that gives the signer instructions when they hover over the field.
Work through each page of your document, placing all necessary fields for all recipient roles. Use the page navigation and recipient role selector to ensure every signer has the correct fields assigned to them in the right locations.
Saving and Testing Your Template
Once all fields are placed, don’t just hit save and walk away. It’s crucial to test your template to ensure it works as intended. Click the “Save and Close” or “Finish” button at the top of the page. You’ll be returned to your template library, where your new template now appears.
To test it, find your template in the list and click the “Use” button, often represented by three dots or a “Send” icon next to the template name. This will start a new envelope using your template as the base.
You will be taken to the standard sending screen, but your document and fields will already be in place. Enter a test email address (you can use your own) in the recipient fields. Send the envelope to yourself. Go through the full signing experience as a recipient would. This allows you to verify the field order, the routing, and that all required actions are clear.
Common Template Setup Mistakes to Avoid
Even with a clear guide, a few common pitfalls can trip up new template creators. The most frequent error is placing fields for the wrong recipient. Double-check that the correct role is selected in the left panel before dragging a field onto the document.
Another issue is forgetting to set the routing order for multiple signers. If you don’t specify an order, DocuSign will allow all signers to access the document simultaneously, which can lead to confusion or incorrect signing sequences for legal documents.
Finally, people often save their template with a vague name. A month from now, will you remember what “Contract Template 1” refers to? Use specific, searchable names to save time later.
Advanced Template Management
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can explore features that make your templates even more powerful. DocuSign allows you to create template groups or folders to organize a large library. You might have a folder for “HR Templates,” another for “Sales,” and another for “Legal.”
For templates used across a team, you can set sharing permissions. You can make a template “Shared” so other members of your account can use it, or keep it “Private” for your use only. This is managed from the template library’s settings or “More” menu.
If your document needs to pull in dynamic data, like a name or company from your CRM, you can use “Custom Fields” or “Merge Fields” in your template. These are special placeholder fields that get populated with data from an integrated app or from the sender when the envelope is created, personalizing each instance automatically.
When to Use a Template vs. a Standard Document
It’s worth noting that templates aren’t the answer for every single send. The overhead of creating a template is best justified for documents you will send at least three to five times. For a truly one-off, unique agreement, uploading a document and setting it up fresh is perfectly fine.
Use templates for any process that is standardized and repeatable. Onboarding paperwork, standard service agreements, recurring approval forms, and compliance acknowledgments are all perfect candidates. The time investment upfront pays for itself many times over.
Your Next Steps for Document Efficiency
Start by identifying your top three most frequently sent documents. Choose the simplest one to practice on—perhaps a one-page approval form or a basic agreement. Follow the steps outlined here to build your first template. Send a test to yourself to gain confidence.
Once you’re comfortable, move on to your more complex, multi-signer documents. The process is the same, just with a few more roles and fields to manage. The goal is to gradually migrate your repetitive workflows into templated sends.
Finally, review your template library quarterly. As business processes change, you may need to update a document or retire an old template. Keeping your library clean ensures you’re always using the most current and efficient version. By mastering templates, you turn a routine administrative task into a streamlined, automated process, freeing you to focus on more strategic work.
