Fillable PDF DocuSign automation

LGraf

I am trying to automate the filling and routing of a fillable PDF template through Smartsheet using the generate document function and DocuSign. When setting up Generate Document Mapping, I can select PDF or E-SIGN. The PDF option allows me to setup a fillable PDF that pulls from the underlying sheet data but seemingly cannot be routed through DocuSign. The E-SIGN option renders the fillable PDF unfillable although it can otherwise be routed through DocuSign. What is the correct way to do this?

Separate but related, what does the Select Columns to Sync feature in the E-SIGN setup do exactly? "Enable data syncing" can be toggled on and off along with checkboxes for each individual sheet column.

AravindGP

Hi @LGraf

Since you would like to use DocuSign, you should be using the E-Sign option, where the template is added in DocuSign and you do the mapping of your fields in Smartsheet with the pre-created template in DocuSign. The sync feature will get statuses like "Delivered", "Completed", etc. from DocuSign and add it to your sheet.

LGraf

Thanks for your response, @AravindGP.

As described in my original post, the E-SIGN option does not allow me to link columns to the fillable PDF template so that it autofills based on row data as with document builder. Where am I going wrong here?

In regards to the sync feature, there are options to enable syncing for every column not just a DocuSign tracking column. What happens if a column with a date, contact name, type of service, etc. is synced?

AravindGP

When you upload the template in DocuSign, you will need to specify in DocuSign which fields are fillable. Just by uploading a fillable PDF, DocuSign doesn't make it automatically fillable with other applications, like Smartsheet.

Once you specify the spaces where updates can happen and the type of the field, Smartsheet would be able to populate the data from your sheet. I no longer have access to DocuSign to check, but ideally, if changes are made at the time of signing, the details would be pushed back as-is from DocuSign to Smartsheet.

Try it out and let me know if it works!

LGraf

@AravindGP yes, that worked although the DocuSign-Smartsheet integration is extremely finicky and when overlapped with a fillable PDF it's quite a brittle setup.

The sync feature allows the data in the underlying sheet to sync with the DocuSign template being pulled through the E-Sign function? Or, something else?