Create Template

Templates should be created when your area identifies the need for a template for a commonly-used form. If the form is not owned by your area, you should contact the area that owns it to request that they create a template. This prevents duplication and ensures that the most up-to-date form is used.

If your area owns the form, then you can create a template from it.

All documents must be accessible to users with disabilities before they are uploaded. For more information about creating accessible documents, contact your area’s accessibility coordinator or take accessibility skills training.

1. Start a new template.
   1. Click the Templates link to open the Templates page.

   2. Click the New button 

      

      .

   3. Click Create Template. 

      

2. Upload an accessible form.  

   
    

   Critical Note

   All documents must be accessible to users with disabilities before they are uploaded. For more information about creating accessible documents, contact your area’s accessibility coordinator or take accessibility skills training.

   1. Type a name, using your area’s naming conventions.
   2. Type a description that will help others understand how and when to use the form.
   3. Click the Upload button and select and upload a form.

3. Add recipients.  

   
   1. Check the Set signing order checkbox, if needed, to determine in which order recipients should sign by changing the numbers in the boxes next to each recipient.
   2. Type the Role for each recipient, such as Employee, Approver, and Employee’s Manager.
   3. Type a Name and Email, if needed, to include a specific person as a recipient.
   4. Click the Needs to Sign dropdown menu to change the recipient’s action, if needed.

   5. Click the Customize dropdown menu to select an authentication method, if needed. 

       

      Critical Note

      In general, you should not select an authentication method. Senders will select the appropriate authentication for their recipients.

   6. Click the Add Recipient button  

      

      to add additional recipients.

4. Edit the email message.  

   
   1. Check the Custom email and language for each recipient checkbox, if needed to create an email for each recipient.

   2. Type the Email Subject. 

       

      Helpful Note

      You should change the email subject to something descriptive of the template so recipients do not think your document is spam.

      You can add a role name by clicking the button at end of the subject field and selecting the correct role. When sending, the role name will be replaced by the recipient’s name.

   3. Type the Email Message.

5. Select Advanced Options by clicking the Advanced Options button 

   

   .

   1. Select Recipient Privileges.  

      
      1. Uncheck the Allow recipients to change signing responsibility checkbox, so recipients cannot change how documents should be signed.

      2. Check the Recipients must be signers to view signed documents checkbox to allow only those who are required to sign a document to see it.

          

         Helpful Note

         This is a useful option if you use restricted or private data in your template.

      3. Check the Turn on auto navigation checkbox to automatically move a recipient through a document, only stopping where their input is needed. 

          

         Critical Note

         You should leave the Turn on auto navigation checkbox unchecked if a recipient needs to read the entire document, such as when accepting a policy or for contracts that must be read thoroughly.

   2. Select Reminders.  

      

      1. Check the Send automatic reminders checkbox, if needed. 

          

         Helpful Note

         Reminders only go to the person who needs to sign next, not all recipients of the document.

      2. Type a number in Number of days before sending first reminder field.
      3. Type a number in Number of days between reminders field.

   3. Select Expiration options.  

      
       

      Helpful Note

      The expiration starts as soon as the documents are sent and stops when the final signature is complete. If a document expires, it is legally void and must be resent to all recipients if signatures are still needed.

      1. Type a number in Number of days before request expires field.
      2. Type a number in Number of days in which to warn signers before expiration field.

   4. Create a Password.  

      
      1. Type a password in the Create Password field to prevent changes being made to your template by other authors or senders.
      2. Re-type the password in the Verify Password field.

   5. Select Template Modification options.  

      
      1. Uncheck the Don’t allow senders to edit, add, or remove recipients checkbox to prevent problems for senders.  
      2. Uncheck the Don’t allow senders to edit the subject, email, or private messages checkbox to prevent problems for senders.
      3. Check the Don’t allow senders to edit the brand, if needed.

6. Click the Next button 

   

   .

7. Add fields to the template for each recipient. 

   

    

   1. Select the correct recipient from the recipients dropdown list. 

       

      Helpful Note

      The recipients dropdown lists all recipients who have a signing role. The fields you add will be color-coded to match the recipient. Be sure to select the correct recipient when you add fields to your template.

   2. Drag and drop fields from the fields area to the correct place in the document.

       

      Helpful Note

      Review the Fields job aid for additional information about selecting and customizing fields.

8. When you have added all of the fields required for each recipient, click the Save and Close button  

   

   to save the template.

9. Share the template.