Set Up Signature Fields in a Document Template with Dochly

Updated June 2026 8 min read Native E-Signature

Before you can send a document for e-signature, the template must have signature fields placed in the document layout. Signature fields tell Dochly exactly where each signer's signature, initials, date, and text inputs should appear — and which signer is responsible for each field. This guide covers every field type, how to place and configure them, how to set up multi-party signing fields, and what the completed signature block looks like in the generated document.

Signature field types

Dochly supports four signature field types. Each captures a different type of input from the signer. Use them together to build a complete legally compliant signature block.

Signature

The primary signing field — the signer draws, types, or uploads their full signature. Required on every signing document. Each signer needs at least one signature field assigned to them.

Signers can choose between: drawing with mouse/touch, typing their name (rendered in a signature font), or uploading an image of their signature.

Initials

A smaller signature field for capturing the signer's initials. Used on individual pages of multi-page documents to confirm the signer has read each page — common in contracts and legal agreements.

Add an initials field to the bottom of each page in multi-page contracts to acknowledge each page has been reviewed.

Date

Auto-populated with the date the signer signs — the signer cannot edit this value. Ensures the signing date is captured accurately without relying on the signer to type it correctly.

Always use a Date field rather than asking signers to type a date manually — typed dates are often inconsistent or incorrect.

Text Input

A free-text input field the signer fills in during signing. Use for: printed name, title/position, company name, or any other text that should be captured from the signer at the time of signing.

Optional or required — configure per field. Useful when you need the signer to confirm a specific piece of information as part of the signing process.

What a signature block looks like in the document

In the template editor, signature fields appear as dashed-border placeholder boxes in the document layout. When the document is generated and sent for signature, these placeholders become interactive signing fields in the signer's browser. Here is a typical two-party signature block:

Document template — signature section preview

By signing below, the parties agree to the terms and conditions set out in this agreement. This agreement becomes binding upon receipt of both parties' signatures.

Customer — Signer 1

Signature field — Signer 1

Date — auto-filled on signing

Printed Name

Authorised Signatory — Signer 2

Signature field — Signer 2

Date — auto-filled on signing

Printed Name

Blue dashed boxes are Signer 1's fields. Red dashed boxes are Signer 2's fields. In the actual signing experience, each signer only sees their own fields highlighted — they cannot fill in or see another signer's fields until it is their turn (in sequential signing).

Step-by-step: adding signature fields to a template

Open the template in the editor

Go to Dochly → Templates → select the template you want to add signature fields to. Click Edit to open it in the template editor. The template must be set to Draft or you must edit a duplicate — do not edit Active templates that are already in use for live workflows.

If adding signature fields to an existing template that's already generating documents without e-signature, duplicate it first: Clone template, add signature fields to the clone, test, then swap the clone to Active.

Navigate to Signature Fields in the toolbar

In the template editor toolbar, look for the Signature Fields panel — it appears as a pen/signature icon or under the Insert menu as "Signature Fields". Click it to open the signature fields palette.

The palette shows the four field types: Signature, Initials, Date, and Text Input. It also shows any signers already configured for this template.

Insert a signature field into the document

Scroll to the position in the document where the signature should appear — typically near the end of the document in a dedicated signature section. Place your cursor at that position, then click Insert Signature Field from the palette.

The signature field appears as a dashed placeholder box at the cursor position. You can resize it by dragging the handles, and reposition it by dragging the box to a new location in the layout.

For the cleanest layout, create a dedicated signature table at the bottom of the document — one column per signer. This makes it easy to align signature fields, date fields, and printed name lines for each party.

Assign the field to a signer

Click the inserted signature field to open its properties panel. In the Assigned To dropdown, select which signer this field belongs to:

Signer 1 — the first signer (typically the customer or external party)
Signer 2 — the second signer (typically an internal approver or countersignatory)
Additional signer slots appear as you add more

Each signer must have at least one Signature field assigned to them — a signer with no fields assigned cannot complete the signing workflow. Date fields should also be assigned to the same signer as the corresponding signature field.

Add additional field types

Below the Signature field, add any additional fields needed for the same signer. A typical signature block for one signer includes:

Signature field — required, captures the actual signature
Date field — auto-populated, captures when the signer signed
Text Input field — optional, for "Printed Name" or "Title" if you want those captured at signing time rather than pre-populated from Salesforce

Repeat this for every signer the template requires. All fields for Signer 2 should be in a separate column or section from Signer 1's fields.

Configure field properties

Click any signature field to open its properties and configure:

Required vs optional

Signature fields should always be Required — the signer cannot complete signing without filling them. Text Input fields can be optional if the information is nice-to-have but not required for legal validity.

Field label

The label shown to signers in the signing interface — e.g. "Your signature", "Initials", "Sign here". Keep labels clear and instructional — signers should immediately understand what to do.

Field dimensions

Resize the signature box to match your document layout. Standard signature field: approximately 200px wide × 60px tall. Initials field: approximately 80px × 40px. Date field: approximately 120px × 30px.

Placeholder text

For Text Input fields, set placeholder text that hints at what the signer should enter — e.g. "Enter your full printed name" or "Your job title". This appears in the empty field before the signer types.

Preview and test the signature fields

Save the template and click Preview to see how the signature fields appear in a generated document. In preview mode, signature fields appear as placeholder boxes — you can verify their position, sizing, and labelling before testing with a real signing flow.

For a full end-to-end test: set the template to Active, generate a document from a real Salesforce record, send it for signature using your own email address, and complete the signing process. Verify all fields appear correctly in the signing interface and the completed document looks as expected.

Always test signature fields with a real signing before sending to customers. Template preview does not simulate the signing interface — you need to complete an actual signing test to verify field behaviour, required field validation, and signing completion.

Multi-party signature setup

When a document requires signatures from more than one party, each signer needs their own set of signature fields in the template. The signer assignment on each field determines which party's signing portal shows that field.

Signer role	Fields to include	Placement recommendation
Signer 1 — Customer	Signature (required), Date (auto), Printed Name (text input), Title (text input, optional)	Left column of the signature block, or upper section of a stacked layout
Signer 2 — Internal approver	Signature (required), Date (auto), Printed Name (text input)	Right column of the signature block, or lower section of a stacked layout
Signer 3+ — Additional parties	Signature (required), Date (auto)	Additional columns or a separate signature page at the end of the document
Witness (if required)	Signature (required), Date (auto), Printed Name (text input)	Separate witness section — clearly labelled and visually distinct from party signatures

The number of signers configured in the template must match the number of signers added when sending. If the template has fields for 2 signers but you only add 1 signer when sending, Signer 2's fields cannot be completed and the document will never reach Completed status.

Field placement best practices

Place on the last page

For single-page or short documents, the signature block goes at the bottom of the last page. For multi-page contracts, the signature block is typically on a dedicated final page — "Signature Page" — separate from the substantive terms.

Use initials on every page

For contracts longer than 3 pages, add an Initials field at the bottom of each page assigned to each signer. This confirms the signer reviewed every page — not just the final signature page — and strengthens enforceability.

Use a table for alignment

Insert a 2-column (or 3-column) table at the bottom of the document with no borders. Place each signer's signature block in its own column. Tables keep signature fields and labels aligned without relying on tab stops or manual spacing.

Label each party clearly

Add a plain-text label above each signer's column — e.g. "Customer", "Service Provider", "Authorised Signatory". This makes it clear to each signer which section is theirs, and establishes the parties' identities clearly in the executed document.

Template design best practices

Always mark Signature fields as Required — an optional signature field means the signer can complete the workflow without signing. Every signature field should be Required unless there is a specific reason for it to be optional (e.g. a countersignature that only applies in certain scenarios — handle those cases with conditional fields instead).
Use Date fields — never ask signers to type dates — auto-populated Date fields are more accurate, legally unambiguous, and reduce friction in the signing experience. A typed date can be wrong; an auto-populated date cannot be disputed.
Keep the signature block visually distinct — use a horizontal rule, section heading ("Signatures"), or background shading to visually separate the signature block from the document body. Signers should immediately identify where to go to sign.
Test with every signer role before going live — when a template has 2 signers, test the entire signing workflow from both signer perspectives. Open the signing link for Signer 1, complete it, then open the Signer 2 link and verify the field positions and labels are correct from each signer's perspective.
Don't mix merge fields with signature fields in the same table cell — place merge field data (e.g. the pre-populated contact name) in static text outside the signature field box. Signature fields are interactive elements — placing a merge field inside one causes layout issues in the signing interface.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Instead of using a Text Input field for printed name, place a standard Dochly merge field ({{Contact.FirstName}} {{Contact.LastName}}) in the template as plain text next to the signature field. This pre-populates the name from the Salesforce Contact record when the document is generated — the signer sees their name already printed and only needs to add their signature. This is cleaner than asking signers to type their name and avoids typos.

Conditional signature fields are not directly supported — signature fields are always present in the document once placed. For documents that sometimes require two signatures and sometimes only one, the recommended approach is to have two separate templates — one for single-party signing and one for two-party signing — and choose the appropriate template when generating the document.

The signing interface prevents the signer from clicking "Complete Signing" if any Required field is empty. All required fields are highlighted, and the signer is shown a message indicating which fields need to be completed. The signer cannot submit their signature until every Required field is filled — preventing incomplete signatures from being recorded.

Yes — editing the template affects future generations only. Documents already generated and sent for signature use the layout at the time of generation and are not affected by subsequent template edits. If you need to reposition fields for a document already in a signing workflow, void the request, regenerate from the updated template, and send a new signing request.

Your template now has signature fields configured and ready for signing. Next in this series: Send bulk e-signature requests in Salesforce with Dochly — send one document for signature to hundreds of signers in a single batch operation.