Set Up Signature Fields in a Document Template with Dochly

Updated June 2026 6 min read Native E-Signature

Before you can send a document for e-signature, you need to place signature fields in the template. This tells Dochly where each signer should sign, add their initials, enter a date, or type a text value. This guide covers adding and configuring each field type, setting up multi-signer templates, and the key field settings available.

Signature field types

Dochly supports 17 field types you can place in a document during signature field setup — among them Signature, Initials, Date, and Text, shown below as common examples. All field types can be assigned to a specific signer in multi-signer templates.

Signature

The main signature field — the signer draws, types, or uploads their signature here. At least one Signature field is required for the Send for Signature button to appear.

At least one required

Initials

The signer enters their initials — typically used on each page of multi-page documents to confirm the signer reviewed each page.

Optional

Date

Auto-populated with the date the signer completes their signature. The signer cannot manually edit the date — it's set automatically by Dochly at the moment of signing.

Optional

Text

A free-text field the signer fills in — e.g. printed name, job title, company name. You set the label and whether the field is required.

Optional

These four are the most commonly used field types. Dochly's template editor lists all 17 available field types in the E-Signature fields panel — open the panel in the template editor to see the full set and choose the ones that fit your document.

Adding signature fields to a template

Open the template in the Dochly template editor

Go to Dochly app → Templates → open the template you want to add signature fields to. The template must be set to PDF output — e-signature fields cannot be added to DOCX-output templates.

Switch to the E-Signature fields panel

In the template editor, find the E-Signature section in the left sidebar. This panel lists all signature fields currently placed in the template and has an Add Field button for each field type.

Place the field on the document

Click Add Signature (or Add Initials, Add Date, Add Text). A field placeholder appears on the document. Drag it to the exact position where you want the signer to sign. Resize it to fit the space — the field size determines the signing area shown to the signer.

Configure field settings

Click the placed field to open its settings panel on the right. Set:

Signer assignment: Which signer this field belongs to (Signer 1, Signer 2, etc.)
Required: Whether the signer must complete this field before they can finalise signing
Label: (Text fields only) The label shown to the signer above the text input

Save the template

Click Save in the template editor. The template is now ready for e-signature — when you generate a document from this template and click Send for Signature, signers will see the fields in the positions you've placed them.

Setting up multi-signer templates

For documents that require signatures from more than one party (e.g. a contract signed by both the customer and an internal authoriser), you set up separate signature fields for each signer and assign each field to the correct signer number.

Assigning fields to signers

Each signature field has a Signer Assignment setting — Signer 1, Signer 2, Signer 3, etc. When you add signers in the Send for Signature panel, Signer 1 corresponds to the first person you add, Signer 2 to the second, and so on.

Sequential vs parallel signing

Sequential: Signer 1 receives the request first. Only after Signer 1 completes signing does Signer 2 receive their request. Parallel: All signers receive the request simultaneously and can sign in any order. Configure this in the Send for Signature panel, not in the template.

You must place at least one Signature field assigned to each signer you plan to add when sending. If the template has fields for Signer 1 only but you add two signers, Signer 2 will have no fields to complete and the request may behave unexpectedly.

Field settings reference

Signer Assignment

Determines which signer this field belongs to. Matches the order signers are added in the Send for Signature panel. All field types support signer assignment.

Required

If checked, the signer must complete this field before they can finalise signing. If unchecked, the field is optional and the signer can skip it. Signature fields are typically always required.

Label (Text fields)

The label shown above the text input in the signer's signing interface. Keep it short and clear — e.g. "Printed Name", "Job Title", "Company Name".

Position and size

Drag the field to position it on the document. Resize by dragging the corners. The field size controls the signing area — make it large enough that the signer has enough space to sign comfortably, especially on mobile.

Frequently asked questions

The Send for Signature button only appears when: (1) e-signature is enabled in Dochly Settings, (2) the template has at least one Signature field placed, and (3) the document output is PDF (not DOCX). Check all three. If e-signature is enabled and the template has signature fields but the button still doesn't appear, confirm the template is Active and re-generate the document.

Yes. Open any existing Active template in the template editor and go to the E-Signature fields panel in the sidebar. Add and position your fields, then save. The template doesn't need to be duplicated or rebuilt. Previously generated documents from this template won't be affected — only new documents generated after the save will include the signature fields.

Signature fields themselves are not conditionally shown — they always appear at the position you place them in the template. If you need conditional signing logic (e.g. some documents require a second signer and others don't), the recommended approach is to use two separate templates — one with a single signer and one with two signers — and select the correct template when generating the document.

Signature fields are configured. Next: Send a document for e-signature — generate a document from a Salesforce record and send it to signers in just a few clicks.