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Templates

Templates are reusable document blueprints with tags pre-placed and recipient roles already defined. Build a template once, then use it every time you need the same agreement — no repositioning tags, no recreating recipients.

Why use templates?​

Speed — Set up once, reuse for every new agreement. Sending takes seconds instead of minutes.

Consistency — The same tags appear in the same positions every time, reducing human error.

Role-based — Templates use roles (such as "Employee" or "Manager") instead of specific people. Assign real recipients when you send.

How templates work​

Templates use roles as placeholder recipients:

  1. Create a template and define roles (for example, "Employee" and "Manager").
  2. Place tags on the document and assign each tag to a role.
  3. When sending, assign real people to each role.
  4. Each recipient sees only the tags assigned to their role.

Example mapping when sending:

Template role     → Actual recipient
"Manager"         → jane.smith@company.com
"Employee"        → john.doe@email.com

Template components​

Documents​

The document (or documents) recipients will review and sign. Propper Sign supports PDF, DOCX, DOC, ODT, XLSX, XLS, ODS, PPTX, PPT, ODP, RTF, and HTML. Office formats are automatically converted before display.

See Creating Templates for upload requirements.

Recipient roles​

Roles define who needs to act on the agreement and in what order. Templates support signer roles and copy-only roles.

See Recipient Roles and Recipients for details on role types, routing order, and color coding.

Tags​

Tags are the interactive elements placed on the document — signature tags, text inputs, checkboxes, and more.

See Tag Types for the complete reference, and Adding Tags for placement instructions.

Routing order​

Control the signing sequence with routing order numbers:

  • Sequential — Assign different numbers (1, 2, 3). Recipients receive their invitation only after the previous step is complete.
  • Parallel — Assign the same number (all 1). All recipients in that step receive invitations simultaneously.

Creating templates​

The basic workflow is:

  1. Upload your document.
  2. Add recipient roles.
  3. Place tags on the document and assign each tag to a role.
  4. Configure settings (authentication, email message).
  5. Save the template.

Step-by-step guide

Managing templates​

From the template library (Sign > Templates) you can:

  • Search by name
  • Filter by status
  • Preview before using
  • Duplicate to create variations

Sharing templates​

Templates can be kept private (visible only to you) or shared with your team. Sharing availability depends on your plan.

Using a template to send​

See Sending Agreements for the full walkthrough on assigning recipients to roles and sending from a template.

Importing from DocuSign​

If you have existing DocuSign templates, you can import them as a single JSON export file.

Supported on import:

  • Recipients and "Receives a Copy" recipients
  • Common tag types (Signature, Date Signed, Text, Checkbox, Dropdown, Radio)
  • Routing order (sequential and parallel)

Import guide

Best practices​

Use descriptive names — "Employment Agreement - New Hire" is more useful than "Template 1".

Test before production — After creating or importing a template, send a test agreement to yourself to verify all tags and routing.

Use consistent naming conventions — Agree on a naming scheme with your team so the template library stays organized.

Add a description — The description field helps colleagues understand when to use each template.

Next steps​