Adobe Acrobat Sign → Embedded templates

This guide helps you move Adobe Acrobat Sign library document creation and embedded authoring to Formable. You still upload a document, open an editor for field placement, and reuse a template ID when sending. Formable collapses that into a multipart upload plus an editUrl iframe, without OAuth, regional hosts, or transient documents. When templates are ready, continue with Adobe Acrobat Sign → Embedded signing to send documents for signature.

New to Formable? Complete the Embedded templates walkthrough first, then use this page as a translation layer from Acrobat Sign library documents and authoring views.

Prefer a white-glove migration? Email matt@formabledocs.com and we’ll handle moving your Adobe Acrobat Sign integration to the Formable API.

What you’re moving

In Adobe Acrobat Sign apps you typically:

POST /transientDocuments to upload the file
POST /libraryDocuments (or create an agreement in AUTHORING state) to prepare a reusable document
Optionally open an authoring / EDIT view (POST /libraryDocuments/{id}/views or agreement views) so users place form fields in your product
Send agreements from that library document ID, often with mergeFieldInfo

In Formable you:

POST /v1/templates with the file
Embed editUrl so users place fields in your product
Copy each field’s id for later prefills
Create signature requests with that templateId and a signers array

You are migrating document preparation and in-product editing. Agreement send and signing URLs live on the paired signing guide.

Recommended order of work

Get a Formable API key

Create an organization and key in Settings. See Authentication.

Re-upload each library document

Call POST /v1/templates with PDF or Word files (max 40MB).

Replace authoring / EDIT views

Embed editUrl from create, or POST .../edit-url when it expires.

Map form field names to fieldIds

Place fields in the Formable editor and update prefill code to use fieldId instead of Acrobat Sign form / merge field names.

Send with the new templateId

Continue with embedded signing migration.

What’s similar

The high-level template model still matches Acrobat Sign:

Upload once, get a reusable template ID, send many times.
Users can edit field placement inside your product via a short-lived editor URL.
Prefills happen at send time against named field identifiers.
Template editing and signing use the same auth story on Formable (one Bearer key for both).

If your Acrobat Sign product already embeds an authoring view and stores a library document ID for later agreement creates, keep that product flow. Rebuild how the file is uploaded and how the editor URL is minted.

What’s different

Plan for these Acrobat Sign-specific patterns that do not map 1:1:

Area	Adobe Acrobat Sign	Formable
Auth	OAuth + regional hosts; often `x-api-user`	Bearer `fmbl_…`; organization from the key
Upload path	Transient document, then library document or AUTHORING agreement	One multipart `POST /templates`
Field placement	Authoring UI, form field generators, or `PUT .../formFields`	Visual placement in Formable’s editor
Prefill keys	Form field / merge field names	`fieldId` from the Formable editor
Edit view	Library `EDIT` view or agreement authoring view	`editTemplateAccess.editUrl` or `POST .../edit-url`
Editor TTL	View expiration from Acrobat Sign	Default about 1 day; mint just in time
Roles on create	Participant sets / roles on library or agreement	Optional `signer_roles` on create; assign roles to fields in the editor; pass `signers[].role` at send time

Anchor text generators, absolute coordinates in form-field payloads, and per-send AUTHORING agreements do not carry over as the primary path. Recreate positions in the Formable editor, then store the new fieldIds in your database or config.

Concept map

Adobe Acrobat Sign	Formable	Notes
Library document	Template	Upload once, reuse `templateId`.
Transient document	File upload on create template	No separate transient ID to manage.
Form fields (signature, text, date, …)	Fields (Signature, Text, Date, …)	Placed in Formable’s visual editor.
Library `EDIT` / authoring view URL	`editUrl`	Embed in an iframe. Expires (default 1 day).
Merge / form field names	`fieldId`	Prefill by ID at signature-request time.
Participant roles on the library	Optional `signer_roles` on create + field placement in the editor	Pass matching `signers[].role` at send time.

Endpoint map

Adobe Acrobat Sign	Formable
`POST /transientDocuments` + `POST /libraryDocuments`	`POST /v1/templates`
`POST /libraryDocuments/{id}/views` (`EDIT`)	`POST /v1/templates/{templateId}/edit-url`
Agreement `AUTHORING` + authoring view	Formable template `editUrl` (prepare once, not per send)
`editUrl` / view URL on create	`editTemplateAccess.editUrl` returned from create

Auth

Acrobat Sign library APIs sit under regional /api/rest/v6/... hosts with an OAuth token. Formable uses the same Bearer key as signing:

curl https://api.formabledocs.com/v1/templates \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer fmbl_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  --form 'file=@./agreement.pdf' \
  --form 'filename=agreement.pdf'

See Authentication. Call these endpoints from your backend only.

Migrate the flow

1. Upload the template

Adobe Acrobat Sign (simplified):

# 1) Upload transient document
POST /api/rest/v6/transientDocuments

# 2) Create library document from transientDocumentId
POST /api/rest/v6/libraryDocuments

Formable — one call:

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.formabledocs.com/v1/templates \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  --form 'file=@./agreement.pdf' \
  --form 'filename=agreement.pdf' \
  --form 'signer_roles=[{"name":"SIGNER","order":0}]'

Response

{
  "templateId": "abc123xyz",
  "editTemplateAccess": {
    "editUrl": "https://app.formabledocs.com/template-setup/abc123xyz",
    "expiresAt": "2024-01-16T10:30:00.000Z"
  }
}

There is no separate transient document step. The organization comes from the API key. Supported uploads: PDF, DOCX, and DOC, up to 40MB. signer_roles is optional — pass it as a JSON string in multipart form data when you want named roles before opening the editor. You still assign those roles to required fields in the editor.

2. Get a fresh editor URL

When the create URL has expired, or whenever a user needs to edit again:

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.formabledocs.com/v1/templates/abc123xyz/edit-url \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

Response

{
  "editUrl": "https://app.formabledocs.com/template-setup/abc123xyz",
  "expiresAt": "2024-01-16T10:30:00.000Z"
}

This replaces Acrobat Sign’s library EDIT view (or agreement authoring view) call. Generate just-in-time on your backend. Unknown IDs return 404; templates outside your organization return 403.

3. Embed on the client

<iframe
  src="https://app.formabledocs.com/template-setup/abc123xyz"
  width="100%"
  height="800"
  allow="fullscreen"
  style="border: none;"
></iframe>

Pass only the editUrl to the browser — never the API key. Template editing uses the same iframe pattern as embedded signing. Listen for onTemplateEditorSaved when the user finishes editing — see Embedded templates.

Form field → field mapping

Adobe Acrobat Sign (typical)	Formable field
Signature / signature block	Signature
Text / full name / company	Text
Date / date signed	Date
Checkbox	Checkbox
Numerical / amount-style	Amount

If you previously set mergeFieldInfo when creating an agreement, use Formable fields: [{ fieldId, value }] at signature request time instead. Field IDs come from the editor after placement — see prefills.

Differences to plan for

One upload instead of transient + library

Acrobat Sign separates transient upload from library document create. Formable returns a usable templateId and editUrl from a single multipart create.

Visual editor instead of formFieldGenerators

Anchor text generators and coordinate payloads don’t carry over as the primary path. Place fields in Formable’s editor and reference fieldIds for prefills.

Prepare once, not AUTHORING per send

Some Acrobat Sign flows author fields on each agreement. Formable templates hold fields; you pass signers (with role) when creating the signature request.

API key instead of OAuth

Template create and edit-url calls use the same Bearer API key as signing — no regional OAuth token or x-api-user.

Rebuild prefill keys

Acrobat Sign form / merge field names won’t match Formable fieldIds. After users place fields, store the new IDs and update your send payload.

Checklist

Create a Formable API key

In Settings.

Re-upload each library document

Call POST /v1/templates.

Replace authoring / EDIT views

Embed editUrl from create or POST .../edit-url.

Map form field names to fieldIds

Place fields in the editor and update prefill code.

Send with the new templateId

Continue with embedded signing migration.

Next steps

Embedded signing migration

Map agreements and signing URLs to Formable.

Embedded templates walkthrough

Full Formable template editor walkthrough.

Core concepts

How templates and signature requests fit together.

Authentication

Bearer fmbl_ API keys.

Getting Started

Walkthroughs

SDKs

Migrations

Webhooks

Adobe Acrobat Sign → Embedded templates

What you’re moving

Recommended order of work

What’s similar

What’s different

Concept map

Endpoint map

Auth

Migrate the flow

1. Upload the template

2. Get a fresh editor URL

3. Embed on the client

Form field → field mapping

Differences to plan for

Checklist

Next steps

Embedded signing migration

Embedded templates walkthrough

Core concepts

Authentication

​What you’re moving

​Recommended order of work

​What’s similar

​What’s different

​Concept map

​Endpoint map

​Auth

​Migrate the flow

​1. Upload the template

​2. Get a fresh editor URL

​3. Embed on the client

​Form field → field mapping

​Differences to plan for

​Checklist

​Next steps

Embedded signing migration

Embedded templates walkthrough

Core concepts

Authentication

What you’re moving

Recommended order of work

What’s similar

What’s different

Concept map

Endpoint map

Auth

Migrate the flow

1. Upload the template

2. Get a fresh editor URL

3. Embed on the client

Form field → field mapping

Differences to plan for

Checklist

Next steps