Quickstart

This guide takes you from zero to a live, embeddable signing session. You’ll upload a document, send it for signature, and generate a URL your signer can open.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need:

API credentials (client ID and secret) from support@formabledocs.com
An access token — see Authentication
A PDF or DOCX file under 40MB to send for signature

The examples below use the production base URL https://formable-production.up.railway.app/api. Replace $TOKEN with your access token.

Steps

Upload a template

Upload your document as multipart/form-data. Formable returns a templateId you’ll use to send the document.

curl --request POST \
  --url https://formable-production.up.railway.app/api/v0/templates \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  --form 'file=@./agreement.pdf' \
  --form 'filename=agreement.pdf'

Response

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

Open the editUrl in a browser to place signature, text, and date fields on the document. See Manage templates.

Create a signature request

Create a signature request from the template. Provide the signer (who signs) and the sender (who’s sending it).

curl --request POST \
  --url https://formable-production.up.railway.app/api/v0/signature-requests \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "templateId": "abc123xyz",
    "signer": { "email": "signer@example.com", "name": "Jane Doe" },
    "sender": { "email": "you@yourcompany.com", "name": "Your Company" }
  }'

Response

{
  "signatureRequestId": "sr_456def"
}

Generate a signing URL

Turn the signature request into an embeddable signing URL. The URL expires one hour after creation.

curl --request POST \
  --url https://formable-production.up.railway.app/api/v0/signature-requests/sr_456def/url \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

Response

{
  "signingUrl": "https://app.formabledocs.com/sign/embedded/xyz789abc",
  "expiresAt": "2024-01-16T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Load the signingUrl in an iframe or redirect the signer to it:

<iframe src="https://app.formabledocs.com/sign/embedded/xyz789abc" width="100%" height="800"></iframe>

Retrieve the signed document

Once the signer completes the document, download the signed PDF from a presigned URL.

curl --request GET \
  --url https://formable-production.up.railway.app/api/v0/signature-requests/sr_456def/signed-envelope \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

Response

{
  "signedEnvelopePresignedUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/bucket/signed-envelope.pdf?..."
}

This endpoint returns 409 until the document is signed. Poll signature request events or check the signature request status to know when it’s Completed.

Next steps

E-signature workflow

Prefill fields, use test mode, and track completion.

Redlining workflow

Run a turn-based contract negotiation between two parties.

Core concepts

Understand templates, envelopes, and redline roles.

API reference

Browse every endpoint with a live playground.

Getting Started

Workflows

Prerequisites

Steps

Next steps

E-signature workflow

Redlining workflow

Core concepts

API reference

​Prerequisites

​Steps

​Next steps

E-signature workflow

Redlining workflow

Core concepts

API reference

Prerequisites

Steps

Next steps