Speak with an

www.solusign.com
Automation Expert

DocuSign Automation
CHEAT SHEET

Welcome to Document Automation!

To automate your documents, you will need:
1. A document template
2. A database with data (to populate the template)
3. An integration between your data and your template
4. A trigger so that the automation knows what needs to happen for the automation to
run

This Cheatsheet will guide you through the steps necessary to automate your documents,
make sure to go through each step in they’re written. If you want to hire our team to do all of
this for you, can simply email help@solusign.com.

Start by answering question 1 below and look at which corresponding steps you’ll need to go
through based on your needs.

🔲 1. Which tasks do you want to automate?

Steps

Creating ready-to-sign documents 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Tracking the status of my documents 8, 9

Storing and renaming copies of the final PDFs 10

Retrieving information entered in forms 11

 Speak with an
www.solusign.com
Automation Expert

🔲 2. Check if your documents are static or dynamic

Static Dynamic OR Mix of Static/Dynamic

You’ll need…

Business Pro Business Pro

(or other integration platform) (or other integration platform)

(or other doc generation platform)

🔲 3. Check that your database is ready for automation

Which apps (CRM/database/ERP) hold the information used to create the
document?
Check if Zapier has an integration with your applications here:
https://zapier.com/apps

✅ if Zapier has an integration with your applications, move to step 2

❌ If you’re not using a database or if Zapier doesn’t integrate with yours, consider using
Google Sheets, Excel Online, Airtable, Zoho, HubSpot, Pipedrive.
 Speak with an
www.solusign.com
Automation Expert

🔲 4. Map the process

Use post-it notes, a flowchart, or a numbered list, write down all the steps
that are part of the process you want to automate.

Identify and list all the data points (also called variables) you need to create
the documents and give them a meaningful name without spaces such as:
Recipient_name
Recipient_email
Client_name
Client_address_line_1
Client_address_line_2
Ensure the data structure of the data source (your database) is the same as
the destination (document). If the data structure is different (eg the address
isn’t broken down in address line 1, line 2, city, state, zip in your database
BUT is broken down in your document, you’ll have to either edit the
document structure or your database. It’s often easier to edit the document
structure than your database)
 Speak with an
www.solusign.com
Automation Expert

🔲 5. Decide on the trigger

Decide what event will need to happen for the document to be created and
sent. Common triggers are
● A user clicks a button
● A user selects an option from a dropdown menu
● Something changes in an application

🔲 6. Create / update document templates

■ For static documents:
Create a template in DocuSign
Use the variables identified in step 4 when setting up DocuSign fields
data labels
■ For dynamic documents:
In a Word document, insert the variable between four curly brackets
{{variable_name}}
insert two additional variables for each recipient and hide them in
white: {{recipient_name}} and {{recipient_email}}
add anchors for DocuSign signature fields and hide them in white.
You can find the list of DocuSign anchors here:
https://help.docupilot.app/deliveries/docusign
Use the Word doc to create the Docupilot template
Configure a DocuSign delivery method

🔲 7. Create your ‘Sending’ ZAP

From your trigger application, click on the button you’ve identified as the
trigger
Create your Zap starting with the trigger application and find the test data
Add a filter so that documents don’t get sent by accident when manipulating
the application
■ For static documents:
Select DocuSign as the action event
○ Select the right DocuSign template
○ Map the DocuSign fields with your application fields
For dynamic documents:
○ Select Docupilot as the action event
○ Select the right Docupilot template
○ Map the Docupilot fields with your application fields
 Speak with an
www.solusign.com
Automation Expert

🔲 8. Track the progress of your documents

add an ‘Envelope status’ column/field in the application you will use to send
and track your signature requests
In the Sending Zap, Write ‘Sent’ in the ‘Envelope Status’ column/field of your
application
■ For static documents only:
○ Add an ‘Envelope ID’ field/column in your application
○ In your Sending Zap, add a step after the DocuSign step to add the
envelope’s ID to the ‘Envelope ID’ field in your application
■ For dynamic documents only:
○ Add a placeholder for a unique identifier such as {{Doc_id}} in the
Docupilot template, hidden in white
○ Insert the placeholder to the end of the email subject line in the
DocuSign Delivery settings of the Docupilot template
○ This unique identifier should be coming from your database and
mapped to the Docupilot placeholder in Zapier accordingly

🔲 9. Create your ‘Retrieving’ ZAP

using the ‘Sending’ zap, send yourself a test envelope and complete it
create a new zap using DocuSign Envelope completed as the trigger event
choose the application you want to update when the envelopes are
completed
For Dynamic documents only: use the Doc_id, identify which record
should be updated in your application
For Static documents only: Use the Envelope ID to identify which
record should be updated
Find the ‘Envelope Status’ field and write the value ‘Completed’ in your
application

🔲 10. Retrieve and rename completed PDF documents

Complete the ‘Track the progress of your documents’ and ’Create your
Retrieving Zap’ steps
Add an extra step in your Retrieving zap to download the PDF
document from DocuSign
Specify the naming convention and destination
 Speak with an
www.solusign.com
Automation Expert

🔲 11. Retrieve form field data

Complete the ‘Track the progress of your documents’ and ‘Create your
Retrieving Zap’ steps
Add an extra step in your Retrieving zap to extract the DocuSign form
fields data and map them to your application