title: DocuSeal API Vocabulary
description: >
  Canonical terms and definitions used throughout the DocuSeal REST API for electronic
  document signing, template management, and submission tracking workflows.
version: "1.0"
source: https://www.docuseal.com/docs/api

terms:

  - term: Template
    definition: >
      A reusable document structure in DocuSeal that defines the fields, signer roles,
      and document layout for a signing workflow. Templates are created from PDF, DOCX,
      or HTML documents and can be instantiated into submissions.
    related:
      - Submission
      - Field
      - SubmitterRole

  - term: Submission
    definition: >
      An instance of a template sent for signing. A submission represents an active or
      completed document signing request containing one or more submitters who must
      complete fields and provide signatures.
    related:
      - Template
      - Submitter
      - SubmissionEvent

  - term: Submitter
    definition: >
      An individual signer within a submission. Each submitter is assigned a role, has
      their own signing link, and progresses through a status lifecycle from pending to
      completed or declined.
    related:
      - Submission
      - SubmitterRole
      - SubmissionEvent

  - term: SubmitterRole
    definition: >
      A named signer slot defined within a template (e.g., "First Party", "Witness").
      When a submission is created, each role is assigned to a specific submitter with
      their contact details.
    related:
      - Template
      - Submitter

  - term: Field
    definition: >
      An interactive form element placed on a template document. Fields have a type
      (signature, text, date, checkbox, etc.), an associated submitter role, and
      placement coordinates (areas) on the document page.
    related:
      - Template
      - FieldArea
      - FieldType

  - term: FieldType
    definition: >
      The data type of a form field. Supported types include: signature, text, date,
      number, image, checkbox, select, radio, file, payment, stamp, initials, phone,
      cells, and verification.
    values:
      - signature
      - text
      - date
      - number
      - image
      - checkbox
      - select
      - radio
      - file
      - payment
      - stamp
      - initials
      - phone
      - cells
      - verification

  - term: FieldArea
    definition: >
      The bounding box coordinates specifying where a field appears on a document page.
      Defined using normalized x, y (top-left corner), w (width), h (height) values
      between 0 and 1, plus a page number.
    related:
      - Field

  - term: SubmissionEvent
    definition: >
      An audit trail entry recording an action taken during a submission lifecycle, such
      as a document being viewed, a signature being applied, or a submission being
      completed. Used for compliance and audit logging.
    related:
      - Submission
      - Submitter

  - term: AuditLog
    definition: >
      A PDF document generated by DocuSeal that records all significant events during
      the signing process, including timestamps, IP addresses, and signer actions. Accessed
      via the audit_log_url field on a completed submission.
    related:
      - Submission
      - SubmissionEvent

  - term: Slug
    definition: >
      A short, URL-safe unique identifier assigned to templates, submissions, and submitters.
      Slugs are used in public-facing signing links and for referencing resources.
    related:
      - Template
      - Submission
      - Submitter

  - term: ExternalId
    definition: >
      An application-specific identifier that can be attached to templates, submissions,
      and submitters to correlate DocuSeal records with your own database records.
    related:
      - Template
      - Submission
      - Submitter

  - term: Metadata
    definition: >
      Arbitrary key-value data that can be attached to submissions and submitters to
      carry application-specific context through the signing workflow.
    related:
      - Submission
      - Submitter

  - term: Webhook
    definition: >
      An HTTP callback sent by DocuSeal to a configured endpoint when a document lifecycle
      event occurs, such as a submission being completed, a document being viewed, or
      a submitter declining to sign.
    related:
      - Submission
      - SubmissionEvent

  - term: EmbeddedSigning
    definition: >
      The ability to embed the DocuSeal signing interface directly into a web application
      using JavaScript SDKs for React, Vue, or Angular, allowing signers to complete
      documents without leaving the host application.
    related:
      - Submitter
      - Submission

  - term: Variables
    definition: >
      Dynamic text values that can be injected into template documents when creating
      submissions to personalize document content without modifying the template itself.
    related:
      - Template
      - Submission

  - term: BccCompleted
    definition: >
      An email address that receives a blind carbon copy of the completed document
      notification when all submitters have finished signing the submission.
    related:
      - Submission

  - term: SharedLink
    definition: >
      A public URL that allows anyone to initiate signing from a template without
      requiring an API call to create a submission first.
    related:
      - Template

  - term: FolderName
    definition: >
      An organizational grouping label for templates, used to categorize and manage
      templates within the DocuSeal workspace.
    related:
      - Template