A Document placeholder is a form that lets you delay uploading the actual file until right before sending. This is ideal when the needed document changes frequently, and you don’t want to re-upload and re-maintain the workflow every time the document is updated.
Depending on your needs, a Document placeholder can be used to collect signatures on a standard text contract (PDF, DOCX) or to display complex addendums like rate sheets in their original format (XLSX).
With a Document placeholder, you can also predefine fillable fields in advance, ensuring the workflow is instantly ready once the final document is uploaded or pulled into the session.
Use a Document placeholder when you want to:
Keep one workflow, but use the latest version of a document each time you send;
Avoid updating the workflow every time legal, finance, or sales updates the contract wording;
Prepare a standard set of fields (name, date, company, signature, etc.) that can be reused when the document is uploaded;
Allow sender to provide unique, view-only addendums (like a customized Excel rate sheet) that the signer can review during the session;
Let a workflow admin or sender do the final “upload + prepare + send” step efficiently.
Typical use cases
Contracts that change often: MSA, NDA, or SOW templates that get revised regularly;
Documents stored or prepared outside the workflow diagram: Files pulled from CRMs (e.g., Salesforce), document repositories (SharePoint/Drive), or local folders;
Other cases where a unique document or documents need to be pulled into a document package to be signed.
How documents are displayed
Any document you upload to a placeholder is automatically converted into a static PDF. This means you can add fillable fields directly onto the placeholder during setup — such as name, date or signature fields etc. When the final document is uploaded, those fields are overlaid onto the PDF, ready for the signer to complete.
If you need to include a complex Excel file (like a rate sheet or pricing matrix) that doesn't convert well to PDF, a spreadsheet view mode is also available. Contact your account manager or Support team to learn more. This setting ensures that your XLSX files are rendered spreadsheets right inside the signing session. Signers can seamlessly navigate multiple tabs, view color-coding, and scroll through rows exactly as you intended in the original Excel file.