TurboSign API Integration

This comprehensive guide walks you through the TurboSign single-step API integration. Learn how to programmatically upload documents, configure recipients, set up signature fields, and send documents for electronic signatures using a single, streamlined API call.

Overview

The TurboSign API provides a simplified single-step process to prepare documents for electronic signatures. Instead of multiple API calls, you can now accomplish everything in one request.

Two Endpoint Options

TurboSign offers two single-step endpoints to fit different workflows:

1. Prepare for Review - Upload and get preview URL (no emails sent)
2. Prepare for Signing - Upload and send immediately (emails sent)

Key Features

• Single API Call: Upload document, add recipients, and configure fields in one request
• RESTful API: Standard HTTP methods with multipart/form-data
• Bearer Token Authentication: Secure API access using JWT tokens
• Multiple Recipients: Support for multiple signers with custom signing order
• Flexible Field Placement: Position signature fields using anchors or coordinates
• Multiple File Sources: Upload file, or reference deliverableId, templateId, or fileLink
• Real-time Status Updates: Track document status throughout the signing process
• Webhook Integration: Receive notifications when signing is complete

Prefer using an SDK?

We offer official SDKs that handle authentication, error handling, and type safety for you.

View all SDKs →

TLDR; Complete Working Example 🚀

Don't want to read all the details? Here's what you need to know:

Available Field Types

Type	Description	Use Case
signature	Electronic signature field	Legal signatures
initial	Initial field	Document initials, paragraph acknowledgments
date	Date picker field	Signing date, agreement date
full_name	Full name field	Automatically fills signer's complete name
first_name	First name field	Automatically fills signer's first name
last_name	Last name field	Automatically fills signer's last name
title	Title/job title field	Professional title or position
company	Company name field	Organization or company name
email	Email address field	Signer's email address
text	Generic text input field	Custom text, notes, or any other text input
checkbox	Checkbox field	Acknowledgments, consent, agreements

Quick Start: Prepare for Signing (Most Common)

Use this endpoint to send documents immediately for signing:

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Alternative: Prepare for Review

Use this endpoint when you need a preview URL to verify field placement:

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Quick Comparison

Feature	prepare-for-review	prepare-for-signing
Sends emails?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Returns preview URL?	✅ Yes	❌ No
Final status	REVIEW_READY	UNDER_REVIEW
Use when	Need to verify field placement	Ready to send immediately

Now that you've seen the whole thing, let's dive into the details...

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• API Access Token: Bearer token for authentication
• Organization ID: Your organization identifier
• PDF Document: Document ready for signature collection

Getting Your Credentials

1. Login to TurboDocx: Visit https://www.turbodocx.com
2. Navigate to Settings: Access your organization settings
3. API Keys Section: Generate or retrieve your API access token
4. Organization ID: Copy your organization ID from the settings

Authentication

All TurboSign API requests require authentication using a Bearer token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN

Additional required headers for all requests:

x-rapiddocx-org-id: YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID
User-Agent: TurboDocx API Client

Choosing Your Endpoint

TurboSign offers two single-step endpoints to fit different workflows. Choose the one that best matches your use case.

When to Use prepare-for-review

✅ Use this endpoint when you want to:

• Verify field placement before sending to recipients
• Get a preview URL to review the document in TurboSign's interface
• Manually trigger email sending after verifying field placement
• Ensure correct field positioning before recipients receive emails

Workflow: Upload → Get preview URL → Review in browser → Manually send when ready

When to Use prepare-for-signing

✅ Use this endpoint when you want to:

• Send documents immediately without preview step
• Automate the entire signature process end-to-end
• Use with verified templates or confident field positioning
• Skip manual review and send directly to recipients

Workflow: Upload → Emails sent automatically → Recipients sign

Endpoint 1: Prepare for Review

Creates a signature request and returns a preview URL. No emails are sent to recipients.

Endpoint

POST https://api.turbodocx.com/turbosign/single/prepare-for-review

Headers

Content-Type: multipart/form-data
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
x-rapiddocx-org-id: YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID
User-Agent: TurboDocx API Client

Request Body (multipart/form-data)

⚠️ Important: Recipients and fields must be sent as JSON strings in form-data

Field	Type	Required	Description
file	File	Conditional*	PDF, DOCX, or PPTX file to upload
deliverableId	String (UUID)	Conditional*	Reference to existing deliverable
templateId	String (UUID)	Conditional*	Reference to existing template
fileLink	String (URL)	Conditional*	URL to download file from
documentName	String	No	Document name in TurboSign (max 255 chars)
documentDescription	String	No	Document description (max 1000 chars)
recipients	String (JSON)	Yes	JSON string array of recipient objects
fields	String (JSON)	Yes	JSON string array of field objects
senderName	String	No	Name of sender (max 255 chars)
senderEmail	String (email)	No	Email of sender
ccEmails	String (JSON)	No	JSON string array of CC email addresses

* File Source: Must provide exactly ONE of: file, deliverableId, templateId, or fileLink

Recipients JSON Format

Recipients must be stringified before adding to form-data:

const recipients = JSON.stringify([
  {
    name: "John Smith",
    email: "john.smith@company.com",
    signingOrder: 1,
    metadata: {
      color: "hsl(200, 75%, 50%)",
      lightColor: "hsl(200, 75%, 93%)",
    },
  },
  {
    name: "Jane Doe",
    email: "jane.doe@partner.com",
    signingOrder: 2,
    metadata: {
      color: "hsl(270, 75%, 50%)",
      lightColor: "hsl(270, 75%, 93%)",
    },
  },
]);
formData.append("recipients", recipients);

Fields JSON Format

Fields reference recipients by email (not recipientId) and must be stringified:

Template-based (recommended):

const fields = JSON.stringify([
  {
    recipientEmail: "john.smith@company.com",
    type: "signature",
    template: {
      anchor: "{Signature1}",
      placement: "replace",
      size: { width: 200, height: 80 },
      offset: { x: 0, y: 0 },
    },
    required: true,
  },
  {
    recipientEmail: "john.smith@company.com",
    type: "date",
    template: {
      anchor: "{Date1}",
      placement: "replace",
      size: { width: 150, height: 30 },
    },
    required: true,
  },
]);
formData.append("fields", fields);

Coordinate-based:

const fields = JSON.stringify([
  {
    recipientEmail: "john.smith@company.com",
    type: "signature",
    page: 1,
    x: 100,
    y: 200,
    width: 200,
    height: 80,
    pageWidth: 612,
    pageHeight: 792,
    required: true,
  },
]);
formData.append("fields", fields);

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "documentId": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
  "status": "REVIEW_READY",
  "previewUrl": "https://www.turbodocx.com/sign/preview/abc123...",
  "recipients": [
    {
      "id": "5f673f37-9912-4e72-85aa-8f3649760f6b",
      "name": "John Smith",
      "email": "john.smith@company.com",
      "signingOrder": 1,
      "metadata": {
        "color": "hsl(200, 75%, 50%)",
        "lightColor": "hsl(200, 75%, 93%)"
      }
    }
  ],
  "message": "Document prepared for review. Use the preview URL to review and assign fields."
}

Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
success	Boolean	Request success status
documentId	String (UUID)	Unique document identifier - save for tracking
status	String	Document status (REVIEW_READY)
previewUrl	String (URL)	URL to preview and verify document
recipients	Array	Array of recipient objects with generated IDs
message	String	Human-readable success message

Code Examples

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Next Steps After Review

Once you've reviewed the document via the preview URL click "Send for Signing" button on the preview page to send emails to recipients

Endpoint 2: Prepare for Signing

Creates a signature request and immediately sends emails to recipients. Use this for production workflows when you're confident in your field positioning.

Endpoint

POST https://api.turbodocx.com/turbosign/single/prepare-for-signing

Headers

Content-Type: multipart/form-data
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
x-rapiddocx-org-id: YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID
User-Agent: TurboDocx API Client

Request Body (multipart/form-data)

The request format is identical to prepare-for-review. See the "Endpoint 1: Prepare for Review" section above for detailed field documentation.

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "documentId": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
  "message": "Document sent for signing. Emails are being sent to recipients."
}

Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
success	Boolean	Request success status
documentId	String (UUID)	Unique document identifier - save for tracking
message	String	Human-readable success message

⚠️ Note: This endpoint returns immediately after creating the document. Email sending happens asynchronously in the background. Use webhooks to receive notification when the document is fully signed.

Code Examples

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Endpoint 3: Download Signed Document

After a document has been signed by all recipients (status: COMPLETED), you can download the final signed PDF document.

Endpoint

GET https://api.turbodocx.com/turbosign/documents/{documentId}/download

Headers

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
x-rapiddocx-org-id: YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID
User-Agent: TurboDocx API Client

Path Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
documentId	String (UUID)	Yes	The unique identifier of the document

Response

{
  "downloadUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/bucket/path/to/document.pdf?X-Amz-...",
  "fileName": "Signed_Contract_2024.pdf"
}

Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
downloadUrl	String	Presigned S3 URL to download the signed PDF (expires in 1 hour)
fileName	String	Original filename of the signed document

Document Status Requirement

This endpoint only returns a download URL when the document status is COMPLETED. If the document is still pending signatures, you will receive an error response.

Usage Notes

• The presigned URL expires after 1 hour. Request a new URL if the previous one has expired.
• The downloaded PDF includes all signatures embedded and is legally binding.
• For large documents, consider streaming the download rather than loading the entire file into memory.

Endpoint 4: Get Audit Trail

Retrieve the complete audit trail for a document, including all events and timestamps. The audit trail provides a tamper-evident record of all actions taken on the document using a cryptographic hash chain.

Endpoint

GET https://api.turbodocx.com/turbosign/documents/{documentId}/audit-trail

Headers

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
x-rapiddocx-org-id: YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID
User-Agent: TurboDocx API Client

Path Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
documentId	String (UUID)	Yes	The unique identifier of the document

Response

{
  "data": {
    "document": {
      "id": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
      "name": "Service Agreement 2024"
    },
    "auditTrail": [
      {
        "id": "entry-uuid-1",
        "documentId": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
        "actionType": "prepared_for_review",
        "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
        "previousHash": null,
        "currentHash": "a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
        "createdOn": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
        "details": {
          "ipAddress": "192.168.1.100",
          "userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0..."
        },
        "user": {
          "name": "Admin User",
          "email": "admin@company.com"
        },
        "userId": "user-uuid-1"
      },
      {
        "id": "entry-uuid-2",
        "documentId": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
        "actionType": "document_sent",
        "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:31:00.000Z",
        "previousHash": "a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
        "currentHash": "b2c3d4e5f6g7...",
        "createdOn": "2024-01-15T10:31:00.000Z",
        "details": {
          "recipientCount": 2
        },
        "user": {
          "name": "Admin User",
          "email": "admin@company.com"
        },
        "userId": "user-uuid-1"
      },
      {
        "id": "entry-uuid-3",
        "documentId": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
        "actionType": "document_viewed",
        "timestamp": "2024-01-15T11:00:00.000Z",
        "previousHash": "b2c3d4e5f6g7...",
        "currentHash": "c3d4e5f6g7h8...",
        "createdOn": "2024-01-15T11:00:00.000Z",
        "details": {
          "ipAddress": "10.0.0.50"
        },
        "recipient": {
          "name": "John Smith",
          "email": "john.smith@company.com"
        },
        "recipientId": "recipient-uuid-1"
      },
      {
        "id": "entry-uuid-4",
        "documentId": "4a20eca5-7944-430c-97d5-fcce4be24296",
        "actionType": "document_signed",
        "timestamp": "2024-01-15T11:05:00.000Z",
        "previousHash": "c3d4e5f6g7h8...",
        "currentHash": "d4e5f6g7h8i9...",
        "createdOn": "2024-01-15T11:05:00.000Z",
        "details": {
          "signatureType": "electronic",
          "ipAddress": "10.0.0.50"
        },
        "recipient": {
          "name": "John Smith",
          "email": "john.smith@company.com"
        },
        "recipientId": "recipient-uuid-1"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Response Fields

Document Object

Field	Type	Description
id	String (UUID)	Document identifier
name	String	Document name

Audit Trail Entry Object

Field	Type	Description
id	String (UUID)	Unique identifier for the audit entry
documentId	String (UUID)	Document this entry belongs to
actionType	String	Type of action (see Action Types below)
timestamp	String (ISO)	When the action occurred
previousHash	String	Hash of the previous entry (null for first entry)
currentHash	String	Hash of this entry (forms hash chain)
createdOn	String (ISO)	When the entry was created
details	Object	Additional action-specific details
user	Object	User who performed action (for sender actions)
userId	String (UUID)	User ID (when applicable)
recipient	Object	Recipient who performed action (for signer actions)
recipientId	String (UUID)	Recipient ID (when applicable)

Action Types

Action Type	Description
prepared_for_review	Document was uploaded and prepared for review
document_sent	Document was sent to recipients for signing
document_viewed	Recipient opened/viewed the document
document_signed	Recipient signed the document
document_voided	Document was voided/cancelled
document_resent	Reminder/resend email was sent to recipient
email_notification_sent	Signing invitation email was sent
cc_email_notification_sent	CC notification email was sent

Hash Chain Verification

The audit trail uses a cryptographic hash chain for tamper-evidence:

• Each entry's currentHash is computed from the entry data plus the previousHash
• The first entry has previousHash: null
• To verify integrity, recompute each hash and compare
• Any modification to historical entries would break the chain

This provides strong evidence that the audit trail has not been tampered with after creation.

Usage Notes

• The audit trail is available at any document status (not just completed documents)
• All timestamps are in ISO 8601 format (UTC timezone)
• The details object varies by action type and may contain IP addresses, user agents, and other contextual information
• Audit trail entries are immutable and cannot be modified or deleted

Recipients Reference

Recipient Properties

Each recipient object in the recipients array should contain the following properties:

Property	Type	Required	Description
name	String	Yes	Full name of the recipient/signer
email	String (email)	Yes	Email address of the recipient (must be unique)
signingOrder	Number	Yes	Order in which recipient should sign (starts at 1)
metadata	Object	No	Optional metadata for UI customization (color, lightColor)

Metadata Object (Optional)

The metadata object allows you to customize the recipient's UI appearance:

Property	Type	Description	Example
color	String	Primary color for recipient in HSL format	"hsl(200, 75%, 50%)"
lightColor	String	Light background color for recipient in HSL format	"hsl(200, 75%, 93%)"

Example Recipients Array

[
  {
    "name": "John Smith",
    "email": "john.smith@company.com",
    "signingOrder": 1
  },
  {
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane.doe@partner.com",
    "signingOrder": 2
  }
]

With Optional Metadata

[
  {
    "name": "John Smith",
    "email": "john.smith@company.com",
    "signingOrder": 1,
    "metadata": {
      "color": "hsl(200, 75%, 50%)",
      "lightColor": "hsl(200, 75%, 93%)"
    }
  }
]

Field Types Reference

Complete Field Type List

Type	Description	Auto-filled	Use Case
signature	Electronic signature field	No	Legal signatures, agreements
initial	Initial field	No	Document initials, paragraph acknowledgments
date	Date picker field	No	Signing date, agreement date
full_name	Full name field	Yes	Automatically fills signer's complete name
first_name	First name field	Yes	Automatically fills signer's first name
last_name	Last name field	Yes	Automatically fills signer's last name
title	Title/job title field	No	Professional title or position
company	Company name field	No	Organization or company name
email	Email address field	Yes	Signer's email address
text	Generic text input field	No	Custom text, notes, or any other text input
checkbox	Checkbox field	No	Acknowledgments, consent, agreements

Field Configuration Properties

Common Properties (All Field Types)

Property	Type	Required	Description
recipientEmail	String	Yes	Email address of recipient (matches email in recipients array)
type	String	Yes	Field type (see table above)
required	Boolean	No	Whether field must be completed (default: true)
defaultValue	String	No	Pre-filled value for the field
isReadonly	Boolean	No	Makes field non-editable (for prefilled values)
backgroundColor	String	No	Custom background color (hex or rgba)

Template-based Properties

Property	Type	Required	Description
template.anchor	String	Yes	Text anchor to find in document (e.g., "{Signature1}")
template.placement	String	Yes	How to place field: "replace", "before", "after"
template.size	Object	Yes	Field dimensions: { width: number, height: number }
template.offset	Object	No	Position offset: { x: number, y: number } (default: {x:0, y:0})
template.caseSensitive	Boolean	No	Whether anchor search is case-sensitive (default: true)
template.useRegex	Boolean	No	Whether to treat anchor as regex pattern (default: false)

Coordinate-based Properties

Property	Type	Required	Description
page	Number	Yes	Page number (starts at 1)
x	Number	Yes	Horizontal position from left edge (pixels)
y	Number	Yes	Vertical position from top edge (pixels)
width	Number	Yes	Field width in pixels
height	Number	Yes	Field height in pixels
pageWidth	Number	No	Total page width in pixels (optional, for responsive positioning)
pageHeight	Number	No	Total page height in pixels (optional, for responsive positioning)

Field Type Special Behaviors

signature & initial

• Draws a signature pad for user input
• Can be text-based or drawn
• Cryptographically signed and hashed for legal validity

date

• Shows date picker interface
• Format: MM/DD/YYYY (US) or DD/MM/YYYY (configurable)
• Can set defaultValue to "today" for auto-population

full_name, first_name, last_name, email

• Auto-populated from recipient profile
• Can be overridden by recipient if needed
• Useful for legal compliance and form filling

text

• Single-line text input by default
• Supports defaultValue for prefilled content
• Use for titles, company names, custom fields

checkbox

• Boolean true/false value
• Useful for acknowledgments and consent
• Can have label text next to checkbox

Field Positioning Methods

TurboSign supports two methods for positioning signature fields in your documents.

Method 1: Template-based Positioning (Recommended)

Uses text anchors in your PDF as placeholders. TurboSign searches for these anchors and places fields accordingly.

Advantages

✅ Easy to update field positions (just edit the PDF) ✅ No need to measure exact coordinates ✅ Works across different page sizes ✅ More maintainable for non-technical users ✅ Handles document variations gracefully

How it Works

1. Add anchor text to your PDF: Place text like {Signature1}, {Date1}, {Initial1} where you want fields
2. Configure fields with anchor references: Tell TurboSign what to search for
3. TurboSign finds and replaces: Anchors are found and replaced with interactive fields

Anchor Configuration Example

{
  "recipientEmail": "john.smith@company.com",
  "type": "signature",
  "template": {
    "anchor": "{Signature1}",
    "placement": "replace",
    "size": { "width": 200, "height": 80 },
    "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 0 },
    "caseSensitive": true,
    "useRegex": false
  },
  "required": true
}

Placement Options

• replace: Removes the anchor text and places the field in its position
• before: Places field before the anchor text (anchor remains visible)
• after: Places field after the anchor text (anchor remains visible)

Offset Usage

Offset allows fine-tuning field position relative to the anchor:

• x: Positive moves right, negative moves left (pixels)
• y: Positive moves down, negative moves up (pixels)

{
  "anchor": "{Signature1}",
  "placement": "replace",
  "size": { "width": 200, "height": 80 },
  "offset": { "x": 10, "y": -5 } // 10px right, 5px up from anchor
}

Method 2: Coordinate-based Positioning

Uses exact pixel coordinates to position fields on specific pages. Best for precise control or when anchors aren't feasible.

Advantages

✅ Pixel-perfect precision ✅ Works with PDFs that can't be edited ✅ Programmatically generated positions ✅ Useful for form-filling scenarios ✅ Consistent placement across documents

How it Works

1. Measure exact x,y coordinates in your PDF (using PDF editor or viewer)
2. Provide page number, coordinates, and dimensions
3. TurboSign places fields at exact positions

Coordinate Configuration Example

{
  "recipientEmail": "john.smith@company.com",
  "type": "signature",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 100,
  "y": 200,
  "width": 200,
  "height": 80,
  "pageWidth": 612,
  "pageHeight": 792,
  "required": true
}

Coordinate System Reference

• Origin (0,0): Top-left corner of the page
• X-axis: Increases from left to right
• Y-axis: Increases from top to bottom
• Standard US Letter: 612 x 792 pixels (8.5" x 11" at 72 DPI)
• Standard A4: 595 x 842 pixels (210mm x 297mm at 72 DPI)

Coordinate Validation

Fields must stay within page boundaries:

• x ≥ 0
• y ≥ 0
• x + width ≤ pageWidth
• y + height ≤ pageHeight

Measuring Coordinates

Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. View → Show/Hide → Rulers & Grids → Rulers
2. Hover over location to see coordinates

Browser Developer Tools:

1. Open PDF in browser
2. Right-click → Inspect
3. Use element inspector to measure positions

PDF Editing Software:

• Use built-in coordinate display
• Draw rectangles to measure dimensions

Quick Coordinate Example

Position a signature field at bottom-right of a US Letter page:

{
  "recipientEmail": "john@example.com",
  "type": "signature",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 362, // 612 - 250 = 362 (right aligned with 50px margin)
  "y": 662, // 792 - 130 = 662 (bottom aligned with 50px margin)
  "width": 200,
  "height": 80,
  "pageWidth": 612,
  "pageHeight": 792
}

Best Practices

Workflow Selection

When You Need Field Verification:

• ✅ Use prepare-for-review to get preview URLs
• ✅ Verify field placement in browser before sending
• ✅ Manually trigger sending after review
• ✅ Useful for new document templates or complex field layouts

When Field Placement Is Verified:

• ✅ Use prepare-for-signing to send immediately
• ✅ Implement webhook handlers for completion notifications
• ✅ Use proper error handling and retry logic
• ✅ Monitor API rate limits
• ✅ Log all document IDs for tracking

General Tips:

• ✅ Use deliverableId or templateId to avoid repeated uploads
• ✅ Test with your own email addresses first
• ✅ Both endpoints are production-ready

Security

• Never expose API tokens: Store tokens securely in environment variables or secrets management
• Use HTTPS only: All API calls must use HTTPS in production (API enforces this)
• Validate inputs: Always validate recipient emails and document names before submission
• Implement rate limiting: Respect API rate limits to avoid throttling
• Rotate tokens regularly: Generate new API tokens periodically
• Use webhook signatures: Verify webhook payloads using HMAC signatures
• Sanitize user inputs: Validate and sanitize all user-provided data

Error Handling

• Check HTTP status codes: Always verify response status before processing
• Handle timeouts: Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for network failures
• Log API responses: Keep detailed logs for debugging and monitoring
• Validate responses: Check response structure before accessing data
• Graceful degradation: Have fallback behavior for API failures
• User-friendly errors: Display helpful error messages to end users

Performance

File Upload Optimization:

• Compress PDFs when possible (aim for <5MB)
• Use fileLink for files already in cloud storage (S3, GCS, etc.)
• Use deliverableId/templateId to reference existing documents
• Avoid uploading the same document multiple times

API Efficiency:

• Single-step endpoints reduce API calls from 3 to 1 (3x faster)
• Batch multiple documents in parallel requests when possible
• Use connection pooling for multiple requests
• Implement exponential backoff for retries
• Cache responses when appropriate

Network Optimization:

• Use CDN for document hosting when using fileLink
• Enable gzip compression for API requests
• Minimize payload sizes by only including required fields

Document Preparation

Text Anchors (Template-based):

• Use consistent anchor naming: {FieldType}{Number} (e.g., {Signature1}, {Date1})
• Place anchors exactly where you want fields
• Use unique anchors (avoid duplicates)
• Test anchor placement with prepare-for-review first
• Document your anchor naming convention

Coordinate-based:

• Verify coordinates work across different PDF viewers
• Account for page margins and headers/footers
• Use standard page sizes when possible
• Test on actual page dimensions (don't assume)
• Validate boundaries before submission

Document Validation:

• Ensure PDFs are not password-protected or corrupted
• Verify all pages are readable
• Test with actual documents before production
• Keep backup copies of source documents

JSON String Formatting

⚠️ Critical: Recipients and fields must be valid JSON strings when added to form-data.

Correct:

const recipients = JSON.stringify([
  { name: "John", email: "john@example.com", signingOrder: 1 },
]);
formData.append("recipients", recipients);

Incorrect:

// Don't send object/array directly!
formData.append("recipients", recipientsArray); // ❌ Wrong
formData.append("recipients", "[{...}]"); // ❌ Wrong (string literal, not stringified)

Python Example:

import json
recipients = json.dumps([
    {"name": "John", "email": "john@example.com", "signingOrder": 1}
])
form_data['recipients'] = recipients

C# Example:

using System.Text.Json;
var recipients = JsonSerializer.Serialize(new[] {
    new { name = "John", email = "john@example.com", signingOrder = 1 }
});
formData.Add(new StringContent(recipients), "recipients");

Error Handling & Troubleshooting

Common HTTP Status Codes

Status Code	Description	Solution
200	Success	Request completed successfully
400	Bad Request	Check request body format and required fields
401	Unauthorized	Verify API token and headers
403	Forbidden	Check organization ID and permissions
404	Not Found	Verify endpoint URLs are correct
422	Unprocessable Entity	Validate field values and constraints
429	Too Many Requests	Implement rate limiting and retry logic
500	Internal Server Error	Contact support if persistent

Common Issues

JSON String Formatting Errors

Symptoms: 400 Bad Request with message "Invalid JSON in recipients/fields"

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify JSON.stringify() or equivalent is used for recipients, fields, ccEmails
• ✅ Check JSON is valid using JSONLint or similar validator
• ✅ Ensure proper escaping of quotes in JSON strings
• ✅ Test with minimal example first (1 recipient, 1 field)

Example Error Response:

{
  "error": "Invalid JSON string in recipients field",
  "code": "JSONParseError",
  "details": "Unexpected token at position 45"
}

Debug Steps:

1. Log the JSON string before sending
2. Validate JSON with online validator
3. Check for special characters or unescaped quotes
4. Test with hardcoded valid JSON first

File Source Errors

Symptoms: 400 Bad Request with message about file source

Solutions:

• ✅ Provide exactly ONE of: file, deliverableId, templateId, fileId, fileLink
• ✅ Verify UUIDs are valid format (8-4-4-4-12 characters)
• ✅ Check file upload isn't corrupted or empty
• ✅ Ensure fileLink is accessible (not behind auth)

Example Error Response:

{
  "error": "Must provide exactly one file source",
  "code": "InvalidFileSource"
}

Recipients/Fields Mismatch

Symptoms: 400 Bad Request about missing recipient or email mismatch

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify recipientEmail in fields matches email in recipients array exactly
• ✅ Check for typos in email addresses
• ✅ Ensure all fields reference valid recipients
• ✅ Email matching is case-sensitive

Example:

// Recipients array
[{ email: "john.smith@company.com", ... }]

// Fields array - must match exactly
[{ recipientEmail: "john.smith@company.com", ... }]  // ✅ Correct
[{ recipientEmail: "John.Smith@company.com", ... }]  // ❌ Wrong (case mismatch)

Authentication Failures

Symptoms: 401 Unauthorized responses

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify API token is correct and not expired
• ✅ Check that x-rapiddocx-org-id header matches your organization
• ✅ Ensure Bearer token format: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN (with space)
• ✅ Confirm token has necessary permissions

Example Correct Headers:

Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...
x-rapiddocx-org-id: a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890

Document Upload Failures

Symptoms: Upload returns error or times out

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify PDF file is not corrupted or password-protected
• ✅ Check file size is under maximum limit (typically 10MB)
• ✅ Ensure file is actually a PDF (check MIME type)
• ✅ Verify network connection and try again
• ✅ For fileLink, ensure URL is accessible

Field Positioning Problems

Symptoms: Signature fields appear in wrong locations or not at all

Template-based Solutions:

• ✅ Verify anchor text exists in the PDF document
• ✅ Check anchor text matches exactly (case-sensitive by default)
• ✅ Test with caseSensitive: false if having matching issues
• ✅ Try different placement options (replace, before, after)
• ✅ Use prepare-for-review to visually verify placement

Coordinate-based Solutions:

• ✅ Verify page dimensions match your PDF's actual size
• ✅ Check that x,y coordinates are within page boundaries
• ✅ Ensure coordinates account for any PDF margins or headers
• ✅ Test with different page numbers if multi-page document
• ✅ Validate that x + width ≤ pageWidth and y + height ≤ pageHeight

Webhook Integration Issues

Symptoms: Not receiving completion notifications

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify webhook URLs are accessible and return 200 OK
• ✅ Check webhook configuration in organization settings
• ✅ Review webhook delivery history for error details
• ✅ Test webhook endpoints with external tools (webhook.site, ngrok)
• ✅ Implement HMAC signature verification

Debugging Tips

1. Test with prepare-for-review first: Visual confirmation before sending emails
2. Use preview URLs: Verify field placement and document appearance
3. Check response documentId: Save this for tracking and debugging
4. Enable request logging: Log all requests and responses with timestamps
5. Test with minimal payloads: Start simple (1 recipient, 1 field), add complexity incrementally
6. Validate JSON before sending: Use JSON validators to check format
7. Use Postman/Insomnia: Test manually before writing code
8. Check API status page: Verify TurboDocx services are operational
9. Review error messages carefully: Error responses include specific details
10. Monitor rate limits: Track API usage to avoid throttling

Example Debug Request

# Test with curl to isolate issues
curl -X POST https://api.turbodocx.com/turbosign/single/prepare-for-review \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "x-rapiddocx-org-id: YOUR_ORG_ID" \
  -F "file=@document.pdf" \
  -F "documentName=Test Document" \
  -F 'recipients=[{"name":"Test User","email":"test@example.com","signingOrder":1}]' \
  -F 'fields=[{"recipientEmail":"test@example.com","type":"signature","page":1,"x":100,"y":200,"width":200,"height":80,"pageWidth":612,"pageHeight":792}]' \
  -v

Next Steps

Webhooks - The Next Logical Step

Now that you've integrated the single-step signing flow, the next step is setting up webhooks to receive real-time notifications when documents are signed. This eliminates the need for polling and provides instant updates about document status changes.

📖 Learn how to configure Webhooks →

Related Documentation

• TurboSign Setup Guide
• Webhook Configuration
• API Authentication
• Integration Examples

Support

Need help with your integration?

• Discord Community: Join our Discord server for real-time support and discussions
• Documentation: https://docs.turbodocx.com

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Ready to get started? Follow the guide above to integrate TurboSign single-step API into your application and start collecting electronic signatures programmatically with a single API call!