Create PDF document fillable form with HTML

HTML field tags
Creating HTML layout
Adding header and footer
Send HTML to the API

HTML field tags

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Prerequisites: Visit DocuSeal API Console to obtain your API key.

HTML is a universal tool for building dynamic PDF forms with ease. Using custom tags like <text-field>, <signature-field>, and other 9 field types. These tags, coupled with the style attribute, enable developers to precisely define the width and height of form fields. For instance, utilizing HTML tags within your HTML structure grants you granular control over each element's positioning and dimensions. This level of customization ensures that the final form aligns perfectly with your design requirements.

HTML field tags can contain the following attributes:

name

Name of the field in the template.

role

Signer role name. Specify different names in case the document contains multiple signing parties with their own set of fields.

default

Default field value to be used in the template.

required

Set false to make the field optional and skippable.

Default true

readonly

Set true to make it impossible for the signer to edit the pre-filled field value.

Default false

title

Field title shown instead of the field name in the signing interface.

description

The field description displayed after the field name or title in the signing interface.

option

Option value for multi-select and radio field types. Fields with the same name are grouped into radio and multi-select groups with passed option values.

condition

FieldName:value to show the field only if the condition is met for the value in other field. Pass only FieldName to set a condition for a non-empty field.

options

Comma separated list of options for select field type.

pattern

HTML field validation pattern string based on https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Attributes/pattern specification.

format

The data format for date and signature fields. Possible values depend on the field type:

date field can be, for example: DD/MM/YYYY (default MM/DD/YYYY)
signature field can accept only drawn, typed, drawn_or_typed, upload (default drawn_or_typed)
number field can accept usd, eur, gbp currency formats

min

Minimum allowed number value or date depending on field type.

max

Maximum allowed number value or date depending on field type.

font

Font name to be used in the field. Can accept Times, Helvetica or Courier PDF default fonts.

font-size

Font size of the text value. This attribute is optional, default font size is calculated based on the field height.

font-type

Font type to be used in the field. Can accept bold, italic or bold_italic font types to be used for the field value.

color

blue or red color of the text value or signature. This attribute is optional.

Default black

align

Horizontal alignment of the text value. This attribute is optional, with possible values being left, center, or right.

Default left

valign

Vertical alignment of the text value. This attribute is optional, with possible values being top, center, or bottom.

Default center

mask

Set true to make sensitive data masked on the document.

Default false

method

Set aes or qes identity verification-field field method.

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<text-field>
</text-field>

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<signature-field>
</signature-field>

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<date-field name="Date">
</date-field>

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<image-field name="Photo">
</image-field>

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<initials-field>
</initials-field>

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<phone-field name="Phone">
</phone-field>

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<stamp-field readonly="true">
</stamp-field>

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<file-field name="Resume">
</file-field>

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<checkbox-field>
</checkbox-field>

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<radio-field
  options="opt1,opt2">
</radio-field>

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<select-field
  options="opt1,opt2">
</select-field>

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<multi-select-field
  options="opt1,opt2">
</multi-select-field>

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<payment-field
  price="100" currency="USD">
</payment-field>

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<verification-field
  method="aes">
</verification-field>

Creating HTML layout

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To begin crafting PDF document templates, start by creating a structured HTML, incorporating these custom field tags. Use Chrome print preview feature to get a real-time visualization of the document appearance as a PDF.

Custom CSS, whether embedded inline or linked externally, can be used to refine the visual design of the document.

HTML

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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Rental Agreement</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div
      style="width: 80%; margin: 0 auto; padding: 20px; border: 1px solid #ccc;">
      <div style="text-align: center;  margin-bottom: 20px;">
        <h2>Rental Agreement</h2>
      </div>
      <p>This Rental Agreement (the "Agreement") is made and entered into by and
        between:</p>
      <p style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
        <span>Party A: </span>
        <text-field
          name="Full Name"
          role="Property Owner"
          style="width: 160px; height: 20px; display: inline-block;">
        </text-field>
      </p>
      <p>and</p>
      <p style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
        <span>Party B: </span>
        <text-field
          name="Full Name"
          role="Renter"
          style="width: 160px; height: 20px; display: inline-block;">
        </text-field>
      </p>
      <p>...</p>
      <div
        style="display: flex; justify-content: space-between; margin-top: 50px;">
        <div style="text-align: left;">
          <p style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
            <text-field
              name="Full Name"
              role="Property Owner"
              style="width: 160px; height: 20px; display: inline-block;">
            </text-field>
          </p>
          <p>Party A</p>
          <p style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
            <span>Date: </span>
            <date-field
              name="Date"
              role="Property Owner"
              style="width: 100px; height: 20px; display: inline-block;">
            </date-field>
          </p>
          <signature-field
            name="Property Owner's Signature"
            role="Property Owner"
            style="width: 160px; height: 80px; display: inline-block;">
          </signature-field>
        </div>
        <div style="text-align: left;">
          <p style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
            <text-field
              name="Full Name"
              role="Renter"
              style="width: 160px; height: 20px; display: inline-block;">
            </text-field>
          </p>
          <p>Party B (Renter)</p>
          <p style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
            <span>Date: </span>
            <date-field
              name="Date"
              role="Renter"
              style="width: 100px; height: 20px; display: inline-block;">
            </date-field>
          </p>
          <signature-field
            name="Renter's Signature"
            role="Renter"
            style="width: 160px; height: 80px; display: inline-block;">
          </signature-field>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

Adding header and footer (optional)

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Additionally, it's possible to add headers and footers to every page using the html_header and html_footer parameters.

Use special html tags to add page number and total pages in the header or footer: <span class="pageNumber"></span>, <span class="totalPages"></span>.

HTML

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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <style>
      body { margin: auto 10px; font-size: 11pt }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p><span class="pageNumber"></span> of <span class="totalPages"></span></p>
  </body>
</html>

Send HTML to the API

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Use POST https://api.docuseal.com/submissions/html API to create a one-off submission request document from the given HTML.

API request body should contain JSON payload with "html": '...' string value.

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const docuseal = require('@docuseal/api');

docuseal.configure({ key: 'API_KEY', url: 'https://api.docuseal.com' });

const html = '<!DOCTYPE html>...';
const html_header = '<!DOCTYPE html>...';
const html_footer = '<!DOCTYPE html>...';

const submission = await docuseal.createSubmissionFromHtml({
  name: 'Rental Agreement',
  documents: [
    {
      name: 'rental-agreement',
      html: html,
      html_header: html_header,
      html_footer: html_footer,
      size: 'A4'
  ],
  submitters: [
    {
      role: 'First Party',
      email: 'john.doe@example.com'
    }
  ]
});

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