Sending an Envelope

Sending an envelope uses two focused stages: Prepare and Add fields & send. The composer fills the browser window so the document and recipient setup stays in context. Draft changes save automatically; the header reports Saving, Saved, or Save failed.

Create the draft

From E-Signature, click New envelope. Upload one or more PDFs or select a template, add a title and optional message, then click Create & prepare.

• An envelope can contain up to 10 PDFs, each up to 25 MB.
• PDFs must have at least one page and cannot be password-protected.
• A draft can have up to 20 recipients with unique email addresses.

Stage 1: Prepare

Prepare keeps the complete delivery setup on one screen:

• Upload more PDFs and drag documents to change their reading order.
• Add signers and CC recipients, then drag them to change routing order.
• Set sequential or any-order signing.
• Edit the email message, expiration date, and reminder interval.

Every recipient needs a name and unique email address, and at least one recipient must be a signer. CPAAutomation sends a private access link to that address; recipients do not need CPAAutomation accounts.

Removing a document also removes fields placed on that document. Removing a recipient removes only fields assigned to that recipient. CPAAutomation shows the exact number of affected fields before either destructive change. Editing a recipient's name, email, role, or routing position preserves that recipient's identity and placed fields.

Click Next when the setup is valid. Pending changes are saved before the composer advances.

Stage 2: Add fields & send

Select a signer under Assign to, choose a field from the palette, and click the PDF to place it. You can also drag, resize, multi-select, duplicate, and move fields with the keyboard. Undo and redo are available in the palette.

Available fields include:

Field	Behavior
Signature / Initials	Uses the signature or initials adopted by the signer.
Date signed	Filled automatically at signing.
Text / Checkbox	Required or optional signer input.
Radio group / Dropdown	Constrained choices configured in field properties.
Attachment	Requires a supported PDF or image upload.
Formula	Calculates from referenced numeric fields.
Auto-fill	Uses recipient name, email, company, or sent date.

Fields can be conditional, and text anchors can be used for repeatable placement. Field changes autosave after a short pause.

Click Review & send to open the review drawer. It summarizes documents, recipients, routing, message, expiration, reminders, and validation issues. Select a field-specific issue to return to that field. Every signer must have a required field and a signature field.

The drawer also lets you save the draft as a template. Click Send envelope when no issues remain. Sent envelopes can no longer be edited; follow progress from the envelope detail page.

Old Documents, Recipients, and Review bookmarks continue to work and redirect into the appropriate stage.