We're excited to bring you a major upgrade to eSignature: reusable templates. Instead of rebuilding signature fields every time you send an envelope, you can now build a template once and apply it to any document in seconds. 


This release also brings smarter recipient setup with automatic signer role mapping, flexible expiration reminders, and a more streamlined document organization experience. 


You can pull forms directly from the standardized ACORD library or your agency's own Document Library when setting up a template's signature fields - no uploaded copy required. Reordering documents is simpler too and once an envelope is completed, EZLynx automatically files the signed PDF away for you


All of these new features and enhancements reduce repetitive work, speed up your envelope preparation, and give you greater control over your eSignature workflows from start to finish. 


The only prerequisite to create new eSignature Templates for your agency is you must be an Admin to see the new eSignature Templates page. 


Once your Agency Admin creates the eSignature Templates, anyone at your agency can use them when making an eSignature envelope.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

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What's in it for me?


  • Save time with reusable templates: Build a template once with your preferred signature fields and signer roles, then apply it to any document — no more recreating the same setup for every envelope. 


  • Build templates from more sources: Select forms directly from the ACORD Forms library or your agency's own Document Library when setting up a template's signature fields, in addition to uploads, so you don't need a saved copy on hand just to get started.


  • Reduce errors and rework: Templates ensure consistency across envelopes, so signature fields are placed correctly every time without manual adjustment. 


  • Get envelopes out the door faster: Applying a template automatically maps signer roles to known recipients like the Applicant, Co-Applicant, Producer, and CSR — cutting down on manual data entry. 


  • Stay organized across your agency: Share templates with sub-branches so your entire organization can work from the same set of professionally prepared documents. 


  • Never miss a deadline: Customize expiration reminders on each envelope, so you and your recipients are notified at the right time — not just the default. 


  • Never lose track of a signed document: Once an envelope is completed the system will automatically store the signed PDF in your Document Library, so it's already there the next time you or your client need it.

Creating an eSignature Template


To access the eSignature Templates page, you must be an Agency Admin. If you do not see the eSignature templates option in the menu, please reach out to your Agency Admin.


If you do have access, creating an eSignature template is an easy four step process.  Let's take a look at how to access and create an eSignature Template.


How to access

1. Hover over the Communication Center (text bubble) icon.

2. Choose eSignature Templates to access the new eSignature Templates page. 

3. Click Create eSignature Template to begin the guided template creation process. 




How to create

Step 1 - Template Details

  • Enter a template name (required, up to 100 characters)
  • There is an optional description (up to 250 characters)
  • Define your signer roles (e.g., Applicant, Co-Applicant, Assigned Producer, CSR, Agency Owner, or Other). You can add up to six signer roles per template. 
    • Applicant, Co-Applicant, Assigned Producer, will prepopulate at the time of using the template from an applicant record, if the information is available. 
    • Agency Owner and Other will require manual entry of the name and email address.
  • Choose whether to share the template with specific sub-branches in your organization. 


 


Step 2 - Form Selection

Choose one or more documents for your template from three tabs - Upload, ACORD Forms, or Agency Forms: 


  • ACORD Forms: Search and select from the standardized ACORD Library. Each entry shows Form Name, Form #, and Version. 
  • Agency Forms: Search and select from your agency's own document library. Each entry shows Type, Form Name, Document Type, and Created By. Only PDF Files can be selected here. Word Agency Forms aren't supported yet. 
  • Upload: Upload one or more PDF documents directly, just as before. 



Things to consider: 

  • The document(s) you select here only guide where signature blocks are placed on the template. They aren't stored or edited as part of the template itself. At the applicant level, you'll select the matching completed form from the document library and the template overlays its signature fields onto that version of the document.   
  • A template can include up to 25 documents total and up to 30 MB combined size across Upload, ACORD Forms, and Agency Forms. If you go over either limit, an alert lets you know exactly what to fix before you continue. 



Review, reorder, or remove documents in the Selected tab before proceeding. Reordering is simpler than ever - just grab the drag handle next to any document instead of managing a numbered list.




Step 3 - Setup Signature

Place signature fields on your document and assign each field to the appropriate signer role using the signer role dropdown. 


 

Please note, each signer role must have at least one signature field before continuing. 



Step 4 - Save Template

Review all template details — including the template name, description, signer roles, sharing settings, and placed signature fields — then click Save. Your template is now ready to use. 



Managing Your Templates 


Once you've created an eSignature Template, you can manage them on the eSignature Templates page. Simply, click on the Actions icon (vertical dots) to open the actions menu.


  • Edit: Update any template at any time using the same step-by-step flow as creation. All existing template details are pre-populated for you. Changes apply only to future envelopes — previously sent, draft or, in-progress envelopes are not affected. 


  • Copy: Duplicate an existing template to create a new version without changing the original. The copy includes all documents, signer roles, signature field placements, and the description. Simply provide a new name and you're ready to go. 


  • Delete: Remove templates you no longer need. A confirmation prompt protects against accidental deletions. Deleting a template does not affect any envelopes already sent or saved as drafts.


At the top of the page, quickly find templates by name using the "Search Templates" bar. You can also Sort by all of the header columns except for Description. 



Using Templates When Creating an Envelope 


Once you've made an eSignature Template, you can use it when creating an envelope.


1. Navigate to a customer's Documents tab. 

2. Create an eSignature envelope and navigate to the Add Document step. 

3. Select the document(s) from the applicant’s document library that will be used in the template. 

4. Select the Templates radio button (next to the Select Documents option) to view available templates.  

5. Click Apply on any template to map its signature fields onto a document you've already selected. 

6. In the Apply window, check the box next to the document(s) which should receive the template's signature fields. 

7. Then, click Apply.


A template indicator icon will show in the Reorder Selected Documents panel for any document with an applied template — hover over it to see the template name. 


Don't see the template you need? Click Create new eSignature Template to be redirected to the Create eSignature template workflow. Once the new template is saved, just refresh the Applicant page to use it.



Updates to eSignature Workflow


With the introduction of eSignature Templates, we've updated the envelope workflow to automatically apply signers to the Setup Recipients step based on the template that was applied. 


We've also heard your feedback and made the Expiration Reminder field editable. Check out the workflow changes to eSignature envelopes below.


Automatic Signer Role Mapping

When a template is applied, signer roles automatically prefill in the recipients list on the Setup Envelope step in a new Signer Role column. 


  • Known roles - Applicant, Co-Applicant, Assigned Producer, and CSR - are automatically matched to the corresponding contact, with their name and email address prefilled, if the data is available on the Applicant. 


  • Custom signer roles - Agency Owner and Other - can be assigned manually by entering or selecting a contact. All custom roles require a name and email address before you can proceed. 


You can edit any recipient — including those auto-assigned by a template — to update the name or email address. 


You can remove a recipient associated with a signer role. Please note, removing a recipient also removes all signature fields tied to that signer role from the envelope documents. 



Customizable Expiration Reminders 

On the Setup Envelope step, you can find the "Reminder of expiration" field under the Schedule section, displayed below the expiration date. 


  • You can now adjust the number of days before expiration when a reminder should be sent — the default is 5 days. 
  • Simply use the day counter or the date picker — both stay in sync automatically. If the expiration date changes, the reminder adjusts automatically to stay valid. 
  • Your reminder settings are preserved when saving a draft and restored when you reopen it. 


Please note, the reminder date must be before the expiration date. 



Automatic Storage of Completed Envelopes

When an eSignature envelope reaches Completed status, EZLynx automatically saves a signed PDF copy to your Document Library - no manual export needed.


Please Note: If you rename the Completed eSignatures folder, EZLynx won't continue saving to it. A new folder named "Completed eSignature" will be created automatically the next time an envelope is completed so future signed envelopes go there going forward.


The document is saved to a "Completed eSignatures" folder (created automatically the first time it's needed) and named EzSign - {envelope name}. The saved document reflects all signatures and completed singing content, and it can't be edited - its a permanent record of what was signed. 


You can find it the same way you find anything else in the Document Library, using the existing list view and search.




Practical Applications  


3 ways your agency can get the most out of eSignature Templates:  


  • Standardize your most common documents: Create templates for your most frequently used forms — such as broker of record letters, ACORD applications, or agency-specific disclosure forms — so every envelope goes out looking consistent and professional, with signature fields in exactly the right places. 


  • Build templates without leaving your workflow: Select ACORD 25s or other standardized forms directly from the ACORD Library or pull an agency disclosure form from your own Document Library, when setting up a templates signature fields - no saved copy needed on your machine first.


  • Onboard new team members faster: New CSRs and producers can hit the ground running by using pre-built templates rather than learning where to place signature fields on every document. This reduces training time and ensures accuracy from day one.  


  • Streamline multi-branch operations: Share templates across sub-branches so every office in your agency uses the same standardized documents. When a template is updated, all future envelopes across branches benefit from the improvement — without any extra effort. 


  • Keep a reliable record for compliance and client requests: When a client asks for a copy of a signed form, head straight to the Document Library's Completed eSignature folder instead of digging through email. Every completed envelope is saved right next to your other documents automatically. 

Best Practices 


Down below we've included a common use case and two ways you could setup a template, which one we recommend, and overall best practices. 


Use Case: Multi-Document Envelope

Example: A 10-page envelope with 3 documents: 

  • Pages 1-2: Agency Custom document 
  • Pages 3-7: Application (with 2 supplemental pages) 
  • Pages 8-10: Second application (same type, no supplemental pages) 

For example, sending two home applications to sign.


Two Ways to Setup Templates

Option 1: Document-Level Templates (Recommended)

  • Create: 
    • 1 template for the agency document
    • 1 template for the application
  • Upload documents separately and apply templates per document
  • Reuse the application template across both applications

:white_check_mark: Best for: Flexibility and consistency
:white_check_mark: Benefit: Handles variation in document length (e.g., with/without supplemental pages)
:warning: Note: Signature placement stays correct even if page counts vary


Option 2: Full Envelope Templates (Fixed Layout)

  • Create a single template covering all 10 pages
  • Apply it to the entire envelope

:white_check_mark: Best for: Highly standardized, unchanging document sets
:warning: Risk: If page counts or document order change, signature fields may land incorrectly


Best Practice Guidance

  • Use document level-templates whenever documents could vary in length or composition
  • Reserve full-envelope templates for fixed, repeatable packages with identical page counts every time
  • When in doubt, prioritize flexibility over convenience to avoid signature misplacement

Frequently Asked Questions


  • How many documents can a single eSignature Template include? Up to 25 documents total, combined across the Upload, ACORD Forms, and Agency Forms tabs. 


  • What's the maximum combined file size for a template? 30 MB across all selected documents, regardless of which tab they came from. 


  • What file types are supported in a template? PDF Only, at this time. On-screen help text confirms this while you're creating or editing a template. 


  • How many signer roles can a template have? Up to six per template. Default roles include Applicant, Co-Applicant, Assigned Producer, CSR, Agency Owner, and Other.


  • Which signer roles are automatically mapped to recipients? Applicant, Co-Applicant, Assigned Producer, and CSR are automatically matched to the corresponding contact with name and email prefilled. Agency Owner, Other , and any custom roles require manual assignment. 


  • Can templates be shared across branches? Yes. During template creation, choose to share the template with specific sub-branches using the Share Template option. If you don't select sharing, the template stays available only to your current branch. 


  • Does applying a template overwrite existing signature fields on an envelope? Yes Applying or updating a template removes any existing signature fields and replaces them with the fields from the selected template. You'll see a caution alert letting you know before this happens. 


  • What happens if I edit or delete a template? Edits apply only to future envelopes - anything already sent, drafted, or in progress stays as is. Deleting a template works the same way: any envelopes already in Draft, Sent, In Progress, or Completed status keep all their documents, signature fields, and signer roles. 


  • What does the expiration reminder do? It lets you customize when a reminder notification goes out before an envelope expires. The default 5 days before expiration, and you can adjust it with a day counter or date picker. The reminder date must fall before the expiration date. 


  • Where are completed eSignature envelopes stored? Automatically saved as a signed PDF to your Document Library in a system-created "Completed eSignatures" folder, named EzSign - {envelope name}. 


  • Can a completed signed PDF be edited or deleted? The signed PDF itself can't be edited, but you can move, rename, or delete it like any other document in your Document Library. 

We hope you are excited for this new feature and enhancements, and look forward to our future releases for more updates. Please let us know if this article was helpful in learning about the new feature by answering the question below. Check out our related articles to the right-side of the page to learn more about EZLynx!