Skip to main content

Signature Field Types

covosign supports different types of signature fields that can be added to documents. Fields are interactive elements placed on PDF documents that collect specific types of input from signers. Each field type serves a different purpose in the signing workflow. Fields are positioned using coordinates (x, y) and have defined dimensions (width, height), allowing precise placement on document pages.

Field Placement​

Fields are positioned using x,y coordinates from the top-left corner of the page, with width and height in points.

Coordinate Placement​

Use coordinate placement when the document layout is stable. Your integration sends the page number and exact position for each field.

{
  "type": "SIGNATURE",
  "recipientId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 100,
  "y": 200,
  "width": 200,
  "height": 50,
  "name": "Signature_1"
}

Anchor Placement​

Use anchor placement when your system generates a unique PDF for each customer and the field position can move. Instead of calculating coordinates yourself, insert unique text tokens into the PDF, then call the relevant anchor endpoint.

important

PDF is not a text-template format. Do not use PDF anchor replacement for dynamic paragraphs or customer-specific text.

If your system already fills customer-specific text before upload, keep using PDF and use anchor placement only for signer fields and image stamping. Use a DOCX template with templateData only when Covosign must fill dynamic text before signing; Covosign converts that DOCX to PDF before the signer sees it.

Typical examples:

  • {{covosign:customer-signature}} near the signature line
  • {{covosign:evidence-image}} where a document image should be stamped
{
  "fields": [
    {
      "anchorKey": "{{covosign:customer-signature}}",
      "type": "SIGNATURE",
      "recipientId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
      "xOffset": 0,
      "yOffset": 12,
      "width": 200,
      "height": 50,
      "name": "Customer Signature"
    }
  ]
}

Anchor rules:

  • The anchor text must exist in the PDF text layer. Image-only PDFs and scanned pages cannot be resolved.
  • Prefer unique anchor tokens. If an anchor appears more than once, pass occurrenceIndex to choose which match to use.
  • Anchors can be visible for template authoring or hidden by rendering them in the background color. They must remain extractable as text.
  • After signer-field resolution, Covosign stores the result as a normal coordinate-based field.
  • Image anchors use POST /signature-requests/{requestId}/fields/anchored/image and update the PDF document content directly.

For dynamically generated documents, anchors are usually easier to maintain than hard-coded coordinates because field placement follows the final PDF content.

SIGNATURE​

Captures a full handwritten signature or electronic signature.

The signature field is the core element of digital signing workflows. It accepts various input methods including mouse drawing, touch signatures on mobile devices, or typed signatures. The field automatically scales the signature to fit while maintaining proportions, ensuring professional appearance regardless of input method.

{
  "type": "SIGNATURE",
  "recipientId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 100,
  "y": 200,
  "width": 200,
  "height": 50,
  "name": "Signature_1"
}

INITIALS​

Initials fields are smaller signature elements often used for document authentication or acknowledgment. They provide a quicker signing option while still capturing the signer's identity. Like signature fields, they support various input methods and are commonly used in multi-page documents where full signatures aren't required on every page.

{
  "type": "INITIAL",
  "recipientId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 100,
  "y": 200,
  "width": 100,
  "height": 30,
  "name": "Initial_1"
}

DATE​

Date fields automatically record the exact timestamp when a signer completes their action. This provides chronological evidence of when each party signed the document. The date is formatted in ISO 8601 standard (YYYY-MM-DD) and is automatically populated, preventing manual entry errors and ensuring accurate timestamping for legal purposes.

{
  "type": "DATE",
  "recipientId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 100,
  "y": 200,
  "width": 150,
  "height": 20,
  "name": "Date_1"
}

TEXT​

Text fields allow signers to enter custom information such as names, addresses, or comments. They can be configured with labels to guide users on what information to provide.

{
  "type": "TEXT",
  "recipientId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "page": 1,
  "x": 100,
  "y": 200,
  "width": 200,
  "height": 50,
  "name": "FullName",
  "defaultValue": "Enter full name"
}