Welcome to the sproof Sign API Quick Start Guide!
This document sets out the basic prerequisites and core concepts you need to successfully interact with the sproof Sign API later on. It serves as the foundation for the detailed instructions that follow in the subsequent chapters of the Academy.
Audience: This guide is aimed at developers who have basic programming knowledge and are familiar with concepts like RESTful APIs, JSON and HTTP.
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1. Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have the following:
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sproof Sign Account: An active sproof Sign account (purchase of an Enterprise plan or trial plan), ideally with a User+ license, Fastlane enabled and the required signature types/quotas to use the full feature set.
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API key (
{{token}}): This is visible in your sproof account under Settings - API Tokens. Any API key generated within your plan allows creating invitations on behalf of any email address registered in the plan. After deletion, this API key can no longer perform API requests. With the roles management feature, people with certain permissions can also generate their own token, giving the plan owner better visibility into team members' usage of API tokens. -
Sender email: An email address that belongs to a member of your sproof Sign plan. This email address is required for correct attribution of the sent documents.
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Test document: A document you want to have signed, encoded as base64.
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Basic technical understanding: You should be familiar with HTTP requests (POST, GET), the JSON data format and data encoding (e.g. Base64).
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Optional: A
callbackUrl: A URL to which we can send status updates for your documents (e.g. webhook.site for testing). This is not mandatory but is recommended for real-time updates.
2. Core concepts
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createSignatureRequest: This is the main API call to create a signature request. It includesinviteDataandenvelopeDatato configure the invitation and the document.-
inviteData: General information about the invitation (e.g. sender, recipient, subject, message). -
envelopeData: Document-specific data and settings (e.g. the document itself, signature type, signature positions, roles). -
callbackUrl: Your endpoint URL to which we send notifications about status changes.
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memberId: It is a unique ID that identifies a specific recipient for a specific document within an sproof Sign signature process and represents their individual invitation and document status. You find this in the response object for the specific recipient after a successful call. The memberId is used to poll for document status, to download the signed document and to open the document in the sproof Sign Editor. -
Base64: Documents must be encoded in this format before sending.
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Fastlane: The Fastlane is an optimized user interface designed to speed up the process of collecting signatures and other required data. It offers a guided, step-by-step flow that ensures efficiency and ease of use for your recipients. Documents can be shared via email, link or QR code.
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Fastlane profiles allow customization of this process so you can tailor the signature flow to your specific needs. You can configure which screens are available in the signature process (welcome, document, provider, sign, end) and other properties. All created Fastlane profiles are accessible to every member of your plan, simplifying management and use across your organization.
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Workflow: A predefined sequence of steps and settings for the signature process (e.g. number of signers, signature positions on the document, email templates).
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Batch signing: Batch signing enables API-driven initiation of simultaneous signing of multiple documents. Documents are assigned to a batch and its signing is triggered. This requires a one-time confirmation on the user's mobile device. A User+ license and a successfully verified identity of the user are prerequisites. Qualified batch signing (QES) works only with sproof QES (Swisscom); other QES providers are not compatible.
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Verify signatures: You can verify the validity of digital signatures in a document via the API. To do this, send the Base64-encoded document to the endpoint
documents/verify. The API then returns the validation status of the signatures in the response object. Our signature verification complies with the ETSI standard. -
Signing Widget: The Signing Widget allows you to integrate the signature process directly into your own website. Instead of redirecting users to a separate sproof Sign page, documents can be signed seamlessly within the application, providing a controlled user experience. It works by integrating a code snippet (via iframe) into your website, allowing users to sign directly on your page using the Fastlane user interface optimized for mobile devices.
Next steps
You have now learned the basic prerequisites and core concepts of the sproof Sign API. This is the foundation for automating your digital signature processes and integrating them seamlessly into your applications.
What comes next?
To dive deeper and implement your first integration, we recommend exploring the following areas of the sproof Academy:
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Send your first signature request: Learn by practical examples how to configure and execute your first API call to send a document for signature.
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Process status updates and callbacks: Learn how to receive and interpret our automatic callback notifications to track signature progress in real time and trigger downstream processes.
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Download signed documents: Discover the different ways to retrieve signed documents and integrate them into your system.
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Working with workflows via the API: Optimize complex signature processes by programmatically using or customizing predefined workflows.
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Fastlane integration: Integrate the Fastlane user interface directly into your website to provide an optimized signature process for your end users.
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Embed the Signing Widget: Use the Signing Widget to have a document signed directly on your website without your users having to leave your site.
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Batch signing: Process a large number of documents efficiently in a single call.
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Signature verification: Confirm the validity of signatures in a document via the API to guarantee authenticity.
We are confident that with these resources you can implement your integration quickly and successfully.
Questions about technical implementation?
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Start your integration now and transform your document workflows with sproof Sign!