Create a Send in Bulk CSV

Build a CSV file to customize recipients, routing, authentication, agreement details, and form-field data across Send in Bulk child agreements.

A Send in Bulk CSV defines the individual agreements created from the parent Send in Bulk transaction. Each row creates one child agreement, and each column provides a recipient, agreement, or form-field value for that agreement.

Before you begin

• Save the CSV using UTF-8 encoding, especially when the file contains non-Latin characters.
• Place all required form fields on the source document or reusable template before uploading the CSV. CSV-based Send in Bulk doesn't support adding fields in the in-app authoring environment.
• Column headers are case-sensitive.
• Use the current Send in Bulk CSV format when you need to define the sender as the first participant. Legacy CSV formatting can't place the sender first in the current experience.

How CSV values are applied

The parent Send in Bulk transaction provides the default values for the generated child agreements.

You only need to include a CSV column when you want to define or override that value for one or more child agreements. If a supported column is omitted, or a cell in that column is left empty, Acrobat Sign uses the applicable value from the parent Send in Bulk configuration.

A CSV can contain three types of data:

• Recipient data — Defines recipients, roles, authentication, private messages, and identity-check options.
• Agreement data — Defines values such as agreement name, message, expiration, locale, and routing.
• Form-field data — Populates named fields that already exist in the source document or template.

Download the sample CSV from Send in Bulk

You can download a sample CSV directly from the Send in Bulk interface and use it as a starting point.

The sample includes common recipient, routing, authentication, and agreement columns. Add custom form-field columns as needed for your document or template, and remove any columns you don't need.

Define recipients

Each child agreement must contain at least one recipient and can contain up to 100 recipients. Recipient column names use the pattern Recipient_X:<field>, where X is the recipient number.

For example:

Recipient_1:Email
Recipient_2:Email
Recipient_3:Email

Use these recipient fields:

Only Recipient_X:Email is required. Other recipient values can be omitted or left empty when the parent Send in Bulk configuration should provide the default. 

Recipient roles

Recipient_X:Role supports these values:

• SIGNER
• APPROVER
• ACCEPTOR
• FORM_FILLER
• CERTIFIED_RECIPIENT
• DELEGATE_TO_SIGNER
• DELEGATE_TO_APPROVER
• DELEGATE_TO_ACCEPTOR
• DELEGATE_TO_CERTIFIED_RECIPIENT
• DELEGATE_TO_FORM_FILLER

If you omit the role, Acrobat Sign uses the applicable parent configuration.

Configure recipient authentication

Use Recipient_X:Auth_Type to define the authentication method for a recipient.

The authentication method must be enabled for the sending group. If the CSV specifies an authentication method that isn't available to the group, Acrobat Sign returns an error.

Supported values include:

Use Auth_Value

Recipient_X:Auth_Value supplies the additional value required by some authentication methods.

For PHONE, include the country code separated from the number by a hyphen.

Examples:

1-5555551212

+1-555-555-1212

For DIG_ID, the provider must be enabled for the account.

Example:

AWAREID

For information about choosing a provider and applying DIG in Send in Bulk, see Use Digital Identity Gateway with Send in Bulk.

Configure DIG email matching

When Recipient_X:Auth_Type is DIG_ID, use these columns to configure email matching for that recipient:

Name matching isn't currently supported through the Send in Bulk CSV.

Example: DIG authentication with email matching

A recipient configured for DIG might use columns equivalent to:

Enter alternate email addresses

When Recipient_X:Email_Match_Alternate_Emails contains multiple addresses, enter them as a comma-separated list enclosed in quotation marks.

Example:

"alternate1@example.com,alternate2@example.com"

Quotation marks prevent the commas between email addresses from being interpreted as CSV column separators. Each address is validated before the child agreement is created.

Add CC recipients

Use CC_X:Email to add participants who receive a copy of the completed agreement.

Number the columns sequentially:

CC_1:Email

CC_2:Email

CC_3:Email

Add another numbered column for each additional CC participant. 

Define agreement values

Agreement columns override the values configured on the parent Send in Bulk transaction for that row. If a cell is blank or the column isn't present, the parent value is used.

Define recipient routing

Use the Order column to control the sequence in which recipients participate.

Sequential routing

Separate recipients with commas:

Recipient_1,Recipient_2,Recipient_3

Each recipient gains access after the previous recipient completes their action.

Parallel routing

Place recipients who must act at the same time inside parentheses:

Recipient_1,(Recipient_2,Recipient_3),Recipient_4

All recipients in parentheses are notified together, and all must complete their actions.

Recipient group

Place group members inside square brackets:

Recipient_1,[Recipient_2,Recipient_3],Recipient_4

All group members are notified, but only one member needs to complete the group's action.

Hybrid routing

Sequential, parallel, and recipient-group elements can be combined:

Recipient_1,Recipient_2,(Recipient_3,Recipient_4),Recipient_5,[Recipient_6,Recipient_7],Recipient_8

A parallel structure can't be nested inside a recipient group.

Populate form fields

CSV columns can populate named form fields that already exist in the uploaded document or reusable template.

Use the exact form-field name as the CSV column header.

For example, if the document contains fields named Investment and StreetAddress, add columns named:

Investment

StreetAddress

The column headers are case-sensitive and must exactly match the corresponding form-field names. 

Reserved field names

Don't use these reserved words as custom form-field names:

• Name
• Title
• Company
• Email
• Date
• Role

Validate the CSV before uploading

Check the file before using it in Send in Bulk:

• Save it as a UTF-8 CSV.
• Ensure every child agreement has at least one valid recipient email address.
• Match column names exactly, including capitalization.
• Remove trailing commas, spaces, or blank rows. These can cause an Error reading the CSV file provided error.
• When entering multiple DIG alternate email addresses, enclose the comma-separated list in quotation marks.
• Verify that authentication methods and DIG providers are enabled for the sending account or group before uploading the file.