Open the document in authoring.
Last updated on
Aug 31, 2026
Alert
This article contains prerelease information. Release dates, features, and other information are subject to change without notice.
Apply a reusable field layout to an agreement or library template without placing and configuring each field again.
In modern Adobe Acrobat Sign authoring, a field template contains a reusable layer of form fields. Applying a field template adds its fields to the document while preserving the fields and recipient assignments already defined in the template.
Before you begin
You must have access to the field template you want to apply.
Applying a field template adds fields to the document. It doesn't remove or replace fields that are already present.
Apply a field template
Open Field templates.
Select the field template you want to apply.
Review the fields after they are added to the document.
Adjust field placement, assignments, or properties as needed.
The applied fields retain the recipient assignments defined in the field template. Applying the template doesn't add recipients or change the agreement's recipient order.
After placement, the fields behave like other form fields and can be moved, edited, reassigned, or deleted.
Review existing and applied fields
A field template is added as another field layer. Fields already on the document remain in place.
If the document contains existing fields, Acrobat Sign can warn that the applied template fields may overlap them.
After applying a template, review the document for:
- Fields that overlap existing fields.
- Fields that no longer align with the intended document content.
- Recipient assignments that need to be changed for the current agreement.
- Fields that aren't needed for the current document.
See Review and manage form fields for finding and managing placed fields.
Apply multiple field templates
You can apply more than one field template to the same document.
Each additional template adds another set of fields. Previously placed fields remain on the document.
Repeat the template application process for each field layer you need, then review the combined result for overlap and placement.
Applying multiple field templates doesn't merge fields that occupy the same location.
Reuse fields on an updated library template
Use an existing field template when the document in a library template changes but the field configuration can still be reused.
Applying the saved field template adds its fields to the updated document. It doesn't identify, merge with, or replace fields that are already present.
To reuse the fields:
Save the existing field layout as a field template.
Prepare the updated library-template document.
Open the updated document in authoring.
Apply the saved field template.
Review the applied fields against the updated document.
Move, edit, reassign, or delete fields as needed.
If the updated document already contains fields that the applied template is intended to replace, remove those fields before applying the field template. Otherwise, both sets of fields remain and may overlap.
Recipient assignments stored in the field template are retained when the fields are applied. Applying the field template doesn't change the recipients or routing configured for the library template.
Things to know
- Applying a field template adds fields; it doesn't replace existing fields.
- Applied fields retain the recipient assignments stored in the field template.
- Applying a field template doesn't change the agreement's recipients or routing order.
- You can apply multiple field templates to one document.
- Applied fields can be edited, reassigned, moved, or deleted after placement.
- Review applied fields whenever the target document differs from the document the field layer was originally designed for.
