ARTICLE AD BOX
Problem
I’m using the DocuSign eSignature API with composite templates and can’t get prefill (sender-filled) text tabs to populate when creating an envelope.
What I’m Doing
I built a template builder that places PDF annotations (via Nutrient)
These are converted into anchor-based Text tabs in a DocuSign template
Prefill fields are created like:
Anchor: PreFillLegalCompanyName_GUID
TabLabel: LegalCompanyName
At send time:
I retrieve the tabs
Map TabLabel → value (e.g. "LegalCompanyName" → "Test Customer LLC")
Send values using an inline template
Example:
signer.Tabs = new Tabs { TextTabs = new List<Text> { new Text { TabLabel = "LegalCompanyName", Value = "Test Customer LLC" } } };Issue
The tab exists in the document, but the value is not populated when the envelope is created.
What I’ve Tried
Matching TabLabel exactly (verified from template)
Applying tabs on the same recipient as the server template
Using a separate inline template for prefills
Verifying anchor strings and tab metadata
None of these resulted in the value being applied.
Question
What is the correct way to populate prefill text tabs when using composite templates?
Do prefill tabs need to be assigned differently in the template?
Should values be applied in a specific inline template or recipient context?
Do anchor-based tabs behave differently when setting values via TabLabel?
Expected Result
The document should be pre-filled (e.g. LegalCompanyName = "Test Customer LLC") before the recipient views it.
Any guidance would be appreciated.
