How to Bulk Send Documents to Multiple Recipients with BoldSign

TL;DR: BoldSign’s Bulk Send feature lets you send the same document to multiple recipients at once without creating each request manually. Set up a reusable template, upload your recipient list as a CSV file, and track every document from one dashboard.

Looking for a quicker, more efficient way to gather electronic signatures from bulk recipients? BoldSign’s Bulk Send feature is your solution. It enables simultaneous document distribution to multiple recipients, effectively saving you valuable time and effort.

With Bulk Send feature, you can eliminate the need to create a document from scratch each time and add form fields to each recipient individually. For instance, if an HR department needs to send an onboarding agreement to all new employees, they can easily create a Bulk Send, add all recipient details, and send the document to all recipients simultaneously.

In this blog, we’ll navigate you through the steps of creating and sending bulk electronic signature requests using BoldSign.

Manual Sending vs. Bulk Send

Choosing between manual document sending and Bulk Send can significantly impact efficiency, especially when handling large volumes of signature requests. Here’s a comparison of the two approaches:

Workflow step	Manual sending	Bulk send with BoldSign
Initial setup	The document and request may need to be prepared repeatedly for each recipient.	A reusable template can be selected for the entire bulk-send request.
Recipient data entry	Recipient information is entered separately for each request.	Recipient information is added to a CSV file and uploaded at once.
Personalization	Each request must be edited separately.	Recipient-specific values can be populated from CSV columns.
Sending to multiple recipients	The workload increases with each individual request.	One bulk-send workflow can distribute the document to the complete recipient list.
Risk of data-entry errors	Repetitive manual entry creates more opportunities for inconsistencies.	A standardized CSV reduces repeated entry and makes recipient data easier to validate.
Status tracking	Each signature request must be reviewed individually.	Recipient and document statuses can be monitored together in one place.
Best suited for	One-time or low-volume signature requests.	Recurring or high-volume workflows that use the same document structure.

Creating a template

Before you can send documents in bulk, you’ll need to create a template with the necessary documents for signature. If you’re unsure how to create a template in BoldSign, check out our detailed guide on How to create a template.

Creating Bulk Send

Here are the steps to initiate the Bulk Send from BoldSIgn application.

1. Begin by clicking on “Create New” and selecting “Create New Bulk Send.”

Create New Bulk Send

2. On the “Prepare Bulk Send” page, choose the template you’ve created for the signature request by clicking on “Browse Templates” in the template section. The document and form field settings specified in the template will automatically populate on the Bulk Send page.
3. In the “Add Recipients” section, you’ll find a note with a “Download sample CSV” link. When you click that link, a CSV file will be downloaded with the prefilled column headers and default values based on the attached template.
4. You can include recipient details and specify different titles, messages, languages, CC, tags, default values, etc., for each recipient in the CSV file. The format for specifying these details is explained in the “CSV format for recipient data” section of this blog.

Recipient Details in CSV format

5. Once you’ve added recipient details to the CSV file, upload it using the “Upload Recipient data CSV” option. If any errors occur due to incorrect formatting, an error message will be displayed.

Add recipient details

6. The role details are fetched from the template and cannot be modified. You can add CC recipients in the CC field, which will be applied to all recipients. To include different CC recipients for each recipient, include the CC recipient details in the CSV file.
7. In the Bulk Send title section, the template name will be displayed by default, but you can modify the title if needed.
8. In the Document section, the file name will be the document title, and the message added in the template will be displayed in the message field. Modify the title and message as needed.
9. In the Document settings, fields will be prefilled based on the template, and you can make changes if needed.
10. Click the “Preview” button to see how the document will appear for each recipient.

Preview document details

11. Once you’re satisfied with the settings, click the “Send” button to initiate the Bulk Send process.

Bulk send option

Track Bulk Send Request

After sending a bulk request for eSignature, you can track its status on the “My Bulk Send” page. Here, you’ll find details about each Bulk Send, including the number of recipients and their current status.

Track bulk send request

CSV format for recipient data

In the Bulk Send process, providing recipient data in a CSV file is a prerequisite. This ensures a standardized format that BoldSign recognizes and utilizes for streamlined operations.

Utilizing the sample CSV

Upon downloading the sample CSV, the values are automatically populated based on your chosen template. For instance, if you designated “Employee” in the role field and opted for email delivery, the CSV will showcase column headers like Name and Email with the role, tailoring the data presentation to your specific template choices.

Sample CSV file

Similarly, different delivery options such as SMS or Email & SMS will prompt the display of respective column headers.

Managing form fields in the template

When incorporating form fields with default value fields in the template (e.g., textbox, radio button, checkbox, editable date field, and dropdown fields), the corresponding column headers and values will be reflected in the CSV file. This allows you to modify default values according to your requirements.

Managing form fields

The form fields like signature, image, and attachment won’t appear in the CSV file, given their absence of default value fields. However, they will be presented to the signers during the process.

Tailoring titles and messages

To provide distinct titles and messages to individual recipients, it’s essential to include the Title and Message fields before the Name field in your CSV file.

Include title and message field

Multilingual support

For users with two roles and varied language preferences, specifying languages in the title and message columns ensures personalized communication. The first language corresponds to the first role, and the second language corresponds to the second role.

Multilingual support

Additional customization: CC, tags, and private messages

To include different CC recipients and tags for your recipients, add the corresponding columns after the last column in the CSV file. Additionally, for private messages directed at specific signers, include a private message column after the document delivery details.

Additional customization details

Benefits of using Bulk Send

When the same document needs to be sent to many recipients, Bulk Send helps streamline the process, reduce manual effort, and improve overall efficiency. Here are some of its key benefits:

Benefit	Why it matters
Saves time	A reusable template eliminates the need to prepare the same document separately for every recipient.
Maintains document consistency	The template keeps the document structure, field placement, and settings consistent while allowing supported field values to be personalized for each recipient.
Reduces manual errors	A standardized CSV reduces repetitive recipient data entry and helps maintain consistent information across requests.
Supports personalization at scale	Names, document fields, titles, messages, languages, and other recipient-specific details can be populated through the CSV file.
Centralizes status tracking	Sent, viewed, completed, and pending documents can be monitored in one place.
Requires no API integration	Teams can create and manage bulk signature requests from the BoldSign application without building an API workflow.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to explore the benefits of BoldSign’s Bulk Send feature with us. We hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights into how Bulk Send can save you time and effort in managing your document signing processes.

If you have any further questions or would like to learn more, we encourage you to start a free trial or schedule a personalized demo. Our dedicated support team is also readily available through our support portal, ensuring you receive the guidance and assistance you need throughout your BoldSign journey.