Send in Bulk using a parent template

Defining the Agreement details - Set the agreement name, global message, and base files.
Defining the Agreement settings - Adjust settings such as reminders, expiration date, password, and localization.
Add recipients - Enter the recipient list in one of two ways:
- Manually - Type or paste each recipient into the text field.
  - Acrobat Pro accounts can only enter recipients manually, with a maximum of 50 recipients.
- CSV Upload – Upload a recipient list using a CSV file.
  - Acrobat Pro accounts don't support CSV uploads.
  - CSV files can also be used to customize each child agreement.

Method of adding recipients

Defining the Agreement details and settings is the same process regardless of how you add your recipients. However, how you intend to add recipients has far-reaching implications for the scope and options applied to the child agreements.
Before you start configuring a Send in Bulk parent template, know and understand which method you intend to use to add your recipients. If you intend to take advantage of the CSV import options, define your CSV before you begin building your template.

The manual input interface allows:

Only one recipient per child agreement, with an optional counter-signature by the sender. There is no option to add additional external recipients, assign a different counter-signer, or move the counter signature into the first signature position.
Up to 50 individual recipients can be added through the manual process, generating up to 50 child agreements.

Additionally, all configured agreement details and settings of the parent template apply to all child agreements. This includes:

the role of the recipient
the recipient's authentication method and value
the expiration deadline for the child agreements
the global message included in the email notification
the locale used for the recipient experience

The CSV import method provides several practical improvements over the manual process, such as:

Up to 1,000 child agreements can be configured through one Send in Bulk transaction.
Up to 100 recipients can be included in each child agreement. Each recipient can have their own:
- Role
- Authentication type (including Email (None), Acrobat Sign auth, Phone (SMS), Password, and Knowledge-based authentication)
- Authentication value
- Private message (up to 1,000 characters)
Each child agreement can be configured to include:
- Custom agreement name
- Custom "global message" in the email (up to 10,000 characters)
- Custom locale
- Custom expiration date
- Complex workflow structures (Sequential, Parallel, and Hybrid signature flows)

Note:

The new Send in Bulk environment does not currently support configuring the sender to sign first using the option to manually add recipients.

Configure the parent template

Define the Agreement details

Log in with a user that has access to the Send in Bulk feature enabled in their primary group and navigate to the Home page.
Select the Send in Bulk tile.

If the tile is not present, then the user's primary group does not have Send in Bulk enabled.

Contact your Acrobat Sign administrator to provide access to the Send in Bulk feature for the user's primary group.

If an error is generated asserting you don't have sufficient access, then the user's primary group isn't configured to allow access Send in Bulk, but the user is a member of a group with access.

Access to the Send in Bulk interface requires the user to have the feature enabled in their primary group.
Once the Send in Bulk interface loads:
1. Select the group from which the agreements are to be sent. If the group picker isn't available, then you only have access to one group. The group defines:
  
  the templates available for the transaction
  
  the signature options and requirements requirements
  
  the security applied to the agreements
2. Select the Choose file button to pick the file that will be used as the base document for the agreement. You can select a file from:
  
  My computer. Selecting a file from your computer advances the configuration process immediately. If you need to use multiple files, you can select more files after the page refreshes.
  
  Template Library. Selecting from the Template option allows you to select multiple files from the library by checking the box in the list. Once all files are checked, select the Confirm button to add them to the transaction. The template library has two tabs:
  
  Templates. This is a listing of all templates available to the user through the group's template library.
  
  Recent Templates. This is a list of the most recently used templates in the group's template library.
A link may be enabled in the upper-right corner of the window, allowing users to switch to the classic version of the Send in Bulk feature.

Note:

When using templates, it's vital that you test and verify that your template fields are properly assigned and working as expected before you create hundreds of agreements.
The page refreshes to show the Agreement details.

There are three sections to review and edit as needed:
- Agreement files - The selected files or templates are already attached. If you need more files attached, select the Choose more files button and add files from your local computer or the template library.
  
  Files can be added from both sources as needed.
  
  Files selected from your local system can only be added one at a time. Multiple templates can be selected.
- Agreement name - The name of the agreement appears in the subject line of the recipient's email and is displayed prominently on the Manage page.
  
  The default Agreement name is imported from the first attached file.
  
  The agreement name is editable by clicking into the field and typing.
- Message - The message field contains the default global message that is inserted in the email body for all recipients. To edit the message field, click on the field and start typing. The message fields hold up to 10,000 characters.

Configure or adjust the Agreement settings

The default values for the Agreement settings are inherited from the group settings. Each setting can be adjusted to accommodate the purpose of the template.
Based on the service level and group-level settings, different options may be included. Below are the most common:

Verify or configure the Completion deadline.

Depending on the nature of your agreements, you may or may not employ an agreement deadline.
If used:

The default lifespan of agreements is defined at the group level. If you must edit this value frequently, talk with your admin to see if the default can be adjusted.
The sender can modify this deadline during agreement composition (if group settings permit).
Deadlines can be modified on the Manage page by the original sender (if group settings permit).
Internal signers can be excluded from the deadline cancellation (if configured to do so in the group settings).
The agreement automatically expires once the deadline is crossed and cannot be signed or completed. A new agreement must be created.

Edit the Completion deadline by selecting the Agreement settings edit icon and picking a new deadline from the calendar.

The agreement settings panel with the deadline calendar highlighted

Note:

All agreements expire after being in progress for 365 days if not completed. This expiration deadline cannot be modified or suppressed.

Verify or modify the Reminder frequency.

The reminder frequency defines the cycle when reminders are emailed to the current active recipients for your agreement.

The default reminder iteration is defined in the group settings.
A default reminder message can be configured in the group settings.
The default reminder can be edited during agreement composition (If permitted by group settings).
Reminders that trigger every day have a 10-day life cycle. All other reminders have a 60-day lifecycle. Reminder lifespans cannot be altered.
Reminder emails are sent at the same time of day the agreement is initially sent.
Reminders can be configured on the Manage page after the agreement is sent.
Recipients are only notified when they are the active participant in the agreement. They are not notified before or after (with the exception of the final notification containing the completed agreement PDF).

Edit the Reminder frequency by selecting the Agreement settings edit icon and picking a new frequency from the dropdown.

The agreement settings panel with the reminder selector highlighted

Add a password to view the final PDF.

The password entered into this field is exclusively for viewing the PDF.

The password to view the final agreement PDF can be configured as a required field, an optional field, or a denied field in the group settings.
The password strength (number of characters and complexity) is defined in the group settings.
A default password value cannot be defined. It must be provided by the sender during agreement composition.
When added, this password is embedded into the PDF as a security parameter, and can't be removed without the password.
The password is not stored anywhere in the Acrobat Sign system, and cannot ber recovered by support.

To set password security when viewing the agreement PDF, select the Agreement settings edit icon and type a password into the field.

The agreement settings panel with the password field highlighted

Configure Content Protection.

Content protection installs security to view the agreement agreement after it has been completed. The agreement will require the same authentication method to view as is configured to initially sign the agreement.

The agreement settings panel with the content protection fields highlighted

Verify or select a new localization language for the recipient's email.

The Language value indicates the localization for all Acrobat Sign template elements, like labels and instructions, in the recipient email and the e-signing page.

The default localization is defined in the group settings.
The default value can be edited (if group settings permit)
The localization language is a distinct setting from the user's UI settings. It's possible to have the group's UI language set to US English and the group's default signing language set to Japanese.

Edit the Recipient's Language by selecting the Agreement settings edit icon and picking a new language from the dropdown.

The agreement settings panel with the language selector highlighted

Add recipients

As previously mentioned, how you expect to add your recipients is key to getting the best results.
By default, the manual process is presented when the template configuration is initiated.

Select the method you intend to use to add recipients:

CSV Upload

When all of the agreement details and settings are configured, select the Add recipients button at the bottom of the page.
Configure the Add recipients section.
A. Bulk recipient list link - The toggle link that defines the recipient input option of Manual input or Import CSV.
- When the link value reads Import CSV, the user is configuring the Manual input experience.
- When the link value reads Enter recipients manually, the user is configuring the Import CSV experience.
Because this document describes how to use the CSV process, select the link so that it shows Enter recipients manually.

B. CSV file - Select the Choose files button to browse to the CSV file configured for this transaction.

C. Download CSV template - Download an example of how the CSV can be configured.
D. Add CC - Add email addresses for any CC'd parties. The CC'd party will get emails for all child agreements.

Note:

There is no option to add yourself as a countersigner, as all recipients must be defined in the CSV file.
Fix any errors that are reported.

The CSV requires that the provided values conform to the expected form when defining system values (like localization and roles). If there are any rows in the CSV that have errors, a red link appears showing the number of errors.
1. Select the link to get a full report of which rows have issues and what the issue is.
2. Edit your CSV file to correct the errors.
3. Re-upload the repaired CSV.
Select Send now when the Send in Bulk template is fully configured and all recipients have been added.

Acrobat Sign immediately starts a batch process to generate the child agreements and notify the recipients.

If you check the parent template on the Manage page, you may see a processing status in the Agreements summary while the agreements are generated.

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Send in Bulk using a parent template