A document template in SignZA stores your PDF file and the exact position of every signature field — so you can send the same agreement to a new signer in under 30 seconds, without uploading or placing fields again. Templates are available on the Pro plan (R99/month or R890/year).
What is a SignZA template?
A SignZA template is a reusable document blueprint. It stores two things together: your PDF file and the exact coordinates of every signature, initials, and date field you have placed on it. When you send from a template, SignZA copies that file and field layout directly into a fresh signing session — your signer sees exactly the right fields in exactly the right places, every time.
Think of it as a stamp. You design the stamp once — choosing where signatures go, which pages need initials, and where a date field should sit. After that, every document you send using that template carries the same layout automatically, with no extra effort from you. The signer's details (name, email, WhatsApp) are still entered fresh each time, so the same template works equally well for a first-time client and a long-standing customer.
Templates work best for any document your business sends repeatedly. If you find yourself uploading the same PDF and dragging the same fields into the same positions more than once a month, a template will pay for itself in saved time within a few sends.
How do you create a template in SignZA?
Saving a template takes about the same time as setting up a regular document send — the difference is that you only do it once. Here's how:
- 1From your dashboard, open the Templates tab in the left sidebar.
- 2Click New Template and upload the PDF you want to reuse (max 10 MB).
- 3You will be taken into the field editor. Drag signature, initials, and date fields onto every page that needs them — position them exactly where your signer should sign.
- 4Click Save Template and give it a clear name (for example: "NDA — Standard", "Service Agreement 2026", or "Employment Contract — Permanent").
Your template is now saved and listed in your Templates tab. It will appear as a quick-select option every time you start a new document send, so you never need to upload or position fields again for that document type.
How do you send a document from a template?
Once your template is saved, sending a new document from it takes only a few clicks:
- 1Click Send Document on your dashboard.
- 2In Step 1, your saved templates appear as quick-select cards above the file upload area. Click the template you want to use — the PDF and all field positions load automatically.
- 3Continue to Step 2, enter your signer's name, email address, and WhatsApp number, then send.
Combining templates with saved contacts
Templates save time on the document side. Saved contactssave time on the signer side. When you combine both, a recurring send — such as sending the same NDA to a supplier you work with every quarter — is reduced to roughly two clicks.
Here is how the combination works: once you have saved a contact, their name, email address, and WhatsApp number auto-fill the moment you type the first few characters of their name in Step 2 of the send flow. Pair that with a saved template for the document type, and the entire setup — file, fields, and signer details — is pre-populated before you even reach the confirm screen.
For businesses that send the same documents to the same pool of clients on a regular cycle, this combination is by far the fastest path from “I need a signature” to “link sent”. A task that once took five minutes of uploading, dragging, and typing becomes a routine that takes under thirty seconds.
Read more about setting up your contact book in the saved contacts guide. For a full walkthrough of the sending flow itself, see how to send a document.
Which documents benefit most from templates
Any document you send more than once is a candidate for a template. In practice, South African businesses get the most value from templates in these categories:
- Monthly management accounts— accountants and bookkeepers who send a sign-off page to clients every month save the most time here. One template, twelve sends a year, zero re-uploading.
- Quarterly tax return authorisations— the letter of authority to submit a tax return has the same structure every quarter. Save it once.
- Recurring NDA packs— agencies, consultants, and recruiters who send an NDA before every new client engagement. The document rarely changes; only the signer does.
- Lease renewals— property managers handling annual renewals for multiple tenants can send from the same template each cycle, updating only the signer's details and dates in the PDF itself.
- Employment contracts— HR teams onboarding staff regularly can standardise the signature page layout so every new hire signs in exactly the same place.
- Engagement letters— professional service firms (lawyers, auditors, engineers) that issue an engagement letter at the start of every new matter benefit from a consistent, pre-placed signature field rather than positioning it fresh each time.
The common thread is repetition. If the PDF is the same and only the signer changes, a template is the right tool.
Frequently asked questions
Do templates update automatically when I change my PDF?
No. A template stores a specific version of your PDF at the time you saved it. If you revise your document — for example, updating clause wording or a company logo — you will need to create a new template by uploading the revised PDF and placing your fields again. Your old template remains available and unchanged. We recommend naming templates with a version or year (for example, “Service Agreement 2026”) so you can tell versions apart at a glance.
Can I have multiple templates for different document types?
Yes — Pro plan users can create as many templates as they need. There is no cap on the number of templates in your library. You might have one template for your NDA, another for your service agreement, and a third for your employment contract — each with their own field layout tailored to that specific document. All of them appear in the template picker when you start a new send.
Does the signer see that I used a template?
No. From the signer's perspective, the experience is identical regardless of whether you sent from a template or uploaded a fresh file. They receive a signing link, open the document, see the orange field overlays in the correct positions, and sign. The word “template” does not appear anywhere in their signing session or in the completed document.
Do I need Pro to receive documents signed from a template?
No. Receiving and signing a document is always free for the signer — they do not need a SignZA account at all. The Pro plan is required only on the sender's side to create and use templates. If a Pro user sends you a document that was built from a template, you can open the signing link, complete all fields, and receive your signed copy without any plan or account.
Are documents sent from templates ECT Act compliant in South Africa?
Yes. Every document sent through SignZA — whether from a template or a fresh upload — includes a full ECT Act 25 of 2002 audit trail. The audit certificate embedded in the signed PDF captures the signer's full name, email address, IP address, timestamp, and explicit consent declaration. Templates affect only the document setup speed for the sender; they have no bearing on the audit trail or legal validity of the signed document. See our guide to e-signature validity in South Africa for more detail.