Overview
Docusign at USC makes it possible to review electronic documents (such as forms and agreements) and collect e-signatures securely from both USC and non-USC individuals. USC faculty, staff, and students have USC Signer accounts. Shared org accounts are not eligible for accounts.
If you need to send documents for signature, you can request a Dornsife Sender or Author account. A Sender account allows you to create and send documents, while an Author or Template Creator account has the added ability to create templates. Docusign documents can be sent to USC and non-USC individuals.
USC vs. Dornsife Docusign accounts
USC Signer account
Dornsife Sender account
Dornsife Author account
How to request an account
Available to USC faculty, staff, and students: Log in at
https://account.docusign.com.
Request through DTS
Request through DTS
Account features
- Set up and save signatures
- View signed documents
- Set up and send documents for signature
- Set up and save signatures
- View signed and sent documents
- Set up and share templates
- Set up and send documents for signature
- Set up and save signatures
- View signed and sent documents
Contact for support
ITS
DTS
DTS
Sharing or transferring data
Contact ITS
DTS can assist with transferring between Dornsife Docusign accounts
DTS can assist with transferring between Dornsife Docusign accounts
Using a USC Signer account
You do not need a Dornsife Docusign account if you are just signing documents, not sending them to others to sign. To sign into your USC Signer account:
Quick guide
- Go to https://account.docusign.com.
- Type your USC email address and click Next.
- If you are prompted, type your USC NetID and passphrase, and complete Duo authentication.
- Now that you have performed this initial login, future Docusign documents that you sign with your USC account are automatically saved.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Go to https://account.docusign.com.
- Type your USC email address and click Next.
- If you are prompted, type your USC NetID and passphrase, and complete Duo authentication.
- Now that you have performed this initial login, future Docusign documents that you sign with your USC account are automatically saved.
Logging in to your Dornsife Sender or Author account
Once DTS processes your request, Docusign will email you an Account Activation link. Click Activate. Then, follow the steps below:
Quick guide
- Go to https://account.docusign.com.
- Type your USC email address and click Next.
- By default, Docusign loads your USC Signer account (indicated by the USC logo in the upper right). To switch to your Dornsife account:
- In the upper right, click the account icon and select Switch Account.
- Select USC Dornsife and click Confirm.
- Docusign switches to your Dornsife Sender or Author account.
- (Optional) You can make your Dornsife account your default so that, in the future, you do not have to switch accounts:
- In the upper right, click the account icon and select My Preferences.
- Under "Your Default eSignature Account," select Set as default beside USC Dornsife.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Go to https://account.docusign.com.
- Type your USC email address and click Next.
- By default, Docusign loads your USC Signer account (indicated by the USC logo in the upper right). To switch to your Dornsife account:
- In the upper right, click the account icon and select Switch Account.
- Select USC Dornsife and click Confirm.
- Docusign switches to your Dornsife Sender or Author account.
- (Optional) You can make your Dornsife account your default so that, in the future, you do not have to switch accounts:
- In the upper right, click the account icon and select My Preferences.
- Under "Your Default eSignature Account," select Set as default beside USC Dornsife.
Creating and sending envelopes for signature
Envelopes can contain one or multiple documents, and can be emailed to one or multiple recipients. Dornsife Sender and Author accounts both have the ability to send envelopes.
If you don't have the option to send an envelope, make sure that you are in your Dornsife Sender or Author account, or request an account if you do not have one. Your USC Signer account does not have the ability to send.
Creating an envelope: three options
Option 1: Create a new envelope from scratch
Quick guide
- Click Start. Select Envelopes, and select Send an Envelope.
- Upload the documents you want to include.
- Add recipient names and email addresses.
- To add a recipient: To send a single envelope to multiple recipients, click Add Recipient. To send a separate envelope to each recipient, click Bulk Send and follow Docusign's instructions for uploading a CSV file.
- To make it optional for a recipient to sign: By default, a recipient is required to sign. Click Needs to sign and select a different function.
- To require recipients to sign in a specific order: Select Set signing order and then rank each recipient accordingly.
- To remove a recipient: Click the Remove
icon beside the recipient.
- Fill in the remaining fields, and click Next.
- Drag fields from the left panel onto the document for the recipient to fill in. You can add fields such as Signature and Date Signed.
- If you have multiple recipients who need to sign the same document, use the upper left menu to switch between recipients.
- To edit a field, click the field after you drag it onto the document. The right panel shows the field's editable properties.
- Once you are done adding fields:
- To preview the envelope: Click Preview in the upper right.
- To save the envelope as a draft: Click Actions in the upper right and select Save and Close.
- To send the envelope immediately: Click Send at the bottom.
- To schedule the envelope to send later: Click the Expand
icon next to Send, and select Send later. Select a date and time, and click Send later.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Click Start. Select Envelopes, and select Send an Envelope.
- Upload the documents you want to include.
- Add recipient names and email addresses.
- To add a recipient: To send a single envelope to multiple recipients, click Add Recipient. To send a separate envelope to each recipient, click Bulk Send and follow Docusign's instructions for uploading a CSV file.
- To make it optional for a recipient to sign: By default, a recipient is required to sign. Click Needs to sign and select a different function.
- To require recipients to sign in a specific order: Select Set signing order and then rank each recipient accordingly.
- To remove a recipient: Click the Remove icon beside the recipient.
- Fill in the remaining fields, and click Next.
- Drag fields from the left panel onto the document for the recipient to fill in. You can add fields such as Signature and Date Signed.
- If you have multiple recipients who need to sign the same document, use the upper left menu to switch between recipients.
- To edit a field, click the field after you drag it onto the document. The right panel shows the field's editable properties.
- Once you are done adding fields:
- To preview the envelope: Click Preview in the upper right.
- To save the envelope as a draft: Click Actions in the upper right and select Save and Close.
- To send the envelope immediately: Click Send at the bottom.
- To schedule the envelope to send later: Click the Expand icon next to Send, and select Send later. Select a date and time, and click Send later.
Option 2: Create a new envelope by copying an existing envelope
Quick guide
- At the top, click the Agreements tab.
- Your Inbox appears. This is where any current envelopes appear. If the envelope you want does not appear here, use the left menu to select the category (for instance, Sent or Completed).
- Still don't see the envelope? By default, Docusign shows envelopes from the last 6 months. To view older envelopes, click the Last 6 months filter at the top. Then, select a different date range and click Apply.
- Once you locate the envelope you want, click the More
icon and select Copy.
- Make any changes needed. For instance, you can replace the uploaded documents, change the recipient names and email addresses, and edit the email subject and message. Then, click Next.
- Once you are done editing the fields:
- To preview the envelope: Click Preview in the upper right.
- To save the envelope as a draft: Click Actions in the upper right and select Save and Close.
- To send the envelope immediately: Click Send at the bottom.
- To schedule the envelope to send later: Click the Expand icon next to Send, and select Send later. Select a date and time, and click Send later.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- At the top, click the Agreements tab.
- Your Inbox appears. This is where any current envelopes appear. If the envelope you want does not appear here, use the left menu to select the category (for instance, Sent or Completed).
- Still don't see the envelope? By default, Docusign shows envelopes from the last 6 months. To view older envelopes, click the Last 6 months filter at the top. Then, select a different date range and click Apply.
- Once you locate the envelope you want, click the More icon and select Copy.
- Make any changes needed. For instance, you can replace the uploaded documents, change the recipient names and email addresses, and edit the email subject and message. Then, click Next.
- Once you are done editing the fields:
- To preview the envelope: Click Preview in the upper right.
- To save the envelope as a draft: Click Actions in the upper right and select Save and Close.
- To send the envelope immediately: Click Send at the bottom.
- To schedule the envelope to send later: Click the Expand icon next to Send, and select Send later. Select a date and time, and click Send later.
Option 3: Create an envelope from an existing template
Quick guide
- Click Start. Select Envelopes, and select Use a Template.
- The My Templates list appears.
- To use your own template: Select a template and click Add Selected.
- To use someone else's template: Click Shared with Me in the left menu, and then select a template from the list. If you do not see the template listed, they may need to first share the template with you.
- Add your recipient name and email address, and if needed, update the email subject and message.
- To send the envelope immediately: Click Send at the bottom.
- To schedule the envelope to send later: Click the Expand icon next to Send, and select Send later. Select a date and time, and click Send later.
- If you need to make additional edits, such as replacing the uploaded documents or changing the signing fields, click Advanced Edit at the bottom.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Click Start. Select Envelopes, and select Use a Template.
- The My Templates list appears.
- To use your own template: Select a template and click Add Selected.
- To use someone else's template, click Shared with Me in the left menu, and then select a template from the list. If you do not see the template listed, they may need to first share the template with you.
- Add your recipient name and email address, and if needed, update the email subject and message.
- To send the envelope immediately: Click Send at the bottom.
- To schedule the envelope to send later: Click the Expand icon next to Send, and select Send later. Select a date and time, and click Send later.
- If you need to make additional edits, such as replacing the uploaded documents or changing the signing fields, click Advanced Edit at the bottom.
Additional features
Use the bulk mailing option
When you use the Add Recipient feature on an envelope, you are sending a single envelope to multiple recipients for signing. For instance, if you are sending an envelope to two recipients, then those recipients will receive the same envelope, although you may assign different signing fields to each.
On the other hand, if you want to send a separate envelope to each recipient, you should use the Bulk Send option, located at the top of the "Add recipients" section.
Requirements
If you have 10 or more recipients, you must format the list as a CSV. Docusign will provide a two-column sample template for you to input recipient names and email addresses. Other recipient information should not be included in the CSV, as Docusign is not designed for full-featured mail merging. The CSV can contain a maximum of 1000 rows (a header first row, and 999 rows of recipient data).
Bulk sending with a template
If you created the envelope from a template, you must first click Advanced Edit to make the bulk send option visible.
View or manage an envelope after sending
View sent envelopes (last 6 months)
To view your sent documents: Select the Agreements tab, and then select Sent in the left menu:
View sent envelopes (older than 6 months)
By default, Docusign shows envelopes from the last 6 months. To view older envelopes, click the Last 6 months filter at the top. Then, select a different date range and click Apply.
Manage sent envelopes
For more options, click the More icon and select an action. For example, you can resend, correct, or copy an envelope.
Include supplementary documents or links
Docusign does not allow live links in documents that are pending signature. If you want your recipients to review supplementary information before they sign something, you can try one of the following workarounds:
- Option 1: Save the information as a file, and attach it as a supplement
- Option 2: Create links using Docusign text fields
- Option 3: Use full URLs in the document
Option 1: Attach the file as a supplement
- Save the information as a file, and upload it to the envelope.
- Once it's uploaded, click the More icon, and select Set as Supplement.
- The file will now be included for the recipient's review, but they won't be required to add their signature to the supplement.
Option 2: Create links using Docusign text fields
This option will create a live link that recipients can click within the document:
Quick guide
- In the application you're using to create the document (for example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat), leave a blank space for the link.
- Upload the file to the Docusign envelope.
- On the document editing page, drag a text field onto the document where you want the link to appear.
- Edit the properties in the right panel as follows:
- Select Read Only and deselect "Required Field."
-
Add Text: Type the link text.
-
Data Label: Type a label with the prefix #HREF_ (for example, #HREF_PolicyLink or #HREF_uscwebsite). You can type any text as long as you use #HREF_ as the prefix.
-
Tooltip: Paste the link URL.
- (Optional) You can customize the Formatting field to match the link's appearance as closely to the rest of the document as possible.
- To test out the link, click Preview in the upper right.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- In the application you're using to create the document (for example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat), leave a blank space for the link.
- Upload the file to the Docusign envelope.
- On the document editing page, drag a text field onto the document where you want the link to appear.
- Edit the properties in the right panel as follows:
- Select Read Only and deselect "Required Field."
-
Add Text: Type the link text.
-
Data Label: Type a label with the prefix #HREF_ (for example, #HREF_PolicyLink or #HREF_uscwebsite). You can type any text as long as you use #HREF_ as the prefix.
-
Tooltip: Paste the link URL.
- (Optional) You can customize the Formatting field to match the link's appearance as closely to the rest of the document as possible.
- To test out the link, click Preview in the upper right.
Option 3: Use full URLs in the document
When you include links in the document, make sure that you are including the full URL. For example:
Since recipients can't click on the links until they sign the document, including the full URL makes it possible for them to copy and paste the link into their browser. Be aware, however, that this is not a recommended practice for accessibility reasons.
Sharing and transferring envelopes
Sharing and transferring can occur between individuals with Dornsife Docusign accounts.
Share individual envelopes
To share individual envelopes in your account, email ts@dornsife.usc.edu and let us know which envelope you want to share and with whom. We can perform the action as long as both accounts are Dornsife Docusign accounts.
A quick workaround is to download the envelope to your own computer, and then send the downloaded files to the person you want to share them with.
Share all envelopes in your account
You can choose to share all envelopes in your account with another person. You can grant them any of the following access levels:
Access level
Actions available
Allow to manage on behalf of you
- View envelopes and history, download files, and move envelopes into folders
Allow to edit on behalf of you
- Resend, void, and correct envelopes
- View envelopes and history, download files, and move envelopes into folders
Allow to send on behalf of you
- Create and send envelopes
- Resend, void, and correct envelopes
- View envelopes and history, download files, and move envelopes into folders
Quick guide
- Click the profile icon in the upper right, and select My Preferences.
- In the left menu, select Shared Access.
- Click Share Access with Others.
- Select a level of access and a start date. You can optionally select an end date.
- Search for and select the person you want to grant access to. Click Add.
- You are now sharing your envelopes with the person you selected.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Click the profile icon in the upper right, and select My Preferences.
- In the left menu, select Shared Access.
- Click Share Access with Others.
- Select a level of access and a start date. You can optionally select an end date.
- Search for and select the person you want to grant access to. Click Add.
- You are now sharing your envelopes with the person you selected.
Receive access to shared envelopes
If someone shares their envelopes with you, you can view them in the Agreements tab. Click Shared Access, and then select the account.
Transfer envelopes
You can contact DTS at ts@dornsife.usc.edu to request that envelopes or templates be transferred between department members. This can be useful if, for example, an employee is leaving and you need to retain their documents. We can perform the transfer as long as both accounts are Dornsife Docusign accounts.
Managing templates
If you often have to send the same documents over and over, consider setting up a template to streamline your process. Dornsife Author accounts have the ability to create and edit templates; Dornsife Sender accounts only have the ability to create envelopes based on templates shared with them.
If you don't have the option to create a template, you can request an Author account.
You create a new template from scratch or base it on an existing envelope:
Creating a template: two options
Option 1: Create a new template from scratch
Quick guide
- At the top, click the Templates tab.
- Click Start. Select Envelope Templates and then Create a Template.
- Fill out the template details, upload any documents, and click Next.
- You can optionally click Advanced Options to customize properties such as expirations or limits on template usage.
- Since you are setting up a template, you will need to set at least one Role. Instead of putting a name and email address, you can type a placeholder such as Signer or Vendor.
- Add any necessary fields, and click Save and Close.
- The new template appears under My Templates.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- At the top, click the Templates tab.
- Click Start. Select Envelope Templates and then Create a Template.
- Fill out the template details, upload any documents, and click Next.
- You can optionally click Advanced Options to customize properties such as expirations or limits on template usage.
- Since you are setting up a template, you will need to set at least one Role. Instead of putting a name and email address, you can type a placeholder such as Signer or Vendor.
- Add any necessary fields, and click Save and Close.
- The new template appears under My Templates.
Option 2: Create a new template from an existing envelope
Quick guide
- At the top, click the Agreements tab.
- Your Inbox appears. This is where any current envelopes appear. If the envelope you want does not appear here, use the left menu to select the category (for instance, Sent or Completed).
- Still don't see the envelope? By default, Docusign shows envelopes from the last 6 months. To view older envelopes, click the Last 6 months filter at the top. Then, select a different date range and click Apply.
- Once you locate the envelope you want, click the More icon and select Save as Template.
- Make any edits as needed, and click Save and Close.
- The Templates tab opens, and the new template appears under My Templates.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- At the top, click the Agreements tab.
- Your Inbox appears. This is where any current envelopes appear. If the envelope you want does not appear here, use the left menu to select the category (for instance, Sent or Completed).
- Still don't see the envelope? By default, Docusign shows envelopes from the last 6 months. To view older envelopes, click the Last 6 months filter at the top. Then, select a different date range and click Apply.
- Once you locate the envelope you want, click the More icon and select Save as Template.
- Make any edits as needed, and click Save and Close.
- The Templates tab opens, and the new template appears under My Templates.
Additional features
Copy or edit a template
Once you've created a template, you can update it by clicking the More icon and selecting an action. For example, you can copy, edit, or delete a template.
Signing features
View documents awaiting your signature
Any documents awaiting your signature will appear in your Envelopes Inbox in the Agreements tab.
View documents awaiting a delegator's signature
If someone gave you delegated signing privileges, then any envelopes you can sign on their behalf will appear in your Envelopes Inbox in the Agreements tab. You will only be able to view and sign envelopes sent during the time period they specify.
If someone gave you shared access to sign envelopes on their behalf, click Shared Access in the upper right and select their account. You will be able to view and sign any envelopes, including envelopes that they received prior to granting you shared access.
Add, edit, or remove a signature
Quick guide
- Click the profile icon in the upper right, and select Manage Profile.
- In the left menu, select Signatures.
- Your current signatures appear:
- To create a new signature: Click Add Signature. Then, select a style, or click the Draw or Upload tab to create a custom signature. Click Create.
- To edit an existing signature: Click Actions and select Edit.
- To delete an existing signature: Click Actions and select Delete.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Click the profile icon in the upper right, and select Manage Profile.
- In the left menu, select Signatures.
- Your current signatures appear:
- To create a new signature: Click Add Signature. Then, select a style, or click the Draw or Upload tab to create a custom signature. Click Create.
- To edit an existing signature: Click Actions and select Edit.
- To delete an existing signature: Click Actions and select Delete.
Delegate signing to another person
You can delegate signing to another person, either for a set period of time or indefinitely. This can be useful if you will be out of the office but anticipate requests for signatures in your absence. The other person cannot see past or current envelopes, but only envelopes that are sent to you during the time period you specify.
If you need to grant access to all your envelopes, past and future, or you need to grant other delegation abilities, refer to the Sharing, delegating, and transferring envelopes section.
There are some other limitations to this feature, which you can read about in Docusign's guide, Delegated Signing.
Quick guide
- Click the profile icon in the upper right, and select My Preferences.
- In the left menu, select Delegation.
- Click Add Delegate.
- Select a start date. You can optionally select an end date.
- Search for and select the person you want to grant delegate access to. Click Add.
- The person is added as your delegate, and Docusign emails both of you a confirmation.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Click the profile icon in the upper right, and select My Preferences.
- In the left menu, select Delegation.
- Click Add Delegate.
- Select a start date. You can optionally select an end date.
- Search for and select the person you want to grant delegate access to. Click Add.
- The person is added as your delegate, and Docusign emails both of you a confirmation.
Additional resources
USC resources
Non-USC resources