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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.spitshake.io/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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DOCX Template Variables

DocuTrust supports variable substitution in DOCX templates. Use [[variable_name]] syntax to insert dynamic content, and [[if:variable]]...[[end]] for conditional blocks that appear only when a variable has a value.

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Variable syntax

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Basic variables

Wrap variable names in double square brackets: 
[[variable_name]]
When the document is processed, each [[variable_name]] placeholder is replaced with the corresponding field value from the signer’s submission. Example DOCX content: 
Dear [[signer_name]],

This agreement is entered into on [[signing_date]] between [[company_name]]
("Company") and [[signer_name]] ("Contractor").

The Contractor agrees to provide services at a rate of $[[hourly_rate]] per hour,
not to exceed [[max_hours]] hours per month.

Contractor Email: [[signer_email]]
Contractor Phone: [[phone_number]]
Start Date: [[start_date]]
End Date: [[end_date]]

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Variable naming rules

RuleValidInvalid
Use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscoressigner_name, rate_2026Signer Name, rate-2026
Must start with a letterfull_name2nd_signer
No spacescompany_namecompany name
No special characters (except underscore)address_line_1address.line.1

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Conditional blocks

Use [[if:variable]]...[[end]] to create sections that only appear when the referenced variable has a non-empty value. 
[[if:addendum_text]]
ADDENDUM

The following additional terms apply to this agreement:

[[addendum_text]]

Both parties acknowledge and agree to the terms of this addendum.

Signer: [[signer_name]]
Date: [[signing_date]]
[[end]]
If addendum_text is empty or not provided, the entire block (from [[if:addendum_text]] to [[end]]) is removed from the final document.

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Nested conditionals

Conditional blocks can be nested: 
[[if:has_insurance]]
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall maintain the following insurance coverage:
- General liability: $[[liability_amount]]

[[if:has_workers_comp]]
- Workers' compensation: As required by law in [[state]]
[[end]]

[[if:has_professional_liability]]
- Professional liability: $[[professional_liability_amount]]
[[end]]

Proof of insurance must be provided within [[insurance_deadline_days]] days of signing.
[[end]]

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Built-in variables

DocuTrust provides several built-in variables that are automatically available in every DOCX template. You do not need to define fields for these — they are populated from the submission context.
VariableDescriptionExample value
signer_nameThe current signer’s full name.Jane Smith
signer_emailThe current signer’s email address.jane@example.com
signing_dateThe current date when the signer opens the form (formatted per account locale).April 9, 2026
submission_idThe unique submission identifier.187
template_nameThe name of the template.Service Agreement
account_nameYour account/company name from settings.Acme Inc
Example using built-in variables: 
SERVICE AGREEMENT

Template: [[template_name]]
Reference: SUB-[[submission_id]]

This agreement is entered into on [[signing_date]] by:

Name: [[signer_name]]
Email: [[signer_email]]
Company: [[account_name]]

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Mapping fields to variables

DOCX variables are mapped to template fields by the field’s key property. When you create a template from a DOCX file, DocuTrust auto-detects [[variable_name]] placeholders and creates corresponding fields in the schema.

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Automatic field creation

When uploading a DOCX with variables: 
curl -X POST "$DOCUTRUST_URL/api/templates/docx" \
  -H "X-Auth-Token: $DOCUTRUST_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@/path/to/contract.docx" \
  -F "name=Service Agreement"
DocuTrust scans the document for [[variable]] placeholders and creates text fields for each one. The resulting template schema: 
{
  "id": 42,
  "name": "Service Agreement",
  "slug": "qk7x9m2p",
  "external_id": null,
  "folder_name": "Default",
  "source": "api",
  "shared": false,
  "field_count": 6,
  "submitter_count": 1,
  "schema": [
    {
      "uuid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
      "name": "Company Name",
      "type": "text",
      "submitter_uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "required": true,
      "readonly": false,
      "key": "company_name",
      "default_value": null,
      "placeholder": null,
      "options": null,
      "areas": []
    },
    {
      "uuid": "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cdef-123456789012",
      "name": "Hourly Rate",
      "type": "text",
      "submitter_uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "required": true,
      "readonly": false,
      "key": "hourly_rate",
      "default_value": null,
      "placeholder": null,
      "options": null,
      "areas": []
    },
    {
      "uuid": "d4e5f6a7-b8c9-0123-def0-234567890123",
      "name": "Max Hours",
      "type": "text",
      "submitter_uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "required": true,
      "readonly": false,
      "key": "max_hours",
      "default_value": null,
      "placeholder": null,
      "options": null,
      "areas": []
    },
    {
      "uuid": "e5f6a7b8-c9d0-1234-ef01-456789012345",
      "name": "Phone Number",
      "type": "text",
      "submitter_uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "required": false,
      "readonly": false,
      "key": "phone_number",
      "default_value": null,
      "placeholder": null,
      "options": null,
      "areas": []
    },
    {
      "uuid": "f6a7b8c9-d0e1-2345-f012-567890123456",
      "name": "Start Date",
      "type": "text",
      "submitter_uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "required": true,
      "readonly": false,
      "key": "start_date",
      "default_value": null,
      "placeholder": null,
      "options": null,
      "areas": []
    },
    {
      "uuid": "a7b8c9d0-e1f2-3456-0123-678901234567",
      "name": "End Date",
      "type": "text",
      "submitter_uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "required": true,
      "readonly": false,
      "key": "end_date",
      "default_value": null,
      "placeholder": null,
      "options": null,
      "areas": []
    }
  ],
  "submitters": [
    {
      "uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f12345678901",
      "name": "First Party"
    }
  ],
  "thumbnail_url": null,
  "created_at": "2026-04-09T10:00:00.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-04-09T10:00:00.000Z"
}
Built-in variables (signer_name, signer_email, signing_date, submission_id, template_name) are not created as fields since they are populated automatically from the submission context.

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Pre-filling variables via submission

When creating a submission, pre-fill DOCX variables using the values object keyed by the field’s key property: 
curl -X POST "$DOCUTRUST_URL/api/submissions" \
  -H "X-Auth-Token: $DOCUTRUST_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template_id": 42,
    "send_email": true,
    "submitters_order": "sequential",
    "expire_at": "2026-05-08T00:00:00.000Z",
    "metadata": {
      "deal_id": "DEAL-2026-0042",
      "department": "Sales"
    },
    "submitters": [
      {
        "role": "First Party",
        "email": "jane@example.com",
        "name": "Jane Smith",
        "phone": "+15551234567",
        "external_id": "cust-001",
        "metadata": {},
        "values": {
          "company_name": "Acme Corp",
          "hourly_rate": "75",
          "max_hours": "160",
          "phone_number": "+15551234567",
          "start_date": "2026-05-01",
          "end_date": "2026-12-31"
        },
        "preferences": {
          "send_email": true,
          "sign_mode": "normal"
        }
      }
    ]
  }'

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Formatting in DOCX

DOCX variables preserve the formatting of the surrounding text. If [[company_name]] is bold in the DOCX file, the substituted value will also be bold. Formatting rules:
ScenarioResult
Variable placeholder is boldSubstituted value is bold
Variable placeholder is italicSubstituted value is italic
Variable placeholder has a specific font sizeSubstituted value uses that font size
Variable spans multiple font stylesThe first style is applied to the entire value
Avoid splitting a variable placeholder across multiple runs in the DOCX XML. Word sometimes inserts formatting markers mid-word (e.g., [[company_ in one run and name]] in another). If variable substitution is not working, try retyping the entire [[variable_name]] placeholder in a single action.
To debug variable detection issues, download the template’s documents via the API and check the schema response. All detected variables appear as fields with matching key values.