---
title: "Lacuna Signer - Document generation"
description: "How to generate PDF documents in Signer from a template: a PDF with editable form fields, created for example in PhantomPDF."
canonical: "https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/en-us/articles/signer/user-guide/gen-docs"
locale: "en"
product: "Signer"
last_updated: "2026-10-12"
---

# Lacuna Signer - Document generation

To generate PDF documents from a template in [Signer](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/en-us/articles/signer), follow the steps below.

## Creating the PDF template

Before generating documents in Signer, you need a PDF template. A template is a PDF document with editable form fields
filled with text, including placeholders that mark where each generated document's own text goes. This example uses
[PhantomPDF](https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-editor/) to create the PDF form, but you can use any software you prefer
that has this feature.

### Adding form fields to the PDF
Open an existing PDF in PhantomPDF, go to the *Form* section and select the *Text Field* option.

![Form-1](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/pdf-form-1.png)

Double-click the form field to choose appearance and formatting options, such as font size and style. You can also fill
the field with default text. In that field, type the text that should appear in the generated documents, using `{` and
`}` around the part of the text to be replaced by the data given when generating the documents.

![Properties](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/form-properties.png)

Repeat this for every field you want to create and save the file.

![Form-2](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/pdf-form-2.png)

## Generating documents in Signer

In the Signer sidebar, select **Generate documents**.

![Generation-1](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-1.png)

Upload the PDF template created earlier and click **Continue**.

![Generation-2](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-2.png)

Click **Download CSV template** and open the downloaded file in Excel or a plain text editor.

![Generation-3](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-3.png)

Each line of the CSV file represents a document to be generated. The **\[filename\]** column sets the name of the
generated document. If it is left blank, the document name is generated automatically. Each of the other columns was
generated automatically from the identifiers between braces in the form fields of the uploaded template. The value of
each column replaces the matching identifier in the template.

Fill in the CSV file and save your changes.

![FillCsv](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/fill-csv.png)

Upload the filled-in CSV file.

![UploadCsv](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/upload-csv.png)

Fill in the other options the same way as when sending documents. You can set where each signer's signature goes on the
template.

![Generation-4](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-4.png)

![Generation-5](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-5.png)

> **Tip**
>
> We recommend positioning the signatures when generating the documents. Otherwise, the signatures may end up in
> different positions in each generated document.

Once the options and the document flow are set as you want, click **Send**. The documents are generated and the
participants are notified.

![Generation-6](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-6.png)

Once signed, the generated documents are available for download.

![Generation-7](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/document-generation-7.png)

## Generating documents with a flow per document

Starting with version 1.29.0, you can generate documents with a specific flow for each generated document. To do so, add
new columns to the CSV file you upload to Signer.

The sections below describe the kinds of flow information you can add.

### Signers

To set one or more signers, use the columns below with the prefix `Signer_x.`, where `x` is the signer number:

* Name: the signer's name.
* Identifier: the signer's CPF.
* Email: the signer's email.
* Phone (optional): the signer's mobile phone.
* Step (optional): the step of the flow in which this action takes place.
* Title (optional): the signer's title.
* AllowElectronicSignature (optional): set to `true` to let the signer sign electronically. Otherwise, set to `false` or leave blank.
* ElectronicType (optional): the authentication type of the electronic signature. Use it together with `AllowElectronicSignature`. The possible values are
`SMS`, `AuthenticatorApp` and `Selfie`.
* Signature (optional): sets the position of the signature image, in the format `TOP_LEFT_X|TOP_LEFT_Y`, `TOP_LEFT_X|TOP_LEFT_Y|PAGE_NUMBER`,
`TOP_LEFT_X|TOP_LEFT_Y|WIDTH|HEIGHT` or `TOP_LEFT_X|TOP_LEFT_Y|WIDTH|HEIGHT|PAGE_NUMBER`. Example: `100.5|85|2`.

Digital signature example:

```csv
Info1,Info2,Signer_1.Name,Signer_1.Identifier,Signer_1.Email
Value1,Value2,Alice Venture,111.111.111-11,alice@email.com
Value3,Value4,Bob Venture,222.222.222-22,bob@email.com
```

Electronic signature example:

```csv
Info1,Info2,Signer_1.Name,Signer_1.Identifier,Signer_1.Email,Signer_1.AllowElectronicSignature
Value1,Value2,Alice Venture,111.111.111-11,alice@email.com,true
Value3,Value4,Bob Venture,222.222.222-22,bob@email.com,true
```

### Approvers

To set one or more approvers, use the columns below with the prefix `Approver_x.`, where `x` is the approver number:

* Name: the approver's name.
* Identifier: the approver's CPF.
* Email: the approver's email.
* Step (optional): the step of the flow in which this action takes place.

Example:

```csv
Info1,Info2,Approver_1.Name,Approver_1.Identifier,Approver_1.Email
Value1,Value2,Alice Venture,111.111.111-11,alice@email.com
Value3,Value4,Bob Venture,222.222.222-22,bob@email.com
```

### Observers

To set one or more observers, use the columns below with the prefix `Observer_x.`, where `x` is the observer number:

* Name: the observer's name.
* Identifier: the observer's CPF.
* Email: the observer's email.

Example:

```csv
Info1,Info2,Observer_1.Name,Observer_1.Identifier,Observer_1.Email
Value1,Value2,Alice Venture,111.111.111-11,alice@email.com
Value3,Value4,Bob Venture,222.222.222-22,bob@email.com
```

### Notified emails

To send the document to a list of email addresses once the flow is complete, add the `NotifiedEmails` column, separating
the addresses with the `|` character.

Example:

```csv
Info1,Info2,NotifiedEmails
Value1,Value2,alice@email.com
Value3,Value4,alice@email.com|bob@email.com
```

> **Warning**
>
> Unlike the other options, this column can only be added once.

### Combined flows

You can also set flow participants shared by all documents, by entering them in the participants field of the generation
page:

![Shared-participants](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/images/signer/shared-participants.png)

These participants are combined with the participants of each document. However, the actions of the shared participants
cannot be set to take place after the actions of each document's own participants.

## See also

* [User guide](https://docs.lacunasoftware.com/en-us/articles/signer/user-guide)