CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#docusignapi
Frederic
Frederic

Reputation: 2065

Password Protected Document

When creating a DocuSign package with password protected documents, I realize that when downloading the documents after the signing ceremony, the password protection was removed. Is that normal ?how does DocuSign do that ? is there a way to provide the password in the API so that the password protections remains the same ?

Before DocuSign signing

After DocuSign signing

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1271

Answers (2)

Dave Kriewall
Dave Kriewall

Reputation: 41

There are two types of password protection on a PDF document. The first requires a password just to open or access the document. DocuSign doesn't try to circumvent such access protection. To do so would be unethical. If such an access-protected document is uploaded, DocuSign will reject it. It is in this sense that "DocuSign does not support password protected documents."

(The documentation could be clearer and say something like, "DocuSign does not support access-protected documents, i.e. those that require a password to open them.")

The other kind of password controls the ability to change document permissions, e.g. to make a copy of the document, to print the document, or to edit text fields in the document. DocuSign ignores these permissions, on the premise that a copy of the original document has been submitted to DocuSign with the express intention of allowing DocuSign to display it to signers, to digitally sign it and to make other modifications (all ultimately controlled by the user). These permissions are not conveyed to the resulting DocuSign document because they no longer apply.

To respond to the original posted questions:

  1. Depends on which type of password protection you are asking about. Yes, it's normal and expected behavior for DocuSign to remove document permissions. But DocuSign never opens a document which is access-protected by a password.

  2. We do it by simply resetting the permission flags. We already have complete control over the document since it was not password protected against access. (With this level of control, the document permissions password is not needed to change the permission flags.)

  3. If for some reason you want to set password protection or permissions on the resulting signed document, you could do so using any PDF manipulation tool that gives you that capability. The DocuSign API doesn't support setting permissions or the permission password on the resulting document; it generally wouldn't make sense to do so. For example, there are no longer any editable text fields, and the document has been signed; so edit protection would be moot.

Upvotes: 4

Praveen Reddy
Praveen Reddy

Reputation: 7383

is there a way to provide the password in the API so that the password protections remains the same ?

DocuSign does not support this.

From the official Documentation

DocuSign does not support password protected documents.

See this answer for more info.

Upvotes: 2

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