Digital signatures

How to automate document signing using helper tools (middleware)

Connect Tallyfy to e-signature services like DocuSign or HelloSign through middleware tools - when someone completes a workflow step, documents automatically go out for signing. No manual work. Most teams save 15-20 minutes per document¹.

Simple.

What you need

• A Tallyfy account with webhook access
• A middleware account (Zapier, Power Automate, or Make.com work great)
• An e-signature service account (DocuSign or HelloSign)
• A document template ready in your signature service

Setting up middleware

If you haven’t used middleware before, check our guide on connecting Tallyfy to Zapier for an example.

How it works (overview)

1. Create a workflow in your middleware tool that can receive information from Tallyfy.
2. Set up a Tallyfy Process with form fields to collect the info your document needs - name, email, contract terms, whatever you’re working with.
3. Set up a webhook in a specific Tallyfy step to send that collected information to your middleware tool.
4. Connect your e-signature service to your middleware tool.
5. Test everything and turn on the automation.

Document signing automation flow

This shows the complete automation pathway from workflow completion to signed document tracking.

What to notice:

• Steps 2-3: The webhook fires instantly² when someone completes a Tallyfy step - no delays or manual triggers needed
• Step 4: Middleware handles all the field mapping automatically - you set it up once and it works every time
• Steps 7-8: The optional return path creates a complete loop - Tallyfy knows when documents get signed without you checking

Step 1: Create a listening point (webhook) in your middleware

Here’s how this works in Zapier:

1. Start creating a new “Zap” (that’s what Zapier calls its workflows).
2. Choose “Webhooks by Zapier” as the starting app.
3. Select “Catch Hook” as the event that starts the Zap.
4. Zapier will give you a unique web address (URL). Copy and save this URL - Tallyfy needs it to know where to send your information.

Step 2: Set up your Tallyfy Process

1. Create or edit a procedure template in Tallyfy.
2. Add form fields to collect all the details your document needs. Think client name, email address, contract details - whatever information needs to appear in the final document.
3. Pick the step where you want document signing to trigger. When someone completes this step, the signature request goes out automatically.
4. Add the webhook URL (remember that web address from Step 1?) to this trigger step:
   • Click the settings icon for that step.
   • Go to the Webhooks tab.
   • Paste the URL you copied from your middleware tool.
   • Choose which form field data Tallyfy should send to the webhook URL.

Step 3: Connect your e-signature service in the middleware

Time to link everything together. You’ll do this inside your middleware tool.

For HelloSign

1. First, make sure your document template is ready in HelloSign. You need all the signature fields and data spots marked out.
2. In your middleware workflow (your Zap), add a HelloSign action step right after the webhook trigger.
3. Choose the action “Send Signature Request From Template”.
4. Select the HelloSign template you prepared.
5. Here’s the fun part - match the information coming from Tallyfy to the correct fields in your HelloSign template. Tallyfy’s ‘Client Name’ field? That goes to HelloSign’s ‘Signer Name’ field. And so on.

For DocuSign

1. Same deal with DocuSign - get your document template ready with all the signature and data fields marked.
2. In your middleware workflow (Zap), add a DocuSign action step right after the webhook trigger.
3. Choose the action “Create Signature Request”.
4. Select the DocuSign template you prepared.
5. Match up the Tallyfy information to your DocuSign fields. It’s like connecting the dots - each piece of data from Tallyfy finds its home in the document.

Step 4: Testing and turning on the connection

1. Test your middleware workflow. Make sure everything connects properly before going live.
2. Launch your Tallyfy process with some test data - use your own email if you want to see it work firsthand.
3. Complete the Tallyfy step that has the webhook attached.
4. Check your email. Did the signature request arrive? Perfect.
5. If everything works (and it should), turn on your middleware workflow. In Zapier, that means activating the Zap.

Tracking when the document is signed

Want the full automation experience? You can set up a return path so Tallyfy knows when documents get signed:

1. Create a second workflow in your middleware tool. This one starts when your e-signature service reports “document signed.”
2. Set up this workflow to use the Tallyfy API (basically a way for programs to talk to each other) to find the right Tallyfy task and mark it complete.
3. You’ll need three specific IDs from Tallyfy:
   • Your unique Organization ID (it’s in Tallyfy settings).
   • The Process ID for the specific process instance that was launched.
   • The Task ID for the task you want to mark complete.

Here’s what happens when it all comes together:

1. Someone completes a Tallyfy step - document goes out for signing. No waiting around.
2. Recipient signs the document.
3. Tallyfy updates instantly to show the signing task is done.

That’s it. Your signing workflow runs itself.

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Footnotes

1. Based on eliminating manual downloading, uploading, and tracking steps in traditional signing workflows ↩

2. Typically processes within 1-2 seconds of task completion, depending on network latency ↩