Domain Concepts Glossary

This glossary defines the core domain concepts used throughout the Dropbox Sign API. It provides clear definitions, relationships, and disambiguation for all key terms.

How to Use This Glossary

Developers: Use as a reference when integrating with the Dropbox Sign API.
AI Agents / LLMs: Use as authoritative context for understanding Dropbox Sign domain terminology, relationships between objects, and valid state transitions.

Concept Categories

Category	Description
Core Objects	Fundamental entities: Signature Request, Template, Document, Account, Subscription, Team, API App
Signers & Roles	People and permissions: Signer, Sender, CC, Signer Roles, Signing Order
Fields & Templates	Form fields, field types, merge fields, text tags, conditional logic
Workflows	Signature request creation, embedded signing, embedded unclaimed drafts, bulk send, OAuth flows
Callbacks & Events	Webhooks, event types, callback lifecycle
Features	Premium Branding, SMS Delivery & Verification, Signer PIN / Access Code
Security & Compliance	Authentication, audit trails, qualified electronic signatures

Quick Reference: Key Relationships

Subscription
 └── Account(s) (plan determines quotas and features)
Account
 └── Team (hierarchy: Organization → Team → Sub Team)
      └── Team Members (Accounts)
API App
 └── Client ID (used for OAuth & Embedded flows)
Signature Request
 ├── Document(s)
 ├── Signer(s) — do not need a pre-existing paid Account
 │    └── Form Field(s) assigned to signer
 ├── CC Recipient(s)
 └── Metadata
Template
 ├── Document(s) with pre-placed fields
 ├── Signer Role(s)
 ├── CC Role(s)
 └── Merge Field(s)
Signature Request created from Template
 ├── Signer Role → mapped to actual Signer
 ├── CC Role → mapped to actual CC Recipient
 └── Merge Field → filled with actual value

Disambiguation Guide

Term	What It IS	What It Is NOT
Signature Request	A request sent to signers to sign document(s)	Not a template; not a draft
Template	A reusable blueprint with pre-placed fields and roles	Not a signature request; cannot be signed directly
Account	A user identity that can take actions in Dropbox Sign (send and sign)	Not a Subscription; can act as both Sender and Signer
Subscription	A billing/plan entity that determines quotas and features	Not an Account; multiple Accounts can share one
Signer	A person who signs a document	Does not need a pre-existing paid Account (one is auto-created)
Unclaimed Draft	A signature request in draft state, not yet finalized	Not a template; not a completed request
API App	A developer application with a Client ID	Not an Account; not an OAuth token
Signer Role	A placeholder in a template for a future signer	Not an actual person; filled at send time
Embedded Signing	Signing within an app via iframe/URL	Not the same as email-based signing
Embedded Unclaimed Draft	Preparing a request within an app via iframe	Not the same as embedded signing
Callback	A webhook notification sent by Dropbox Sign to a server	Not an API request made to Dropbox Sign; it’s push-based

Terminology Clarification

IDs and Authentication Credentials

Term	What It Identifies	Scope
Signature Request ID	A unique identifier for a Signature Request	Per request
Document ID	Customer shorthand that often refers to the Signature Request ID, especially in support or integration conversations	Per request
Client ID	Identifies an API App; used for embedded flows and OAuth	Per API App
API Key	Authenticates an Account; grants full access to that account’s resources	Per Account
OAuth Token	Grants limited, scoped access to another user’s account (approved by that user)	Per user-app relationship

Note: Customers sometimes say “Document ID” when they mean the signature_request_id used by Signature Request endpoints. Internally, a Document is a file within a Signature Request or Template, so do not treat customer shorthand as proof that they mean an individual file object.

Fields Terminology

Term	Filled By	When	Purpose
Form Field	Signer	During signing	Collects signer input (signature, text, checkbox, etc.)
Merge Field	Sender	At send time (via `custom_fields` param)	Injects dynamic data into a Template (placeholder)
Custom Field	Sender	At request creation	Pre-fills a named field with a value (the actual value)

Note: Merge Fields are placeholders defined in Templates. Custom Fields provide the actual values for those placeholders at send time. Despite being different concepts, merge field values are passed via the custom_fields API parameter.

Team Structure

Term	Description
Organization (Org Team)	The top-level, root team in a hierarchy
Team	An intermediate-level team that can contain Sub Teams
Sub Team	A leaf-level team within a Team; cannot have children

The team hierarchy has a maximum depth of 3 levels: Organization → Team → Sub Team.

Test Mode vs. Production

Aspect	Test Mode (`test_mode: 1`)	Production
Emails sent to signers	Yes for non-embedded workflows; depends on account email notification settings	Yes; depends on account email notification settings
Counts against quota	No	Yes
Documents watermarked	Yes (“TEST”)	No
Legally binding	No	Yes
Callbacks fire	Yes	Yes
Embedded signing works	Yes	Yes
Requests visible in dashboard	Yes (watermarked)	Yes

Test Mode is a per-request flag, not a separate environment. There is no isolated “sandbox” — test and production requests coexist in the same account. Set test_mode: 1 in the request body to create test requests. Remove the parameter (or set to 0) for production requests.