Creating a Campaign
Set up bulk document campaigns
Creating a Campaign
Creating a campaign is simple and takes just a few minutes. This guide walks you through the complete process from preparing your data to sending personalized documents to all your recipients.
Make sure you have: (1) A template created with roles and fields, (2) A CSV/Excel file with recipient data, (3) Professional plan access
The Campaign Creation Process
Creating a campaign involves three main steps:
1. Upload CSV File - Provide recipient data
2. Map Columns - Connect CSV columns to document fields
3. Review & Send - Configure settings and start campaign
Simple 3-step campaign wizard
Preparing Your CSV File
Before creating a campaign, prepare your CSV/Excel file with recipient data.
CSV File Requirements
Must Have:
• First row: Column headers (names for each column)
• Name columns: Full names for each signer role
• Email columns: Valid email addresses for each signer role
• Data columns: Values for any merge fields (optional)
File Specifications:
• Formats: CSV, XLSX, XLS
• Max size: 10MB
• Max rows: 10,000 recipients
• Encoding: UTF-8 recommended
Example CSV Structure
For an employment contract template with one role (Employee):
Employee Name,Employee Email,Position,Start Date,Salary
John Smith,john@email.com,Software Engineer,01/01/2025,$80000
Jane Doe,jane@email.com,Product Manager,15/01/2025,$90000
Mike Johnson,mike@email.com,Designer,01/02/2025,$75000
For a document with multiple signers (Employee + Manager):
Employee Name,Employee Email,Manager Name,Manager Email,Position,Start Date
John Smith,john@email.com,Sarah Boss,sarah@company.com,Engineer,01/01/2025
Jane Doe,jane@email.com,Sarah Boss,sarah@company.com,Manager,15/01/2025
CSV Best Practices
✅ Clear headers - Use descriptive column names
✅ Consistent formatting - Same format for all rows
✅ Valid emails - Check for typos
✅ No empty rows - Remove blank rows in the middle
✅ Test first - Try with 2-3 rows before full campaign
❌ Avoid special characters in headers
❌ Don't merge cells - Keep data in separate cells
❌ No formulas - Use plain values only
❌ Avoid duplicate headers - Each column needs unique name
Most HR systems, CRMs, and databases can export to CSV. Use that export as your starting point!
Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Navigate to Templates
From your dashboard, go to the Templates page. Find the template you want to use for your campaign.
Your template library
Click 'Start Campaign'
On the template card, click the "Start Campaign" button.
Start a campaign from any template
This opens the Campaign Creation Wizard.
You must have a template with roles defined to create a campaign. If you don't have one, create a template first.
Step 1: Upload CSV File
The wizard opens to Step 1: Upload CSV File.
Step 1: Upload your CSV file
Enter Campaign Name
Give your campaign a descriptive name:
• Good: "Q1 2025 Employment Contracts"
• Good: "School Fee Consent Forms - January"
• Poor: "Campaign 1"
Upload CSV File
Click the upload area or drag and drop your CSV/Excel file.
What happens:
1. File is uploaded to secure storage
2. Data is parsed and validated
3. Column headers are extracted
4. Preview of first 3 rows is shown
5. Total recipient count is displayed
File Validation
SignNXT automatically:
• Removes empty rows
• Validates email formats
• Checks for duplicate headers
• Counts total recipients
If there are issues, you'll see error messages with suggestions to fix them.
Review the recipient count and preview carefully. Once sent, you can't recall documents!
When ready, click "Next: Map Columns"
Step 2: Map Columns to Roles
Now you'll map CSV columns to the roles in your template.
Step 2: Map CSV columns to template roles
Understanding Role Mapping
For each role in your template, you need to specify:
• Name: Which CSV column contains the name?
• Email: Which CSV column contains the email?
Mapping Each Role
For each role, you'll see a card with two dropdowns:
Map name and email for each role
Example: Employee Role
1. Name dropdown: Select "Employee Name" column
2. Email dropdown: Select "Employee Email" column
Example: Manager Role
1. Name dropdown: Select "Manager Name" column
2. Email dropdown: Select "Manager Email" column
Using Static Values (Optional)
Sometimes you want to use the same person for all documents:
Use static values instead of CSV columns
When to use:
• Same manager signs all employee contracts
• Same HR representative on all forms
• Company representative is always the same person
How to use:
1. Check "Use same name for all"
2. Enter the name (e.g., "Sarah Johnson")
3. Check "Use same email for all"
4. Enter the email (e.g., "sarah@company.com")
You can use CSV columns for some roles and static values for others. For example, Employee from CSV, Manager as static value.
Smart Column Suggestions
SignNXT automatically suggests columns based on:
• Column names matching role names
• Keywords like "name", "email", "mail"
• Email format detection
Review suggestions and adjust if needed.
Step 2 (continued): Map Merge Fields
If your template has merge fields, you'll map those too.
Map CSV columns to merge fields (optional)
What Are Merge Fields?
Merge fields are pre-fillable data fields in your template:
• Position, Start Date, Salary
• Student Name, Class, Fee Amount
• Property Address, Lease Term, Rent
Mapping Merge Fields
For each merge field:
1. Select the CSV column that contains the data
2. Or select "-- Skip this field --" to leave it empty
3. Or use "Use same value for all" for static data
Example:
• Position field → Map to "Position" column
• Start Date field → Map to "Start Date" column
• Company Name field → Use static value "Acme Corp"
Skipping Fields
You can skip merge fields if:
• Data isn't available in CSV
• You want signers to fill it themselves
• Field is optional
Skipped fields will appear empty in documents.
Data Preview
At the bottom, you'll see a preview of your CSV data:
Preview your data before sending
This helps verify your mappings are correct.
Double-check that you've mapped the right columns to the right fields. Wrong mappings mean wrong data in documents!
When ready, click "Next: Review & Send"
Step 3: Review & Configure
The final step shows a summary and configuration options.
Step 3: Review and configure your campaign
Campaign Summary
Review the key information:
• Campaign name: Your chosen name
• Template: Which template is being used
• Total recipients: How many documents will be created
• Daily limit: Your remaining quota
Document Naming
Choose how documents will be named:
Choose how to name documents
Options:
• Row Number: "Document 1", "Document 2", etc.
• CSV Column: Use data from a column (e.g., "John Smith", "Jane Doe")
• Combination: Template name + column value
Example:
• Template: "Employment Contract"
• Naming field: "Employee Name"
• Result: "Employment Contract - John Smith"
Reminder Settings (Optional)
Configure automatic reminders for non-signers:
Configure automatic reminders
Options:
• Enable reminders: Turn on/off
• First reminder: Days after sending (e.g., 3 days)
• Recurring reminders: Repeat every X days (optional)
Example:
• First reminder: 3 days
• Recurring: Every 7 days
• Result: Reminders sent on days 3, 10, 17, 24...
Expiry Settings (Optional)
Set a deadline for signing:
Set document expiry deadline
Options:
• Expiry days: Document expires after X days
• Warning days: Send warning X days before expiry
Example:
• Expiry: 30 days
• Warning: 7 days
• Result: Warning on day 23, expires on day 30
Certificate Generation (Optional)
Enable Certificate of Completion for all documents:
• Check the box to enable
• Certificates generated after all signatures
• Sent to all parties automatically
Daily Limit Check
The wizard shows your daily limit status:
Check your remaining daily quota & mapping preview
Example:
• Your limit: 100/day
• Campaign size: 50 recipients
• Remaining after: 50
If campaign exceeds your limit, you'll see an error and need to:
• Reduce campaign size
• Wait until tomorrow
• Request limit upgrade
Send or Save as Draft
You have two options:
Option 1: Send Campaign Immediately (Recommended)
Click "Send Campaign" to start processing immediately.
Create & Send campaign to start processing
What happens:
1. Campaign status changes to "Processing"
2. Documents are created in batches
3. Emails are sent to recipients
4. Progress is tracked in real-time
5. You're redirected to campaign detail page
Best for:
• You've verified all mappings
• Data is correct
• Ready to send immediately
Option 2: Save as Draft
Click "Save as Draft" to save without sending.
Access Draft Campaigns from the Campaigns List
What happens:
1. Campaign is saved with "Draft" status
2. No documents are created yet
3. No emails are sent
4. You can edit or delete the draft
5. You're redirected to campaigns list
Best for:
• Want to review later
• Need approval before sending
• Testing with small batch first
• Scheduling for later
For your first campaign, consider saving as draft, then editing to send just 2-3 test recipients first. Verify everything works, then send the full campaign.
Campaign Processing
After clicking "Send Campaign", processing begins automatically.
Campaign processing in real-time
Processing Steps:
1. Reading CSV: Parse each row
2. Creating documents: Generate from template
3. Assigning signers: Map roles to people
4. Filling fields: Insert merge field data
5. Sending emails: Notify recipients
6. Updating stats: Track progress
You can:
• Watch progress in real-time
• See how many documents created/sent
• View any errors that occur
• Navigate away (processing continues in background)
Campaign processing happens in the background. You can close the page and come back later - progress is saved!
After Creating Campaign
Campaign Created Successfully
Once your campaign is created, you'll see:
• Success message confirming creation
• Campaign ID for tracking
• Redirect to campaign detail page (if sent) or campaigns list (if draft)
If Sent Immediately
• Campaign appears with "Processing" status
• Progress bar shows completion percentage
• Statistics update in real-time
• Recipients start receiving emails
If Saved as Draft
• Campaign appears with "Draft" status
• You can edit or delete it
• Click "Edit Draft" to modify
• Click "Send" when ready to start
Tips for Successful Campaigns
Before Creating
✅ Test your template - Create a test document first
✅ Verify CSV data - Check for typos and formatting
✅ Start small - Test with 2-3 recipients first
✅ Check email addresses - Invalid emails cause failures
✅ Review mappings - Wrong mappings = wrong data
During Creation
✅ Use descriptive names - Easy to find later
✅ Review preview - Check first 3 rows carefully
✅ Configure reminders - Improve completion rates
✅ Set expiry - Create urgency if needed
✅ Check daily limit - Ensure you have enough quota
After Creating
✅ Monitor progress - Watch for errors
✅ Check error logs - Fix issues quickly
✅ Track completion - See who has signed
✅ Send reminders - Follow up with non-signers
✅ Download reports - Keep records
Common Issues and Solutions
"Campaign exceeds daily limit"
Problem: Your campaign has more recipients than your remaining daily quota
Solutions:
• Reduce campaign size
• Split into multiple campaigns over multiple days
• Request limit upgrade from support
"Invalid email format in CSV"
Problem: Some email addresses are malformed
Solutions:
• Check CSV for typos (missing @, .com, etc.)
• Remove spaces before/after emails
• Ensure all emails follow format: name@domain.com
"Duplicate column headers"
Problem: Two columns have the same name
Solutions:
• Rename columns to be unique
• Add numbers: "Email 1", "Email 2"
• Be more specific: "Employee Email", "Manager Email"
"No data in preview"
Problem: CSV appears empty or no rows shown
Solutions:
• Check file has data rows (not just headers)
• Ensure file is saved as CSV/Excel format
• Try re-exporting from source system
• Check file encoding (use UTF-8)
"Some documents failed"
Problem: Campaign completed but some documents failed
Solutions:
• Check error log for specific failures
• Common causes: invalid emails, missing data
• Fix issues and create new campaign for failed rows
• Or send those documents manually
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a campaign after creating it?
Only if it's saved as draft. Once sent, you can't edit it. You can create a new campaign if needed.
What happens if I close the browser during processing?
Processing continues in the background. Come back anytime to check progress.
Can I cancel a campaign that's processing?
Yes, you can pause or cancel from the campaign detail page. Documents already sent can't be recalled.
How long does processing take?
Depends on campaign size. Typically 1-2 seconds per document. 100 documents ≈ 2-3 minutes.
Can I use the same CSV for multiple campaigns?
Yes! Upload the same CSV to different templates or re-use for recurring campaigns.
What if a recipient's email bounces?
That document is marked as failed. Check error log for details and resend manually if needed.
Can I add more recipients after starting?
No, but you can create a new campaign with additional recipients using the same template.
Do all recipients get emails at once?
Yes, emails are sent as documents are created (in batches). All recipients receive emails within minutes.
Next Steps
Now that you've created your campaign:
1. Track progress - Monitor campaign status
2. Check statistics - See completion rates
3. Review errors - Fix any issues
4. Send reminders - Follow up with non-signers
You've created your first campaign! Watch the progress and see how much time you've saved compared to manual document creation.
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Need help?
If you're having trouble creating a campaign, contact our support team at support@signnxt.com
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