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Find answers to common questions about DocsAutomator. If your question is not listed below, reach out via in-app chat or email us at support@docsautomator.co.

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Getting Started

DocsAutomator supports multiple data sources:
  • Airtable — OAuth connection with field mapping, linked tables, and nested line items
  • Notion — OAuth connection with database mapping, page body as Markdown, and line items from Relations
  • Google Sheets — Auto-polling, manual trigger, and batch generation
  • SmartSuite — OAuth connection with solution/table mapping
  • ClickUp — OAuth connection with task automation
  • Zapier — Webhook-based integration
  • n8n — Community node for workflow automation
  • Make — HTTP module integration
  • Glide — Native no-code integration
  • Noloco — Native no-code integration
  • Softr — No-code integration
  • MCP — Model Context Protocol integration
You can also use the DocsAutomator API to integrate from any custom application.
DocsAutomator generates documents as PDF by default. You can also optionally save a Google Doc copy to a Google Drive folder for further editing. PDFs can be:
  • Saved to your data source (Airtable attachment, Google Sheets cell, etc.)
  • Stored in a Google Drive folder
  • Sent as email attachments
  • Accessed via the returned PDF URL in the API response
  1. Create an account at app.docsautomator.co (sign up with Google, Microsoft, or email)
  2. Create a new automation and choose your data source
  3. Select or create a Google Doc template with placeholders
  4. Map your data fields to template placeholders
  5. Generate a preview to verify your document
See the Quickstart Guide for a detailed walkthrough.
Yes. DocsAutomator offers unlimited free testing so you can fully evaluate the platform before committing to a paid subscription. A subscription is only required to generate production documents (Live mode).

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Templates

DocsAutomator uses Google Docs as templates. You create your document layout in Google Docs and add placeholders using double curly bracket syntax ({{placeholder}}). The platform copies your template and replaces placeholders with your data to generate each document.
Yes. You can use any Google Doc as a template. Simply add placeholders ({{fieldName}}) where you want dynamic data inserted, then paste the Google Doc URL into your automation settings. You can also browse the Template Gallery for pre-built templates.
DocsAutomator supports several placeholder types:
TypeSyntaxExample
Text{{fieldName}}{{customer_name}}
Image{{image_fieldName}}{{image_logo}}
Line items{{line_items_1}}{{field}}Invoice rows
Conditional{{#if condition}}...{{/if}}Show/hide sections
E-signature{{esign.type_signer}}{{esign.signature_1}}
See the Google Doc Template Guide for the full syntax reference.
Yes. You can use the same placeholder in multiple places within a template. You only need to map the data once — DocsAutomator replaces all occurrences automatically.

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Pricing & Limits

DocsAutomator offers three plans:
PlanDocuments/MonthMonthlyAnnual (/mo)
Professional100$29$19
Business1,000$79$59
Scale2,500$199$149
Free accounts have unlimited testing in preview mode, no credit card required. A subscription is only required to generate production (Live mode) documents.Existing customers on legacy plans (Starter, Pro, Business, Scale, 5000, Unlimited) stay on their original pricing and document allowance for as long as they wish.Visit docsautomator.co/pricing for full details including overage rates and feature comparisons.
Paid plans can enable overage documents which allow you to continue generating documents beyond your plan limit at a per-document rate. If overage is not enabled or you exceed the overage cap, you receive a 402 Payment Required error with the message: “You have reached your documents limit. Please upgrade your plan.”
ScopeLimit
Global2000 requests per 15 minutes per API key
Test email25 per hour per automation
QueueMax 50 queued jobs per workspace
Queue concurrencyMax 5 active jobs per workspace
Exceeding a rate limit returns a 429 Too Many Requests response.

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Data Sources

DocsAutomator supports all standard field types from each data source, including text, numbers, dates, single/multi-select, attachments (for images), and linked records. Linked records in Airtable can be expanded into line items for table generation. For Google Sheets, each column maps to a placeholder.
Each automation is connected to a single data source. However, you can create multiple automations — one for each data source — and trigger them independently. If you need to combine data from multiple sources, you can use the API or an integration tool like Zapier, Make, or n8n to aggregate data before sending it to DocsAutomator.
When auto-creation is enabled, DocsAutomator checks your spreadsheet every 5 minutes for new rows. When a new row is detected that does not yet have a PDF link in the designated column, a document is automatically generated. This is ideal for hands-off automation where documents should be created as soon as data is added.

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E-Signatures

DocsAutomator eSign supports four field types:
TypePlaceholderPurpose
Signature{{esign.signature_1}}Full signature capture (draw via mouse, trackpad, or touch)
Date{{esign.date_1}}Date picker with auto-fill
Text{{esign.text_1_name}}Free text input (append _name for a unique label per field)
Checkbox{{esign.checkbox_1_label}}Agreement checkbox (append _label for a unique name per field)
Increment the signer number for multiple signers (_1, _2, _3, etc.). There is no limit on the number of signers.
Yes. DocsAutomator eSign is compliant with the ESIGN Act and UETA in the United States, and eIDAS (Simple Electronic Signatures) in the European Union. Every signed document includes a Certificate of Completion with audit trail, SHA-256 document integrity hashing, and secure access tokens. See Compliance & Legal Validity for details.
Two signing workflows are supported:
  • Parallel signing (default) — All signers receive invitations simultaneously and can sign in any order
  • Sequential signing — Signers receive invitations one at a time in a defined order
You can configure the signing order in the eSign settings of your automation.
PlaneSign Access
FreePreview/Test mode only
Paid (without add-on)Preview/Test mode only
Paid (with add-on)Full production access
UnlimitedIncluded with unlimited signatures

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Technical

By default, the POST /createDocument endpoint runs synchronously and waits up to 5 minutes for the document to be generated. In async mode, the API returns immediately with a jobId (HTTP 202) and you poll GET /job/{jobId} for the result.Use async mode when:
  • Your calling platform has execution time limits (e.g., Airtable’s 120-second limit)
  • You are generating complex or large documents
  • You want non-blocking document generation in your application
Most documents generate in 5-30 seconds. Complex documents with many line items, images, or large templates may take longer. When using async mode, poll with exponential backoff starting at 2 seconds.
Yes. Pass a docTemplateLink parameter in your createDocument request with either a full Google Docs URL or a document ID. The override template must be accessible by your connected Google account.
By default, PDFs are deleted shortly after generation for privacy. You can configure retention per automation with options ranging from immediate to never (including 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year). For eSign-enabled automations, PDFs are automatically set to never expire. See PDF Expiration / Storage for details.

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Troubleshooting

Google OAuth tokens can expire or become invalid. Common causes:
  • Token expired — Google refresh tokens may become invalid after extended inactivity. Reconnect your Google account under Settings > Integrations in the DocsAutomator app.
  • Insufficient permissions — Ensure the connected Google account has access to the template and destination folder.
  • Shared Drive templates — You need Manager (Organizer) level permissions on the Shared Drive. See Google Shared Drive Permissions.
Images must be publicly accessible via URL. Common causes for missing images:
  • The image URL requires authentication or is behind a firewall
  • The URL has expired (e.g., temporary Airtable attachment URLs)
  • The image format is not supported (supported: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, SVG, WebP, and more)
See Dynamic Images for details and best practices.
Generation time depends on document complexity. Factors that increase generation time:
  • Large number of line items or nested line items
  • Multiple high-resolution images
  • Complex template with many placeholders
  • Google API rate limits during high-traffic periods
If generation consistently exceeds expectations, enable async mode to avoid timeouts.
If a placeholder appears as raw text in the generated document:
  • Verify the placeholder name matches exactly (case-sensitive) between your template and data mapping
  • Check that curly brackets are not formatted differently (e.g., smart/curly quotes instead of straight brackets)
  • Re-type the placeholder directly in Google Docs rather than copy-pasting, which can introduce hidden formatting
  • Ensure the data field is mapped and has a value in the source record

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Need More Help?

In-App Chat

Use the chat feature in your DocsAutomator dashboard for quick support

Email Support

Contact support@docsautomator.co (response within 24 hours)

Video Tutorials

Watch tutorials on the DocsAutomator YouTube channel

Book a Call

Schedule a personal walkthrough with the team
Last modified on June 9, 2026