> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docsautomator.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Frequently asked questions about DocsAutomator

Find answers to common questions about DocsAutomator. If your question is not listed below, reach out via [in-app chat](https://app.docsautomator.co) or email us at [support@docsautomator.co](mailto:support@docsautomator.co).

## Getting Started

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What data sources does DocsAutomator support?">
    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](/integrations-api/docsautomator-api) to integrate from any custom application.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What output formats are available?">
    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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I get started?">
    1. Create an account at [app.docsautomator.co](https://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](/docsautomator-basics/quickstart-guide) for a detailed walkthrough.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a free plan?">
    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).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Templates

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What template format does DocsAutomator use?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use existing Google Doc templates?">
    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](https://docsautomator.co/templates/) for pre-built templates.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What placeholder syntax is supported?">
    DocsAutomator supports several placeholder types:

    | Type        | Syntax                        | Example                 |
    | ----------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------- |
    | 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](/docsautomator-basics/google-doc-template-guide) for the full syntax reference.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can the same placeholder appear multiple times in a template?">
    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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Pricing & Limits

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What are the document generation limits per plan?">
    DocsAutomator offers three plans:

    | Plan         | Documents/Month | Monthly | Annual (/mo) |
    | ------------ | --------------- | ------- | ------------ |
    | Professional | 100             | \$29    | \$19         |
    | Business     | 1,000           | \$79    | \$59         |
    | Scale        | 2,500           | \$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](https://docsautomator.co/pricing) for full details including overage rates and feature comparisons.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when I exceed my document limit?">
    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."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the API rate limits?">
    | Scope             | Limit                                    |
    | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
    | Global            | 2000 requests per 15 minutes per API key |
    | Test email        | 25 per hour per automation               |
    | Queue             | Max 50 queued jobs per workspace         |
    | Queue concurrency | Max 5 active jobs per workspace          |

    Exceeding a rate limit returns a `429 Too Many Requests` response.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Data Sources

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which field types are supported for each data source?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use multiple data sources in one automation?">
    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](/integrations-api/docsautomator-api) or an integration tool like Zapier, Make, or n8n to aggregate data before sending it to DocsAutomator.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does auto-creation work with Google Sheets?">
    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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## E-Signatures

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What e-signature field types are supported?">
    DocsAutomator eSign supports four field types:

    | Type      | Placeholder                  | Purpose                                                          |
    | --------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | 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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is DocsAutomator eSign legally valid?">
    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](/features/docsautomator-esign/compliance-and-legal-validity) for details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What signing workflows are available?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long are signing links valid?">
    Signing links expire after a configurable period, defaulting to **30 days**. You can set the expiration between 1 and 365 days. After expiration, links become invalid and the session status changes to "Expired."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which plans include eSign?">
    | Plan                  | eSign Access                       |
    | --------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
    | Free                  | Preview/Test mode only             |
    | Paid (without add-on) | Preview/Test mode only             |
    | Paid (with add-on)    | Full production access             |
    | Unlimited             | Included with unlimited signatures |
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Technical

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is async mode and when should I use it?">
    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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does document generation take?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I override the template at request time?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where are generated PDFs stored?">
    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](/features/pdf-expiration-storage) for details.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why is my Google auth failing?">
    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](/more/troubleshooting-guide/google-shared-drive-template-permissions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why are my images not showing in the generated document?">
    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](/features/dynamic-images) for details and best practices.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is my document generation slow?">
    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](/api-reference/introduction#sync-vs-async-mode) to avoid timeouts.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is my placeholder not being replaced?">
    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
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Need More Help?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="In-App Chat" icon="comments">
    Use the chat feature in your DocsAutomator dashboard for quick support
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email Support" icon="envelope" href="mailto:support@docsautomator.co">
    Contact [support@docsautomator.co](mailto:support@docsautomator.co) (response within 24 hours)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Video Tutorials" icon="youtube" href="https://youtube.com/@docsautomator">
    Watch tutorials on the DocsAutomator YouTube channel
  </Card>

  <Card title="Book a Call" icon="calendar" href="https://cal.com/docsautomator/20min">
    Schedule a personal walkthrough with the team
  </Card>
</CardGroup>