Docusign eSignature API Improvements

The National Association of Home Builders received the following email from Docusign and would like to know if there is any action that needs to be taken for their current Momentus/Docusign integration.  
 

Upcoming Docusign eSignature API Improvements 

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing a secure, reliable, and developer-friendly platform, we are rolling out a few critical updates to the Docusign eSignature API over the coming months. 

We want to personally make sure your engineering teams have the context they need to prepare for these changes, avoid any disruptions to your integrations, and ensure access to new features. 

Here is what you need to know:

1. Clearer API Error Messages & Status Codes 
We know that troubleshooting vague API errors can be frustrating. To fix this, we’ve overhauled 16 of our most common limit-related error messages and standardized their HTTP status codes to align with industry best practices.

• Timeline: Improvements will be live in the Demo environment on May 28th, 2026, and in Production environments on July 1st, 2026. 
• Impact: While this makes debugging much easier, it is a breaking change if your integration relies on hardcoded logic that looks for exact error strings or legacy status codes (for example, expecting a 400 instead of a standard 429 for rate limits). We have not changed the actual underlying limits or enforcement rules - just the messaging.
• Action Required: Please review and validate your error-handling logic to ensure compatibility. For a full list of the changed codes, please refer to our community post and release announcement.

2. Deprecation of listRecipientNamesByEmail REST API Endpoint
To improve our overall system architecture and security posture, we are removing support for the listRecipientNamesByEmail REST API endpoint.

• Timeline: Support ends in Demo environment on July 7th, 2026, and in Production environments on July 23rd, 2026.
• Salesforce Impact: If you are using the legacy Docusign eSignature for Salesforce managed package (version 6.9 or older), the “Add Me” option on the createEnvelope visualforce page will begin failing.
• Action Required: Review your integrations and transition away from this endpoint before support drops. If you are a Salesforce customer, we strongly recommend migrating to Docusign Apps Launcher or upgrading to version 7+ of the managed package. For more details on making necessary adjustments to your Docusign for Salesforce integration, please review the associated support article.

3. Bulk Send APIs now support Prefill Tabs
We are excited to announce a new capability for the Bulk Send Lists and Send APIs. You can now incorporate Prefill tabs directly into your bulk send mailing lists, allowing you to seamlessly populate individual envelopes with customizable, pre-populated text tab values.

• Timeline: Support will be available in the Demo environment on June 3rd, 2026, and in Production environments on June 15th, 2026.
• Impact: Unlike regular tabs associated with specific recipients, Prefill tabs are set at the envelope level. The new prefillTabs array is a top-level property underneath bulkCopies (bulkSendingCopy) on the POST bulk_send_list payload. Each element requires a TabLabel (the exact label from your document template) and an InitialValue.
  
  At this time, only text field prefill tabs are supported.
• Action Required: Ensure your data conforms to the tab's expected format (e.g., date formats) to prevent envelope generation failures. Remember that prefilled tabs can typically be modified by recipients unless marked as read-only on the master/draft envelope used for the bulk send.

4. Multi-Language Support for Copy and Void Watermarks
We are enhancing Docusign’s watermark functionality with new support for language selection of “Copy” and “Void” watermarks in the Envelope and Templates APIs. With this enhancement, watermark text can now be displayed in the Sender’s preferred language, helping create a more localized signing experience.

• Timeline: This feature will be fully available in Demo environments by July 3rd, 2026, and in all Production environments by July 31st, 2026.
• Impact: A new watermarkLanguage property will be supported on standard Envelope and Template POST, PUT, and GET operations. When provided, the value determines the language used for “Copy” and “Void” watermarks on documents. This functionality supports 43 languages and is controlled through the new showLocalizedWatermarks account setting, which is disabled by default.
  
  Once enabled, senders may either rely on the default behavior (where the watermark language matches the sender’s profile language) or explicitly define a language for individual envelopes or templates. Please note:
  • The watermarkLanguage property is only available when the showLocalizedWatermarks account setting is enabled.
  • If the setting is disabled, watermarkLanguage values will be ignored on write operations and omitted from API responses.
  • This feature only applies to “Copy” and “Void” watermarks and does not impact “In Progress” watermarks.
• Action Required: To use this functionality, Admins must first enable the new showLocalizedWatermarks account setting. If applicable, update your integrations to pass and/or consume the new watermarkLanguage property.

If you have any questions or require assistance validating these changes against your existing integrations, please reach out to Docusign Developer Support.

Thank you, 

The Docusign Team