Pandadoc API Integration Guide (In-Depth)

In today's business world, organizations constantly seek ways to optimize workflows, save time, and reduce errors. From Document Creation and approval to secure signing, status tracking, and payment—it can be a lengthy process. PandaDoc simplifies this by offering a 360‑degree agreement management solution that eliminates delays in contract approval by enabling instant e-signatures and automated approval workflows. You can directly integrate PandaDoc's functionalities directly into your existing systems. It enhances efficiency and user experience.

Over 50,000 fast-growing companies worldwide, including Uber, Stripe, HP, and Bosch rely on PandaDoc to streamline their document workflows. By integrating PandaDoc, these companies reduce document creation time by up to 80%. They also accelerate deal closures and improve client satisfaction.

PandaDoc provides a range of services:

• Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ): To streamline the sales process with efficient quoting tools.
• Digital Workspaces (Rooms): To collaborate in real-time with clients and team members.
• Smart Content: To create documents that intelligently assemble themselves.
• Tracking and Analytics: Monitor user activity, document performance and more for valuable insights.

Key Features of PandaDoc API

The PandaDoc API offers a rich set of features that empower developers to build robust document solutions:

• Dynamic Document Generation: Create personalized documents on the fly using templates and dynamic data. For instance, generate customized proposals by merging client data with predefined templates.
• Embedded E-Signatures: This enhances user engagement. With PandaDoc's legally binding e-signatures, users can sign documents directly on your platform, enhancing user engagement.
• Template Management: Access, create, and modify templates programmatically. Organizations can either use 1000+ existing templates or design new ones that align with their brand’s tone and style.
• Workflow Automation: PandaDoc automates the entire document workflow. Automated reminder emails, approval workflows, CRM integrations, and seamless team collaborations keep your document processes running smoothly in the background, helping you focus on creating stunning documents that increase your closing rate.
• Real-Time Status Tracking: It is one of the most popular features of PandaDoc. It has led to a 36% increase in close rates and a 50% reduction in document creation time. You can instantly monitor changes in document status. Receive updates when someone views, signs, or completes a document, enabling timely follow-ups.
• Recipient Management: Add multiple recipients with different roles and permissions. Control who can view, edit, or sign documents, ensuring compliance and security.
• Custom Fields and Tokens: Use tokens and custom fields to personalize documents. Insert client-specific information dynamically, such as names, addresses, or pricing details.

These features allow you to create tailored document solutions that fit your specific business needs, enhancing both functionality and user satisfaction.

Benefits of Integrating PandaDoc API

Integrating the PandaDoc API brings tangible benefits that can transform your business operations:

• Accelerated Sales Cycles: Automate proposal generation and contract signing to close deals faster. For example, sales teams can send personalized proposals within minutes, reducing the time from lead to conversion.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Provide clients with a seamless document signing experience directly within your application. This convenience can lead to higher satisfaction and repeat business.
• Operational Efficiency: You can eliminate manual document handling. This reduces errors and saves time. Automate repetitive tasks such as data entry and document tracking. This allows your team to focus on strategic activities.
• Cost Savings: Reduce paper use and lower administrative costs linked to traditional document processes. You can easily manage, store, and retrieve digital documents.
• Compliance and Security: PandaDoc is E‑SIGN, UETA, HIPAA compliant, and SOC 2 certified, offering secure electronic signatures. It also provides SSO and a robust API for granular document and workspace permissions.
• Scalable Solutions: Handle increasing document volumes effortlessly. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, PandaDoc scales to meet your needs.
• Data-Driven Insights: Access analytics on document interactions to track when someone views a document and how long they read it. Use this information to refine your follow-up strategies.

This can help your organization streamline their operations and gain a competitive edge in its industry.

Integration Steps

Integrating PandaDoc into your application involves several detailed steps. Here are the detailed steps:

Step 1: Obtain API Credentials

To interact with the PandaDoc API, you need an API key.

1. Sign Up: Create an account at PandaDoc.
2. Access API Settings: Navigate to Settings > Integrations > API & Keys.
3. Generate API Key: Click Create API Key, name it appropriately, and copy the generated key.

Step 2: Install Necessary Dependencies

Ensure your Python environment includes the required libraries:

pip install requests

Step 3: Set Up Authentication

You can set authentication in 4 steps:

1. Set Up an Application.
2. Authorize a User.
3. Create an Access Token.
4. Optionally, Refresh Access Token.

Step 4: Create a Template in PandaDoc

Templates are the backbone of document generation.

1. Create a Template: In PandaDoc, go to Templates > New Template.
2. Design the Template: Add placeholders, such as {{FirstName}} and {{CompanyName}}, where the system will insert dynamic data.
3. Save the Template: Note the Template UUID from the template details, which you'll need later.

Step 5: Map Data Fields

Map your application's data fields to the tokens in your PandaDoc template.

Step 6: Generate a Document

Use the template and map data to create a document.

Example: Creating a Document

API_URL = 'https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents'

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data = {

    "name": "Proposal for {{CompanyName}}",

    "template_uuid": "template_uuid_here",

    "recipients": [

        {

            "email": "client@example.com",

            "first_name": "Alice",

            "last_name": "Smith",

            "role": "Signer"

        }

    ],

    "tokens": [

        {"name": "FirstName", "value": "Alice"},

        {"name": "CompanyName", "value": "Acme Corp"},

        {"name": "ProposalAmount", "value": "$10,000"}

    ]

}

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response = requests.post(API_URL, headers=headers, json=data)

document = response.json()

print(document)

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Sample JSON Response

{

    "id": "document_uuid_here",

    "name": "Proposal for Acme Corp",

    "status": "document.draft",

    "created_at": "2023-10-06T12:34:56.789Z",

    "expires_at": "2023-11-06T12:34:56.789Z"

}

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(Source: https://developers.pandadoc.com/docs/create-document-from-template#:~:text=After%20downloading%2C%20the%20system%20will,templates%2F%7BID%7D%2Fcontent%20 )

Step 7: Send the Document for Signature

After creating the document, send it to the recipient for signing.

Example: Sending a Document

document_id = document['id']

send_url = f'https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents/{document_id}/send'

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send_data = {

    "message": "Hello Alice, please review and sign the attached proposal.",

    "subject": "Proposal for Acme Corp"

}

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send_response = requests.post(send_url, headers=headers, json=send_data)

print(send_response.status_code)

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(Source: https://support.pandadoc.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406731214743-API-recipes-Create-and-send-a-document-from-a-template)

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Expected Response

The 202 Accepted status code indicates successful document submission.

Step 8: Track Document Status

Monitor the status to see if it's been viewed or signed. 

Example: Checking Document Status

status_url = f'https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents/{document_id}'

status_response = requests.get(status_url, headers=headers)

status_info = status_response.json()

print(f"Document Status: {status_info['status']}")

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Step 9: Handle Webhooks (Optional)

Set up webhooks to receive real-time updates on document events.

1. Create a Webhook Endpoint: Set up an endpoint in your application to receive webhook POST requests.
2. Configure Webhook in PandaDoc: Go to Settings > Integrations > Webhooks, and add your endpoint URL.
3. Select Events: Choose events like document.sent, document.viewed, document.completed.
4. Verify Webhook Signatures: Implement signature verification to ensure security.

Step 10: Test the Integration

Validate each step to ensure everything works as intended.

• Unit Tests: Write tests for individual functions.
• Integration Tests: Test the end-to-end workflow.
• Mock API Calls: Use tools like responses or unittest.mock to simulate API responses.

API Endpoints

Understanding key API endpoints is crucial for effective integration.

Create Document

• Endpoint: POST /documents
• Description: Creates a new document from a template or PDF.
• Source: PandaDoc Create Document

Get Document Details

• Endpoint: GET /documents/{id}
• Description: Retrieves details of a specific document.
• Request Body:

import requests

url = "https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents/id/details"

headers = {"accept": "application/json"}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

• Source: PandaDoc Get Document Details

Send Document

• Endpoint: POST /documents/{id}/send
• Description: Sends the document to recipients for signing.
• Request Body:

import requests

url = "https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents/id/send"

headers = {

    "accept": "application/json",

    "content-type": "application/json"

}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

• Source: PandaDoc Send Document

List Documents

• Endpoint: GET /documents
• Description: Retrieves a list of documents with optional filters.
• Request Body:

import requests

url = "https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents"

headers = {"accept": "application/json"}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

• Source: PandaDoc List Documents

For a complete list of endpoints, refer to the PandaDoc API reference.

Integration with Knit

While integrating directly with PandaDoc is beneficial, managing multiple integrations can be complex. Knit simplifies this process by offering a unified API, enabling developers to integrate with PandaDoc and other services seamlessly.

Why Integrate With Knit?

• Unified Data Model: Knit standardizes data models across different services, reducing the learning curve.
• Simplified Authentication: Manage credentials centrally, minimizing security risks.
• Reduced Development Time: Integrate services faster with less code.
• Scalable Integrations: Easily add or remove services as your needs evolve.

Mapping PandaDoc Objects to Knit's Standard API

Knit provides a standard data model for common objects.

Mapping Table

Example: Creating a Document via Knit

Knit API Endpoint: POST /documents

Data Mapping

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Benefits of Using Knit

By integrating with Knit:

• Single Integration Point: Manage multiple services through one API.
• Consistent API Structure: Simplifies development and maintenance.
• Centralized Error Handling: Handle errors in a uniform manner.
• Enhanced Security: Centralized authentication reduces exposure.

Knit handles the complexity of multiple integrations, allowing you to focus on building features that matter to your users.

Real-Life Use Cases

Autodesk

Industry: Software

Leveraged PandaDoc to automate their sales process, leading to faster proposal generation and more streamlined workflows. The solution allowed the team to focus on building strong customer relationships instead of paperwork, ultimately increasing overall productivity and sales.

Ion Solar 

Industry: Solar Energy

Switched from DocuSign to PandaDoc, cutting proposal revision time by 20%. This change enabled sales reps to process documents more efficiently, resulting in quicker deal closures and a significant boost in team performance.

UptimeHealth

Industry: Health Technology

Implemented PandaDoc to shorten their sales cycle by one to two weeks. By automating the document workflow, they saw a 20% increase in their close rate, which helped them scale operations faster and close more deals.

Best Practices

To ensure a successful and secure integration:

• Security: PandaDoc encrypts and stores documents in different locations. All requests must use HTTPS to ensure a secure connection. Use environment variables or secret managers to store API keys securely. Avoid hardcoding them. 
• Validate Data Inputs: Implement input validation to prevent errors and security vulnerabilities.
• Implement Robust Error Handling: Handle exceptions gracefully and provide meaningful error messages.
• Use Logging Strategically: Log API requests and responses for debugging purposes, but avoid logging sensitive information.
• Monitor API Usage: Keep an eye on rate limits and usage patterns to prevent disruptions.
• Stay Updated: Regularly check the PandaDoc API docs for updates or changes.
• Test Thoroughly: Use sandbox environments and automated tests to ensure your integration works under various scenarios.
• Optimize Performance: Batch API calls when possible and handle asynchronous operations efficiently.

Adhering to these best practices will help you build a reliable and efficient integration.

Troubleshooting

Effective error handling significantly improves your API integration. Here’s an overview of issues, error codes, and solutions: 

Authentication Errors

Problem: Receiving 401 Unauthorized errors.

Solution:

• Confirm your API key is correct and active.
• Ensure the Authorization header is properly formatted.

Example:

import requests

url = "https://api.pandadoc.com/oauth2/access_token/"

payload = ""

headers = {

    "accept": "application/json",

    "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"

}

response = requests.post(url, data=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

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(Source -https://www.google.com/url?q=https://developers.pandadoc.com/reference/refresh-access_token&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1728548000670940&usg=AOvVaw2dupYrBsW79MgMDUQmttDK)

Invalid Data Formats

Problem: Receiving 400 Bad Request errors due to invalid data.

Solution:

• Verify that all required fields are included.
• Check data types and formats, such as email addresses and dates.

Rate Limit Exceeded

PandaDoc provides a Rate Limit on all API Key or OAuth API Call. All rate limits are mutually exclusive. 

Problem: Receiving 429 Too Many Requests errors. This occurs when you exceed the limit of requests.

Solution:

• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff.
• Spread out API requests to avoid hitting rate limits.

Webhook Issues

Problem: Not receiving webhook notifications.

Solution:

• Ensure your webhook endpoint is publicly accessible and uses HTTPS.
• Verify that you have selected the correct events in the PandaDoc webhook settings.
• Verify that your server is properly handling POST requests.

API Endpoint Not Found

Problem: Receiving 404 Not Found errors.

Solution:

• Double-check the endpoint URL for typos.
• Ensure you're using the correct API version.

If you continue to face issues, refer to the PandaDoc API documentation or contact their support team.

Common Issues with Uploading and Downloading Documents

Problem: Receiving errors with upload and download.

Solution:

There can be several reasons for these issues such as file size, document type etc. Get a detailed understanding of common issues and their solutions here.

Future Trends

According to Grand View Research, the increasing demand for end-to-end document workflow, embedded e-signatures, tracking, and payroll has led to an estimated intelligent document processing market size of USD 1.45 billion in 2022, with expectations of growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.1% from 2023 to 2030.

The document automation industry is evolving rapidly. Embracing new technologies will keep your application competitive. Here are four key trends to consider:

Streamlining Processes With Advanced Automation

Advancements in AI and ML are changing how businesses handle documents. AI helps automate contract reviews, making legal analysis faster and reducing errors. Tools like OCR convert scanned text into machine-readable formats. ICR does the same for handwritten text. This technology speeds up workflows and improves efficiency. Smart content adapts to different formats and layouts, making document processing more efficient. This speeds up workflows and allows companies to process invoices, contracts, and other documents quickly and accurately.

Gaining Insights Through Enhanced Analytics

Advanced analytics offer a deeper understanding beyond basic data extraction. Companies use predictive analytics to foresee future trends and make better decisions. By studying customer data, they personalize services, keep customers loyal, and improve operations. Optimise Marketing workflow by analyzing client interactions and tailoring campaigns accordingly. This leads to improved customer satisfaction and increased revenue.

Increasing Accessibility With Cloud and Mobile Integration

Cloud computing and mobile technology are becoming integral to document processing solutions. Cloud platforms offer scalability and flexibility, letting employees access information anytime, anywhere. Enhancing Proposal Templates through mobile-friendly tools streamlines document workflows, boosting collaboration and productivity. This integration ensures that teams can work efficiently, whether in the office or on the go.

Improving Accuracy Through Human-AI Collaboration

While AI automates many tasks, human expertise remains crucial. Combining AI capabilities with human oversight ensures accuracy and handles complex cases effectively. Humans can validate extracted data, manage exceptions, and train AI models for continuous improvement. Tools like AI Contract Template assist in creating customized documents, but human review ensures they meet specific requirements. This collaboration leads to error-free data extraction and more reliable outcomes.

Staying ahead of these trends will position your application for future success.

Conclusion

Many companies need advanced document automation and entire workflow management to save time and focus on delivering greater value to their users. 

Knit - Unified API, simplifies the long and complex integration process. This allows developers to focus on developing innovative features rather than managing multiple APIs.

By leveraging tools like Knit, businesses can ensure long-term success with their PandaDoc API integration. To integrate the PandaDoc API with ease, you can Book a call with Knit for personalized guidance and make your integration future-ready today! To sign up for free, click here. To check the pricing, see our pricing page.

Begin integrating PandaDoc today and revolutionize the way your application handles documents.

FAQs: Common Questions and Answers

1. How do I start with the PandaDoc API?

Sign up for a PandaDoc account and obtain your API key from the API & Keys section under settings.

2. Is there a sandbox environment for testing?

Yes, PandaDoc provides a sandbox environment. Use test API keys to prevent affecting live data.

3. What are the API rate limits?

The default rate limit is 60 requests per minute. For detailed information, refer to the PandaDoc API reference.

4. Does PandaDoc support webhooks?

Yes, you can set up webhooks to receive real-time notifications about document events.

5. Is there a cost for using the PandaDoc API?

API access is included in certain PandaDoc plans. Visit PandaDoc API pricing for details.

6. Can I customize templates via the API?

Yes, you can create and modify templates programmatically using the API.

7. How secure is the PandaDoc API?

PandaDoc uses HTTPS and API keys for secure communication. They are compliant with industry security standards.

Reference:

1. IDP Grand View Research
2. Market Research GVR
3. Workflow Automation S/w
4. PandaDoc
5. CPQ S/w
6. Use Cases
7. Embedded Signing
8. Document Tracking S/w
9. PandaDoc Templates
10. Smart Content
11. Refresh Token
12. Contract Mgmt
13. AI Writing Tool
14. AI in Marketing
15. AI Proposal Template
16. Smart content AI
17. Top 5 PandaDoc Features
18. Future Trends
19. Trends
20. Rate limits
21. 404
22. Webhook Notifications
23. Common Issues with upload and download

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