Partial Document Download and Watermark Settings (API v1.16.0)

API v1.16.0 introduces two features that solve a common pain point: downloading signing request documents before every signer has finished, and controlling how those partial PDFs look with a configurable watermark.

Download Documents at Any Stage

Before this update, you could only download a signing request's PDF after all signers had completed. That works fine for simple two-party agreements, but falls apart when you have multi-signer contracts where legal or compliance teams need visibility into progress before the last signature lands.

The new GET /signing-requests/{id}/download endpoint returns a pre-signed download URL for the document in its current state. It works across every signing request status: in-progress, cancelled, declined, and expired.

For completed signing requests, you get the final signed PDF as before. For everything else, you get a snapshot that includes only the fields completed by signers who have already finished. Pending signers' fields are omitted entirely, so the document reflects exactly what has been executed so far.

Each partial PDF also includes an audit trail page with a per-signer status table and evidentiary framing, giving you a clear record of who signed, who hasn't, and when.

To enable partial downloads on a signing request, set allow_partial_download: true in the signing request settings. The document is generated on demand the first time you request it and cached for subsequent calls. If the document hasn't been generated yet, you'll get a 503 with a Retry-After header.

Watermark Control Per Workspace

Some teams want partial PDFs clearly marked as incomplete. Others want clean documents they can forward to stakeholders without visual noise. The new show_partial_watermark setting in workspace settings gives you that control.

When enabled, partial PDFs include a diagonal "IN PROGRESS — NOT YET EXECUTED" watermark across each page. When disabled (the default), the document downloads clean.

This is a workspace-level setting, so if you're using Customer Workspaces to partition your platform's customers, each workspace can have its own watermark preference.

API Details

Here's the quick summary of what's new in the API:

• New endpoint: GET /signing-requests/{id}/download returns a pre-signed download_url with an expires_at timestamp

• New setting: allow_partial_download (boolean) on signing request settings enables partial downloads

• New workspace setting: show_partial_watermark (boolean | null) controls the diagonal watermark on partial PDFs

• Statuses supported: finished, in_progress, cancelled, declined, expired

For the full endpoint specification, check the download signing request docs. For migration notes, see the API changelog.

This is a non-breaking update. No existing behavior changes, and existing integrations will continue to work without modification.

Get Started

If you're already on the Firma.dev API, you can start using the new endpoint immediately by updating your API version header to v01.16.00. If you're new to Firma.dev, get your API key now and start building for free, no credit card required.