# Documenso — Open Source Document Signing Platform

> Documenso is an open-source DocuSign alternative for self-hosted document signing with PDF e-signatures, audit trails, and Next.js stack.

## Install

Save the content below to `.claude/skills/` or append to your `CLAUDE.md`:

## Quick Use

```bash
git clone https://github.com/documenso/documenso.git
cd documenso
cp .env.example .env
npm ci
npm run dx
```

Open `http://localhost:3000` — sign up and start sending documents for signature.

## Intro

**Documenso** is an open-source alternative to DocuSign, built with Next.js, Prisma, and PostgreSQL. It provides legally-binding digital document signing with PAdES-standard compliance, making it suitable for businesses that need full control over their signing infrastructure.

With 12.6K+ GitHub stars and AGPL-3.0 license, Documenso offers self-hosted deployment, custom branding, API access, and complete audit trails — all without per-signature fees.

## What Documenso Does

Documenso handles the entire document signing workflow:

- **PDF Upload & Signing Fields**: Upload any PDF, place signature fields, text fields, date fields, and checkboxes
- **Email Invitations**: Send signing requests via email with automatic reminders
- **Digital Signatures**: PAdES-standard compliant signatures with certificate embedding
- **Audit Trail**: Complete signing history with timestamps, IP addresses, and verification
- **Templates**: Create reusable document templates for recurring workflows
- **API Access**: REST API for programmatic document creation and signing
- **Self-Hosted**: Full control over data with Docker or manual deployment
- **Custom Branding**: White-label the signing experience with your own domain and logo

### Tech Stack

| Component | Technology |
|-----------|-----------|
| Frontend | Next.js 14, React, TypeScript |
| Database | PostgreSQL + Prisma ORM |
| Auth | NextAuth.js |
| Storage | S3-compatible (AWS, MinIO) |
| Signing | PAdES standard, PDF-lib |
| Deploy | Docker, Vercel, Railway |

### Self-Hosting with Docker

```bash
# Clone and configure
git clone https://github.com/documenso/documenso.git
cd documenso

# Set environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your database URL, SMTP settings, and S3 config

# Run with Docker
docker compose up -d
```

### API Integration

```typescript
import { DocumentApi } from "@documenso/sdk";

const api = new DocumentApi({ apiKey: "your-api-key" });

// Create and send a document
const doc = await api.createDocument({
  title: "Service Agreement",
  recipients: [
    { email: "client@example.com", name: "Client" }
  ]
});

// Upload PDF
await api.uploadDocument(doc.id, pdfBuffer);

// Add signing fields and send
await api.sendDocument(doc.id);
```

## FAQ

**Q: Is Documenso legally binding?**
A: Yes. Documenso uses PAdES-standard digital signatures with embedded certificates, which are legally recognized in most jurisdictions under eIDAS (EU) and ESIGN Act (US).

**Q: How does it compare to DocuSign?**
A: Documenso provides core signing features (PDF signing, templates, API) without per-signature pricing. You self-host for full data control. DocuSign has more enterprise features like bulk send and advanced workflows.

**Q: Can I use my own SMTP server?**
A: Yes. Configure SMTP in `.env` to send signing invitations from your own email domain.

**Q: What storage backends are supported?**
A: Any S3-compatible storage — AWS S3, MinIO, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces.

## Source & Thanks

- GitHub: [documenso/documenso](https://github.com/documenso/documenso) — 12.6K+ ⭐ | AGPL-3.0
- Website: [documenso.com](https://documenso.com)
- Docs: [documenso.com/docs](https://documenso.com/docs)

<!-- ZH -->

## Quick Use

```bash
git clone https://github.com/documenso/documenso.git
cd documenso
cp .env.example .env
npm ci
npm run dx
```

Open `http://localhost:3000`, sign up, and start sending documents for signature.

## Introduction

**Documenso** is an open-source DocuSign alternative built on Next.js, Prisma, and PostgreSQL. It provides legally binding PAdES-compliant digital signatures, ideal for organizations that need full control over their signing infrastructure.

With 12.6K+ GitHub stars and AGPL-3.0 licensing, Documenso supports self-hosted deployment, custom branding, API access, and a complete audit trail — with no per-signature fees.

## Core Features

- **PDF upload with signature fields**: Upload PDFs and place signature, text, date, and checkbox fields
- **Email invitations**: Send signing requests via email with automatic reminders
- **Digital signatures**: PAdES-compliant with embedded certificates
- **Audit trail**: Complete signing history with timestamps, IP addresses, and verification info
- **Templates**: Create reusable document templates for repeated workflows
- **API access**: REST API for programmatic document creation and signing
- **Self-hosting**: Full data control via Docker or manual deployment

## FAQ

**Q: Are Documenso signatures legally binding?**
A: Yes. Documenso uses PAdES-compliant digital signatures, which are legally binding in most jurisdictions (including the EU's eIDAS and the US ESIGN Act).

**Q: How does it compare to DocuSign?**
A: Documenso offers the core signing features (PDF signing, templates, API) without per-signature pricing. You can self-host for complete data control.

## Source & Thanks

- GitHub: [documenso/documenso](https://github.com/documenso/documenso) — 12.6K+ ⭐ | AGPL-3.0
- Website: [documenso.com](https://documenso.com)

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/documenso-open-source-document-signing-platform-f8e25455
Author: AI Open Source