What is a public template and how is it different?
Understand what a public template does and how it differs from a normal template.
A public template is a reusable envelope blueprint — documents, signer roles, and default email messaging — that you expose through a public link. When someone opens that link, fills in the signer details, and submits, BunnyDoc automatically creates and sends a signing request. The visitor never needs an account.
How it differs from a normal template
A normal template is used internally — you (or a teammate) pick it to start an envelope. A public template is meant to be handed out to people outside your company. That difference brings a few extra capabilities:
- A public visitor link. Every public template has a shareable link (backed by a token) that you can retrieve and rotate. This is what visitors open.
- An Active / Inactive status. You can switch a public template off without deleting it, which stops the link from accepting new submissions.
- An email subject. Public template setup lets you save the email subject as well as the message. (Normal templates only have a default message, no subject field.)
- Lockable signer roles. You can prefill and lock individual signer roles so a visitor cannot change them — useful when one signer is always you or a fixed counterparty.
Both kinds of template share the same building blocks — documents, signer roles, and field layouts. A public template simply adds the link, status, subject, and role-locking on top.
When to use which
Reach for a public template when you want people to start the document themselves from a link you share. Use a normal template when your own team starts each envelope from inside the app.