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Help531
Known Participant
June 29, 2021
Question

Adobe Sign Send with Attachments/Supporting Documents Options?

  • June 29, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 35964 views

I posted this under the Adobe Sign forum but have not received any replies from Adobe in weeks, so trying here as well.

 

Hello, I have searched around looking for an answer to this issue and have in fact tried a few options on my own but am finding I need an official answer from Adobe.

 

We have been trying to migrate to using Sign in our now-remote environement and it has been helpful in many ways....except when it comes to contracts. When a contract is being reviewed, there are often many supporting documents that are required...Excel files, other PDFs, Word documents, jpegs, and so on.

 

I have tried text tags with prefill options and I have tried the 'add files' option when setting up for signature, but all that does is convert the files to PDFs and add them to the contract document to be signed. I find it hard to believe that Adobe would offer up Sign, a system with workflow for signatures for major contracts, but not offer something within that system for handling supporting documents. It has been very 'wonky' to have to create hundreds of new folders, send separate emails, etc, and then tell people that the actual signing piece will be done in Sign.

 

So I am asking if there is an option for handling supporting documents WITHIN Sign itself...folders, attachments, etc? First step would be being able to send files with Attachments. We already know that Adobe does this...but Sign converts the document to a Sign document and removes the attachments. So we are looking for another way to send in Sign with the attachments.

 

Text tags also have limits, so doing that option does not work for things like Excel files. We have seen posts mentioning this ability in the Enterprise versions, but then others say it is not the case there either. We do have a business account.

 

Next step would be true workflow, which would allow for supporting documents, not just the signature workflow.

 

Hoping someone can give us a 'hopeful' definitive answer.

    4 replies

    jamesjhone7
    jamesjhone7
    Participant
    February 8, 2026

    You’re not alone this is a common pain point with Adobe Sign. As far as I’ve seen, it still treats everything as part of the signing document rather than true attachments, even on business plans, which makes contract workflows messy. Until Adobe improves this, teams end up relying on external storage or parallel emails—frustrating, especially for complex setups. Definitely one of those process gaps that feels more annoying than it should be, R789-level annoying.

    H
    Help531Author
    Known Participant
    February 10, 2026

    Thanks, yes, that is unfortunate.  Adobe should be addressing this issue if they really are trying to push Sign as being the way to handle signing documents.  

    H
    Help531Author
    Known Participant
    February 6, 2026

    Following up on this….@Adobe, any changes at all...even when we attach a file within the PDF and save it, when we send it in Sign, all attachments are removed.  This is a major issue when trying to send, say, a contract with supporting documents.  It has forced our entire organization to move away from using Sign for business purposes.  

    ls_rbls
    Community Expert
    ls_rblsCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 29, 2021

    ++ Adding to the guidance MeenakshiNegi,

     

     

    You may need to finalize all the signing process first, before adding additional file documents to the contract(s).

     

    In the Adobe Sign User Guide, see the section Field types  

     

    Then scroll down to the "File Attachment" and "Hyperlink sections.

     

    These two workflows are available to do what you're asking.

     

    However, note in the "File attachment" Notes that it specifically disclaims:

     

    •   Attachments are limited to 25 pages and 5 MB.

     

    • Supported formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, PDF, DOC, DOCX, WP, TXT, RTF, HTM, or HTML

     

    And before that see this part : 

     

    •  "The uploaded documents are included as part of the signed document and are attached at the end of the signed agreement after the signature process is complete."

     

     

    H
    Help531Author
    Known Participant
    June 30, 2021

    Thanks so much, this is exactly our problem...we can do the options you noted but this is not true attachments.  This is converting everything to PDF pages, then adding them to the documents.  What we need are true attachments, or a way to share the supporting documents within Sign itself.  Even the option to create a folder within Sign, attached to each agreement, where the user could upload any supporting docs/reference materials for the signes to review.

     

    We have purchasing managers receiving hundreds of Sign requests each day.  Sign works great for the actual sighning process, but we are finding that we cannot use it because of all the requried extra emailing about each item to be signed.  there should be an option to put everything having to do wtih each Sign request in a folder within Sign, connected to their relative documents.  So when a user opens Sign, they can click 'supporitng documents' and then see all the files related to that contract.  Often this will be a spreadsheet, or presentation, or copies of emails, and so on.

     

    Is there a way for us to request this as a feature for Adobe?  They already offer the document cloud, but it is not linked to Sign at all.

     

    Thanks!

      ls_rbls
      Community Expert
      ls_rblsCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 2, 2021

      Okay, so I have just kept plugging away at this and I found the problem.  There is something wrong with the Sign code for the hyperlink box.  I was able to get it to actually keep the hyperlink, but it is really inconsistent/problematic.  Attached is a sample error that it gives me when I paste in the link to the cloud folder.  I tried this both via the link generator and by copying the web address right from the browser.

       

      You can see that it says that it does not have the https prefix...which is wrong of course.  I then tried to copy and paste ONLY the address AFTER the https, thereby leaving in the auto-generated default https prefix.  Still get that error.  Even that error was inconsistent...I could close out of Sign, go back in, and then copy/paste again and would NOT get that error!  However, when that happened, the link would not save...would go blank again.  Augh.

       

      Okay, so then I tried something simple...just added in www.google.com, typing it manually after the default https prefix.  THEN it saved the link!  So then I re-opened it and then pasted the folder link again...NOW it saves the link!  It seems that the field settings box will not accept pasted data, at least not without first typing something in manually. 

       

      I was able to replicated this multiple times, on two different machines.  I then asked another user to try this and they had the same thing happen.  There is something wrong with this box that needs to be addressed;  it took me a long time to get this figured out, I cannot hope to roll it out to non-technical users with its inconsistencies. 

       

      I would be happy to do a remote session directly with someone at Adobe to demonstrate these conditions...how can I get Adobe to look at this specific issue?

       

      Thank you!

       


      ++ Edited reply, added additional comments.

       

      Stand by.

       

      I've been looking into everything you've posted.

       

      It may take me a few more days before I reply back with something substantial .

       

      In the meanwhile, I strongly recommend to review this old thread for additional insights:

       

       

      There's been version updates of Acrobat in the past that have addressed issues with URI producing programs and Unicode character mappings.

       

      The link above has links to other threads that discuss the same issue with the weblink creation tool.

       

      Just like the first paragraph states in the lyrics of the  "White Rabbit" song by Jefferson Airplane:

       

      • "One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small...
        And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all...
        Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall"

       

      Don't fall down the rabbit hole too hard.

       

      Take a break and enjoy some time off with family or friends.   🙄

       

      In the meanwhile, I also strongly recommend to contact Adobe Sign support: 

       

      855-912-7778

       

      Or from the resources below:

       

       

       

       

      Meenakshi_Negi
      Meenakshi_Negi
      Legend
      June 29, 2021

      Hello,

       

      Thank you for reaching out.

       

      In Adobe Sign, there is an option to add the attachment field in the document. When adding fields in a document via Adobe Sign, under "More fields" select File attachment. If you wish to add the attachments yourself in the document, assign the field as Prefill. 

       

      The option to add an attachment field is available in the Adobe Sign small business, business, and enterprise plans.

      We have checked that you are using the Adobe Sign enterprise plan.

       

      Let us know if you are referring to something else or have any questions.

       

      Thanks,

      Meenakshi

       

      H
      Help531Author
      Known Participant
      June 30, 2021

      Thank you Meenakshi, but what you referring to has the same limitations I noted before.  It does not allow for adding something like an Excel file or anything over 5mb in size.  The user also does not know that until presented with the errors as you move through sign.  Additionally, if you want to do prefill, you have to add an individual field for each attachment. 

       

      In a normal PDF, you do not have these limitations, and can attach many items to the PDF. 

      Our whole issue is around supporting documents for agreements.  If Sign offered the ability to add true attachments, or a place to put such documents (such as a folder assigned to each document) that the users could access via the share function, that would be a huge help.

       

      We do not understand why Adobe would create Sign, give it workflow, tell people it is great for getting contracts/POs/and documents signed, but then not offer up any way to include supporting documents.  In fact, with Sign, they took away an already-existing option to add PDFs as attachments.  Having to jump back and forth between systems, email about supporting documents/reference materials outside of Sign is really a clunky and  inefficient system. 

       

      Is there a way for us to submit this as a feature request?

       

      Thank you again!

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