Building Forms with Google Docs

You can use Google Docs to create easy to use and accessible forms that will work great in DocuSign.

Creating a great signing experience with DocuSign starts with building forms that are accessible, and make it easy to import into DocuSign. OIT has created a template that you can use to get started building forms with.

Creating your form

Download the template for Google Docs

You can save a copy of the Google Docs template by opening our template, then go to File > Save a copy. This will save a copy of the template to your Google Drive which you can customize for your team.

Editing the template

Once you have a copy of the template, update the logo, form code, form title, and instructions.

• Replace the UNLV logo with your Unit/Division/College/School/Department logo
• The form code is an abbreviation or code for your form. This is optional. OIT uses form codes with the format "OIT-[team name]-[form number]" (for example, OIT-HR-905). These codes may be easier to reference within your department. You can also use these codes to custom order your forms in numerical order, making them easier to find.
• Your form title should be something descriptive, yet concise. This uses the Header 1 format.
• Your instructions give the purpose of the form as well as general instructions. OIT uses this section to explain to form users how this form is used, where it will be routed to, and who to contact with questions.

After these basic sections, create your form with the information you want to collect. The template uses tables to help organize the information to be collected. To make your form accessible, the form should be designed to be completed from the top-left, to the bottom-right.

When you need to include radio choices (circles where you choose one option), or checkboxes (boxes to choose multiple items), design your form to place the boxes at the end of the choice (to the right). This allows screen readers to read the content of that choice, and then allow the user to select that choice.

Signatures should be at the end of the form, if appropriate. Otherwise, signatures should be placed near where that signer completes that portion of the form.

For additional reference, see the visual guide to our template.

Tagging your form for accessibility

Once your form is ready, you will need to tag it for accessibility. The most you should need to do is verify a few settings, then tag your tables properly.

1. In your Doc, go to Extensions > Grackle Docs > Launch (this extension is automatically installed for all UNLVMail users and is provided at no charge)
2. Wait for Grackle to check the document
3. Follow the check list to verify the Title of the document (which should be your form title) and language
4. Verify all images have alternative text. This will usually only be your logo, which should be tagged as the text in the logo (for example, OIT's logo is "UNLV Office of Information Technology").
5. Verify all tables have headers tagged. You will want to make sure that the form field name is tagged as a header. For example, on our template, the column containing Name and Title would be tagged as a header column.

For more information on how to use Grackle to tag your form for accessibility, see their Quick Start Guide.

Export your form

Once your form has been tagged with Grackle, it can be exported for use in DocuSign.

1. In your Doc, go to Extensions > Grackle Docs > Launch
2. Select Export to PDF
3. Select Options to open all options
4. Verify these settings:
   
   
    
   • Generate a proof, off
   • Mark as PDF/UA, on
   • Use Watermark, off
   • PDF Generator v2, off
5. Select Start

By default, Grackle will place the PDF in the same Drive location as your document. You can download or view it from the completion screen of Grackle.

Need Additional Help?

For additional assistance, please visit the DocuSign knowledge base for additional articles. You can also contact the IT Help Desk.