Scoped keys
Metadata access is a separate scope from document contents, so keys can be narrow.
Developer API
Free E-Signature API
Bond4Docs exposes a public REST API covering documents, agreements, templates, contacts, and folders, with scoped keys and a deliberate boundary around sending.
Free · No credit card · No signing limits
Short answer
Bond4Docs provides a free public REST API for document signing workflows. It covers documents, agreements, templates, contacts, and folders, and uses scoped API keys minted in the app under Settings, so a key can be limited to reading document metadata without access to file contents. Eight scopes are available: documents:read, documents:content, documents:write, documents:create, folders:read, contacts:read, contacts:write, and templates:read. There is deliberately no scope that sends a document for signature — transmitting a binding signature request always requires a person acting in the app. The API is included at no cost, like every other feature.
No send scope
Nothing in the API can transmit a signature request. That boundary is intentional.
Free, like everything else
No developer tier, no request pricing, no separate contract.
What the API covers
The endpoints map to the objects the product actually has, rather than to a separate abstraction invented for the API.
- Documents — list, read metadata, read text content, fetch the file, and preview
- Agreements — create structured agreement drafts
- Templates — list templates and read their field layouts
- Contacts — list saved contacts and create new ones
- Folders — list folders and their document counts
Scopes are the security model
The distinction that matters most is between metadata and contents. Answering "which documents are outstanding" needs only documents:read. Reading what an agreement actually says needs documents:content, which is a separate grant.
That split exists because the two carry very different risk. A key that reports signing status is far less sensitive than one that can retrieve the text of every contract in an account, and they should not be the same key.
- documents:read — document metadata, status, and signer progress
- documents:content — the text and file contents of documents
- documents:write — modify existing drafts
- documents:create — create new drafts
- folders:read — list folders and document counts
- contacts:read and contacts:write — read and add saved contacts
- templates:read — list templates and their field layouts
The boundary around sending
There is no API scope, endpoint, or tool that sends a document for signature. This is a design decision rather than an unimplemented feature.
A signature request is a binding communication to a third party. Automating its transmission means a bug, a compromised key, or a misconfigured integration can send legally significant requests to real people without anyone reviewing them. Preparing documents programmatically is genuinely useful; transmitting them is where a person should be in the loop, and Bond4Docs keeps that step in the app.
Getting a key
API keys are created in the app under Settings, where you choose which scopes the key carries. Keys can be revoked from the same place. Because account access requires two-factor authentication, minting a key requires passing that second factor.
Direct answers
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bond4Docs API free?
Yes. The REST API is included at no cost with no request pricing, developer tier, or separate contract.
Can the API send a document for signature?
No. There is deliberately no scope or endpoint that transmits a signature request. Sending requires a person acting in the app, because a signature request is a binding communication to a third party.
How do I get an API key?
Create one in the app under Settings, selecting the scopes it should carry. Keys can be revoked from the same screen.
Can a key be limited to metadata only?
Yes. documents:read covers metadata, status, and signer progress. Reading document text or files requires the separate documents:content scope.
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