Document workflow API integration is a way to "stitch together" your electronic document management system with your company's other software, so that documents are created, signed and moved automatically, without manually re-entering data. Let's look at why you need it, what an API gives you, and how webhooks work.
Why integrate document workflow
A standalone EDM system already saves time. But as long as an employee manually transfers data from the CRM into a contract, copies invoice numbers into the accounting system, or checks a document's status by clicking "refresh," part of the potential goes unused. Document workflow API integration removes these manual bridges.
Typical reasons to integrate:
- Automate routine. Contracts, invoices and acts are generated on their own when a relevant event occurs in another system.
- Connect CRM, ERP and accounting. Customer details, amounts and line items are pulled from a single source — with no re-typing and no errors.
- Eliminate double entry. One action in the core system, and the document is ready rather than rewritten by hand a third time.
- Speed up the cycle. From request to signed original takes minutes, not days.
What an API gives you
An API (application programming interface) is the "socket" through which your applications talk to the document workflow platform without a human in the loop. Without diving into specific technical details, here is what the API of a system like eObig typically lets you do.
Working with documents
- Create documents — programmatically, from your system's data or from a template.
- Send for signing and approval — trigger the approval route automatically.
- Sign — initiate signing by responsible people.
- Fetch — download the finished signed originals and their metadata back into your system.
Exchange with counterparties
Through the API you can not only prepare internal documents but also send them to external parties — including external signing by link, when the counterparty needs no account. Read more about the mechanism itself in our article on exchanging documents with counterparties online.
Webhooks: when the system tells you about events
An API works well when your application asks for something. But often you need the reverse: for the platform to notify you the moment something happens. That is what webhooks are for.
A webhook is an automatic notification that the system sends to your address when a certain event occurs. Instead of asking "is the document signed yet?" once a minute, your system simply waits for a signal and reacts instantly.
| Event | What a webhook can trigger |
|---|---|
| Document signed | Update the deal status in the CRM |
| Approval completed | Send the document to the counterparty |
| Counterparty signed | Post the transaction in accounting |
| Document rejected | Notify the responsible manager |
Together, the API and webhooks form a two-way connection: you manage documents programmatically and learn about changes to their state right away.
Typical integration scenarios
To make the abstraction concrete, here are a few common examples.
Automatic contracts from the CRM
A manager moves a deal to the "ready to sign" status — the integration creates a contract with the customer's data, sends it for signing, and after the signature a webhook returns the original and updates the deal card.
Invoices and acts from the accounting system
At the end of the month, the accounting software generates a batch of acts via the API, launches the approval route and sends them to counterparties — without a single manual document.
AI plus automation
The API pairs well with the capabilities of AI for document workflow: the system can prepare a draft from the deal's data, leaving a person only to review and sign.
The full list of platform tools, including the API and webhooks, is gathered on the features page.
How to start integrating
Start not with code but with the process: identify which manual step takes the most time, and automate that one first. Then arrange API access with a developer, set up webhooks for the events you need, and test the scenario on a few documents before scaling up.
Ready to connect document workflow to your systems? Request a demo and we'll show the API's capabilities on your own processes, or get started at portal.eobig.com.