Q: Create and Send envelope with template with REST API - docusignapi

Question

I am trying to add the new witness functionality to my API call. Heres the json that I am sending now:
POST https://demo.docusign.net/restapi/v2/accounts/[my id]/envelopes
{
"emailSubject":"test",
"status":"sent",
"templateId":"[Valid template id]",
"templateRoles":[
{
"roleName":"sign1",
"email":"valid#email.com",
"name":"John",
"recipientId":"1",
"routingOrder":"1",
"tabs":{}
},
{
"roleName":"Witness for sign1",
"witnessFor":"sign1",
"witnessForGuid":"1",
"recipientId":"2",
"routingOrder":"2",
"recipientType":"witness"
}
]
}
I have configured the template in DocuSign and verified the functionality by sending an envelope via the DocuSign website. However, the envelopes created from my API call does not trigger the witness functionality. I am not sure what I am missing, and I really appreciate any help/feedbacks.
Cheers

Answer 1

Here is a successful Envelopes::create call that includes the witness recipient type:
"recipients": {
"witnesses": [
{
"name": "Witness Name",
"email": "witness#example.com",
"recipientId": "2",
"witnessFor": "1"
}
],
"signers": [
{
"email": "someone#example.com",
"name": "Signer name",
"recipientId": "1",
"clientUserId": "1000",
"tabs": {
"signHereTabs": [
{
"anchorString": "/sig1/",
"anchorXOffset": "20",
"anchorUnits": "pixels"
}
]
}
}
]
},
Suggested changes in your templateRoles attributes:
(Not tested)
I'm assuming that you have a witness role set in the template.
If you don't, then I think you'll need to add the additional witness recipient to the envelope via composite templates.
You can also try your idea of including "recipientType":"witness"
At the API level, the witness is a distinct recipient for the envelope. It could also the case that the DocuSign web tool creates a hidden recipient (and recipient role) for the witness. To determine if this is the case, use API logging to see what the DocuSign web tool is actually doing.
"templateRoles":[
{
"roleName":"sign1",
"email":"valid#email.com",
"name":"John",
"recipientId":"1",
"routingOrder":"1",
"tabs":{}
},
{
"roleName":"Witness for sign1",
"witnessFor":"1",
OMIT THIS: "witnessForGuid":"1",
"recipientId":"2",
OMIT THIS: "routingOrder":"2",
OMIT THIS: "recipientType":"witness"
}
]
Note
Older developer sandbox accounts don't include the witness feature. If you receive the error message of not having the witness feature, contact go-live --at-- docusign.com to have the feature added to your developer account.

Answer 2

Turns out to be a bug in DocuSign, I had to split the creation step into 2.
1st POST /envelopes:
{
"emailSubject":"Template Action Test",
"status":"created",
"templateId":"866fcb03-1342-4678-9dc3-107772c59e89",
"templateRoles":[
{"roleName":"sign1","email":"email#test.com","name":"JK","tabs":{}}
]
}
2nd PUT /envelopes/envelope-id:
{
"status":"sent"
}