Automating Bulk Sales Proposals with Excel, SignatureAPI, and Microsoft Power Automate

Send bulk sales proposals for signature using data from Excel spreadsheets with SignatureAPI and Power Automate.

Overview

This tutorial shows you how to automate your sales proposal process by sending, signing, and storing proposals in bulk. By integrating Microsoft Excel (for storing proposal data), OneDrive (for storing proposal templates), and SignatureAPI (for the approval-and-signature workflow), you can eliminate manual errors and delays when sending out proposals.

What You’ll Learn

• How to trigger a flow manually and pull data from an Excel file.
• How to retrieve and pre-fill a DOCX proposal template from OneDrive.
• How to create and send signature envelopes using SignatureAPI.
• How to monitor the signing process and retrieve signed documents.
• How to save signed proposals and notify the sales team automatically.

The Problem

Sales teams often struggle with manually handling proposals, causing delays and inconsistencies. Common issues include:

• Slow processing caused by repetitive manual tasks.
• Errors from manual data entry across multiple proposals.
• Tracking difficulty when monitoring signing status for many clients at once.

How Automation Helps

Automation simplifies this process by:

• Automatically sending proposals to all clients listed in the spreadsheet.
• Using templates pre-filled with each client’s proposal data.
• Tracking signature status and storing documents automatically.
• Informing the sales team instantly once proposals are signed.

Requirements

Before starting, make sure you have:

• Power Automate for building workflows.
• SignatureAPI account for electronic signatures.
• Microsoft Excel for storing proposal data.
• OneDrive for storing the proposal DOCX templates.
• Outlook for sending notifications (other email providers also work).

Flow Overview

The automation process follows these steps:

1. Trigger: Manually trigger the flow.
2. Data Retrieval: Get client proposal data from the Excel file.
3. Signature Process: Loop through each row to create an envelope via SignatureAPI, add recipient details, and attach the DOCX template.
4. Monitoring: Wait for each proposal to be signed.
5. Storage & Notification: Save the signed document in OneDrive and notify the sales team via email.

This tutorial uses two flows. The first flow creates the envelopes and sends proposals to clients.

The second flow monitors the signing process and notifies the sales team.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Follow these steps to automate your sales proposal process using Microsoft Excel, OneDrive, SignatureAPI, and Microsoft Power Automate.

Step 1: Prepare the Proposal Template

First, create or update your proposal template by adding placeholders for dynamic fields and defining where the client will sign.

To prepare your template:

1. Open your existing proposal template (DOCX format) in Microsoft Word.
2. Identify each place where proposal data should be dynamically inserted (for example, client name, contact person, email).
3. Insert placeholders using double curly brackets around descriptive keys. Examples:
   • Client name: {{client.name}}
   • Contact name: {{contact.name}}
   • Contact email: {{contact.email}}
4. Define the location for the signature by inserting a signature placeholder using double square brackets, for example: [[client_signature]]

Example placeholder usage in your document:

Dear {{client.name}}, Please review and sign your proposal below: [[client_signature]]

5. Save your template.

Important:

• Ensure placeholder keys match exactly with what you will use later in Power Automate.
• Keep your template simple and clear to avoid confusion during dynamic insertion.

Step 2: Create the Excel File

Create an Excel file to store the proposal data for all clients.

1. Open Microsoft Excel and create a new blank workbook.

   

2. Add the following columns:

   • Client Name (Text)
   • Contact Name (Text)
   • Contact Email (Text)

3. Convert your sheet into a table so that Power Automate can read the data. To do this:

   • Select all of the columns and rows.
   • In the Ribbon, switch to the Insert section and select Table.
   • You can also name your table by selecting it, clicking Table Design in the ribbon, and setting the name.

4. Save the Excel file to OneDrive.

Step 3: Set Up the Power Automate Flow

Now, create the automated workflow in Power Automate, triggered manually.

3.1 Configure the Trigger

First, set the flow trigger to run manually.

1. Go to Power Automate and select Instant Cloud Flow.

2. Name your flow, select “Manually trigger a flow”, and then click Create.

   

3.2 Retrieve Proposal Data from the Excel File

Next, retrieve the proposal data from the Excel file.

1. Add the action “List rows present in a table” from the Excel connector.

2. Select the Location of the Excel file. For OneDrive for Business, select the Document Library and then select the Excel File.

3. Select the Table Name from the Excel file.

   

3.3 Initialize a Variable

In this step, you will initialize a variable to store the proposal data.

1. Add the action “Initialize Variable” from the Variables connector.

2. Set the Name to a variable name (for example, clientsData).

3. Set Type to Array.

4. Set Value to the proposal data from the “List rows present in a table” action.

   

3.4 Get File Content

1. Add the “Get file content using path” action from the OneDrive for Business connector.

2. Select the file path to the proposal template.

   

3.5 Apply to Each Loop

Now, add the “Apply to each” action so the flow iterates through each row in the Excel table.

1. Add the “Apply each” action from the Control connector.

2. Set the Items to the proposal data from the “List rows present in a table” action using dynamic content.

   

Step 4: Set Up the Signature Process

In this step, you will configure SignatureAPI to create, send, and track the signature process for each proposal.

4.1 Create a SignatureAPI Envelope

Inside the “Apply each” loop, begin by creating an envelope to hold the proposal and manage the signature process.

1. Add the “Create an Envelope” action (SignatureAPI connector).

2. If prompted, authenticate your connection using your SignatureAPI key from the SignatureAPI Dashboard.

3. Set an Envelope Title (for example, “proposal”) and a message using dynamic content.

4. In the advanced options, select Topics and set a topic that all envelopes will share (for example, clients_proposals). This will be useful later when monitoring the signing process.

   

4.2 Add the Recipient

Next, specify who will receive and sign the proposal.

1. Add the “Add Recipient” action from the SignatureAPI connector.

2. Map Recipient Name and Recipient Email using dynamic content from the Excel data.

3. Set the Recipient Key (for example, client), matching your DOCX placeholders.

   

4.3 Attach the DOCX Proposal Template

Now, attach your proposal template to the envelope and populate it with client details.

1. Add the “Add a Template - DOCX” action.

2. Select File Content from the OneDrive action.

3. Select the Envelope ID from the “Create an Envelope” action.

4. Set the Document Title (for example, “Client Name Proposal”).

5. Ensure your DOCX template uses placeholders ({{client.name}}, etc.) and map each field to the corresponding dynamic content from your Excel data.

   

4.4 Define Signature Placement

Specify where the client should sign on the document.

1. Add the “Add a Place - Signature” action.

2. Set the Document ID using dynamic content.

3. Use the placeholder (for example, [[client_signature]]) from your DOCX template.

4. Set the Recipient Key using dynamic content.

   

4.5 Start the Signing Process

Trigger the sending of your envelope to the client for signing.

1. Add the “Start Envelope” action from the SignatureAPI connector.

2. Select the appropriate Envelope ID using dynamic content.

3. Save the flow.

   

Step 5: Monitor and Finalize the Proposal

Next, configure a second flow to wait for signing to complete, retrieve the signed proposal, and notify the sales team.

5.1 Create a New Flow to Monitor the Signing Process

Create a new “Automated cloud flow” to monitor the signing process.

1. Go to Power Automate and select Automated Cloud Flow.

2. Name your flow, then select “When a deliverable is generated” from the SignatureAPI connector.

   

3. Select the Topics item to filter the deliverables this flow will process. This should be the same topic you defined in Step 4.1 (for example, clients_proposals).

   

5.2 Retrieve the Signed Proposal

Retrieve the signed proposal from SignatureAPI.

1. Add the “Get a Deliverable” action from the SignatureAPI connector.

2. Select the correct Deliverable ID using dynamic content.

   

5.3 Save the Signed Proposal to OneDrive

Save the signed document for record-keeping.

1. Add the “Create File” action (OneDrive connector).

2. Set the folder path and filename (ending in .pdf).

3. Map File Content from the deliverable.

   

5.4 Notify the Sales Team via Email

Automatically inform the sales team that the proposal has been signed and saved.

1. Add the “Send an Email” action (Outlook connector).

2. Configure the email recipient (sales team), subject, and message.

3. Attach the signed proposal file from dynamic content.

   • Add the name of the attachment with a .pdf extension.
   • Add the signed proposal file from dynamic content.

4. Save the flow.

   

Step 6: Test Your Automation

Finally, test the entire process end-to-end.

1. Manually trigger the flow.
2. Verify:
   • Proposals are sent to all clients listed in the Excel file.
   • The signature process initiates correctly for each envelope.
3. After the signing process is completed, verify:
   • Signed proposals save successfully in OneDrive.
   • The sales team receives an email notification with the signed proposal attached.

Use the following checklist:

• Proposals sent successfully for all rows in the Excel file.
• Each client receives and signs their proposal.
• Signed proposals are stored correctly in OneDrive.
• Sales team receives email notifications with attachments.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Common Issues

• API Key Errors: Ensure your SignatureAPI key is correct and authenticated.
• Dynamic Content Mapping: Double-check that placeholder names in your DOCX file match exactly with the dynamic content mappings in Power Automate.
• File Access Issues: Verify permissions and file paths in OneDrive.
• Excel Table Not Found: Make sure you converted the Excel sheet into a named table (see Step 2). Power Automate requires a table to list rows.
• Loop Not Iterating: If the “Apply to each” loop runs only once or not at all, confirm the “List rows present in a table” action returns the expected rows. Check that the correct table name is selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What if proposals are not sent for some rows? Check the flow run history in Power Automate to identify which iteration failed. Common causes include missing or invalid email addresses in the Excel file.

• Can I add more columns to the Excel file? Yes. You can add columns (for example, company address or proposal amount) and map them to additional placeholders in your DOCX template.

• How many rows can the Excel file have? Power Automate handles hundreds of rows, but very large files may cause timeout issues. If you have more than 500 rows, consider splitting them across multiple files or runs.

• How do I update the proposal template without breaking the flow? Keep the same placeholder names in the updated DOCX template. As long as the placeholders match the dynamic content mappings in Power Automate, the flow will continue to work.

• Can I schedule this flow instead of triggering it manually? Yes. Replace the manual trigger with a Recurrence trigger to run the flow on a schedule (for example, daily or weekly).

Best Practices & Security

• Always securely manage API keys.
• Regularly check flow runs in Power Automate for any errors.
• Document any flow or template changes for future reference.

Additional Resources

• SignatureAPI Documentation
• Microsoft OneDrive Documentation
• Microsoft Excel Documentation
• Power Automate Community

Conclusion

By completing this tutorial, you have successfully automated the process of sending, signing, and managing bulk sales proposals from an Excel spreadsheet. This workflow frees your sales team from repetitive tasks and ensures every client receives a consistent, professional proposal experience.

Happy Automating!