---
title: Send a document for signature from Ruby
description: Send a document for signature from Ruby, with a program that was run against Docustay before it was put here.
---

# Send a document for signature from Ruby

No install: this uses Ruby's standard library.

Nothing to install: it uses net/http, json and securerandom from the standard library. You add the Idempotency-Key header yourself (SecureRandom.uuid), which is what makes a retry of the same request safe. The same code works in Rails, Sinatra or a plain script.

```ruby
require "net/http"
require "json"
require "securerandom"

base = URI(ENV["DOCUSTAY_URL"] || "https://app.docustay.app")
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new("/api/v1/documents/send", {
  "Authorization" => "Bearer #{ENV.fetch("DOCUSTAY_API_KEY")}",
  "Content-Type" => "application/json",
  "Idempotency-Key" => SecureRandom.uuid,
})
request.body = {
  templateId: ENV.fetch("DOCUSTAY_TEMPLATE_ID"),
  parties: [{ seat: "signer_1", name: "Pat Example", email: "pat@example.com" }],
}.to_json
response = Net::HTTP.start(base.host, base.port, use_ssl: base.scheme == "https") { |http| http.request(request) }
doc = JSON.parse(response.body)
abort "send failed (#{response.code}): #{response.body}" unless response.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
puts "#{doc["id"]} #{doc["state"]}"
```

It reads DOCUSTAY_API_KEY and DOCUSTAY_TEMPLATE_ID from the environment. Use a test key first: it sends nothing real and bills nothing.

## No gem to install

The Ruby program uses only net/http and json from the standard library, so there is nothing to add to your Gemfile. That keeps a script or a Rake task small. It reads the key and the template id from ENV and builds the request by hand: a Bearer header, a JSON body, and an Idempotency-Key made with SecureRandom.uuid.

## Reading the answer

Net::HTTP returns a response object; check that the code is a 2xx before you parse the body with JSON.parse. An error body has the same shape in every language, with a kind and a message and a request id, so you can print the message for a person and keep the id for the API log. Rate limits answer 429 with a Retry-After header worth honouring.

## In a Rails app

Wrap the call in a small service object and run it from a background job, so a slow response never holds up a web request. Store the document id on your own record; that id is all you need to ask for its state later, and the webhook payload carries the same id so you can match the event to your row.

## Questions people ask

**Does a test key send real email?**

No. A test key emails only you, stamps the document TEST and is never counted against your plan.

**Is there a Ruby gem?**

Not yet. The program on this page is the supported way, and it is only a few lines on top of net/http.

**Where do I see the result?**

In Documents in the app, and in the API log under Developers.

## Keep reading

- [Quick start](/docs/quickstart)
- [API reference](/docs/api-reference)
- [Webhooks](/docs/webhooks)
- [SDKs](/developers/sdks)
- [Test mode](/docs/test-mode)
- [Sending](/product/sending)