Who this guide is for: Administrators (see access roles note)
Platform: Sense HR
Available on: All plans
Before you begin
Make sure you:
☑️ Have administrator permissions
☑️ Are working with a PDF document
☑️ Are ready to prepare the document for merge tags and, if needed, e-signature fields
☑️ Have access to a word processor or PDF editor so you can prepare the document and save it as a PDF before upload
🖊️ Access roles note:
On Professional, Elite, and Enterprise plans, organisations using Access Role Management can also allow manager-type (advanced) roles to add documents for the employees or groups they have access to.
Overview
Merged documents are uploaded PDFs used to create personalised employee documents. They are usually prepared in a word processor or PDF editor, then saved as PDFs before being uploaded to Sense HR.
They support:
Merge tags
E-signature fields
Employee-specific document generation
This article explains how merged documents behave in Sense HR (logic, behaviour, requirements, and limitations), what to prepare before upload, and when to use them instead of templates or standard document uploads.
For step-by-step upload instructions, see: Add a document to an employee profile
🖊️ Note:
This feature is available for personal documents only. Company documents do not support merge tags or e-signatures.
What are merge tags?
Merge tags are case-sensitive placeholders (for example, {{First name}}) that are replaced with employee data when the document is generated.
💡 To see the full list of available merge tags and copy them for your document, see:
PDF requirement
Merged documents must be uploaded as PDF files.
Other file types (Word, Excel, etc.) can be uploaded as standard documents, but:
❌ Do not support merge tags
❌ Do not support e-signatures
Prepare your PDF for upload
Before uploading a merged document, ensure:
Merge tags are correctly formatted (e.g. {{First name}})
Tags match exactly (including spaces and capitalisation)
Merge tags are placed at the end of a sentence or line
There is enough space for merged data to display correctly
Signature fields are added where required
💡 Tip:
You can copy merge tags from the document editor in templates to ensure correct formatting.
Add e-signature fields
To enable e-signatures, insert signature merge tags in your document.
Primary signatory (Signee 1)
{{Signature_1}} – signature
{{Signature_1_FullName}} – name
{{Signature_1_Date}} – date
Additional signatories
Repeat the same pattern using incremental numbering:
{{Signature_2}}, {{Signature_2_FullName}}, {{Signature_2_Date}}
{{Signature_3}}, and so on
You can include as many signatories as required.
Multiple signature placements
If the same person needs to sign in more than one place:
Repeat the same tag (for example, {{Signature_1}})
The system will apply the same signature in each location
What happens when you upload a merged document
When you upload a merged document via:
People > [Employee] > Documents > Add > Upload document > Upload merged document
The document is processed
• Merge tags are detected
• Signature fields are identified
A preview is generated
• Merge tags are prepared for replacement
• A Signature details panel appears (if signature fields exist)
You set document-level access and permissions
For each signature field:
• Select the appropriate person (employee, manager, or named individual)
• Optionally enforce signing order
You assign document level permissions
You configure permissions for:• Can view
• Can edit
• To be read
You can assign these to:
• The employee
• Their line manager
• Additional users
The document is created
• A personalised document is generated for the employee
• Merge tags are replaced with real data
To Do Tasks are triggered
• E-signature fields create signing tasks automatically
• To be read requirements To do tasks automatically
⚠️ Avoid duplicate To Do tasks
If your document includes e-signatures:
A signing task is already created
If you also enable To be read:
A second task will be created
👉 Leave To be read turned off if signatures are required
Limitations of merged documents
Merged documents:
Support basic merge tags only
Do not support advanced merge tags
Cannot be edited inside Sense HR after upload
Require PDF format
When to use merged documents vs templates
Use merged documents when:
You already have a formatted document (for example, a contract or letter)
You want to preserve exact layout and styling
You only need basic merge tags
You do not have access to document templates available on Professional, Elite, and Enterprise plans
Use templates (Settings > Documents) when:
You need advanced merge tags
You want to edit documents inside Sense HR
You want reusable, configurable document structures
You intend to assign personal documents at scale using the Doc Sender AMI agent (Elite and Enterprise plans only)
Best practice
Test your document with a sample employee before wider use
Keep layouts simple to avoid formatting issues
Ensure all merge tags are correctly formatted (case-sensitive)
Use templates if you need advanced merge tags