Split & distribute PDF turns one PDF that contains documents for many people – for example, a payroll export with one payslip per page – into separate documents for each employee. PeopleForce splits the file page by page, can automatically match every page to the right employee, and lets you send all documents (and eSignature requests) in one go.
Before you start
You need permission to manage employee documents (see Managing documents and access).
At least one document folder must exist. To match pages to employees automatically, the folder needs automatching fields set up – for example, Name or Email (see Setting up document folders and templates).
Each page becomes a separate document, so make sure every employee's document fits on one page.
Split and distribute documents
Go to Documents in the main menu and open the Company tab.
Click Add document and select Split & distribute PDF.
Select the Document folder where the documents will be stored.
Drag your PDF into the upload area or click it to browse. You can add up to 100 PDF files, 200 MB each – each file is split separately.
Turn on Automatch documents with employees. The fields used for matching (for example, Name) are shown under the toggle.
Optionally, select Request eSignature (you can also do this in the next step).
Click Split & distribute.
📌 The Automatch documents with employees toggle appears only for folders with automatching fields. If you don't see it, choose another folder or enable automatching in the folder settings. |
While PeopleForce splits the file and matches pages, you'll see the Processing PDFs window. Click Cancel if you uploaded the wrong file – nothing is sent to employees at this stage.
Each page is saved as a separate PDF named after the original file with the page number, for example, Payslips September 2026 (#1).pdf.
Review or send matched documents
When processing is finished, the Automatching documents with employees window shows how many files were matched with employees. Choose what to do next:
Send matched docs – send all matched documents to their employees right away.
Review all – check every document before sending. Matched documents are shown first, followed by the ones that need an employee assigned manually.
✏️ Doing this for the first time? Click Review all to make sure the matching works as expected, then use Send matched docs next time. |
Review each document
In review mode, you'll see each document on the left and the Assign employee(s) for the document panel on the right. For matched documents, the employee is already selected and marked as automatched.
Check the document preview and the selected employee. Use the arrows next to File: 1 of N to move between documents.
Change or add employees in the Employees field if needed.
Click Upload & review next document. The document is added to the employee's profile and the next one opens.
Pages that couldn't be matched – such as a cover or summary page – show 0 employee(s) automatched. Select the employee manually or skip the page.
You can click Send matched docs at any time during the review to send all remaining matched documents at once.
Request eSignature and add additional signers
You can request eSignatures for all documents at once, or for each document separately during the review.
For all matched documents
In the Automatching documents with employees window, select Request eSignature.
Check the Provider and Signature type.
To add more signers, select Include additional signers and choose who should sign. Click + Add signer to add more.
Click Send matched docs to send all documents for signing, or Review all to check them first – your eSignature settings are carried over to every document in review mode.
Additional signers can be:
Manager – the employee's direct manager.
Manager's manager – the manager one level higher.
Specific person – any employee you choose.
Team lead(s) – the lead of the employee's team.
3rd level manager – the manager three levels up in the hierarchy.
Person reference – a person linked to the employee's profile through a custom field.
Department's manager – the head of the employee's department.
For a single document
In review mode, select or clear Request eSignature in the right panel for the current document, choose the provider, signature type and additional signers, then click Upload & review next document.
✏️ Not sure which signature type to choose? Click What kind of signature should I use? and consult your legal team about local requirements. |
Track document status and signers
After sending, you can follow the signing progress on the Documents page. Scroll the table to the right to see the Signature type and Status columns.
The most common statuses are:
Pending – waiting for the signature.
Signed – everyone has signed.
Rejected – a signer declined to sign.
Expired – the request expired before the document was signed.
Failed to process – the provider couldn't process the request. Use Retry eSignature in the document's ⋯ menu.
The Signers column shows avatars of everyone who needs to sign. Click an avatar to see each signer's status. To filter documents waiting for signatures, use the Awaiting signature view or Add filter → eSignature status.
Continue uploading later
Need to switch to another task? Click Close in review mode and choose:
Save progress – keep the remaining documents and continue later from where you stopped.
Delete files – remove all documents that haven't been sent yet.
If you saved your progress, the Documents page shows a reminder about the unfinished upload. Click Continue to return to the review.
📌 You can have only one unfinished upload at a time. Finish or delete it before starting a new Split & distribute PDF or Upload & distribute files process. |
Skip a file
To exclude a page from distribution – for example, a cover sheet, a totals page or a page for someone who has left – click Skip this file in review mode and confirm with Skip file.
📌 Skipped pages are removed permanently and the original PDF isn't stored in PeopleForce. Keep your source file until you finish distributing the documents. |
FAQ
Can I keep a two-page document together?
No. The PDF is always split into single pages. If an employee's document has several pages, prepare separate files and use Add document → Upload & distribute files instead.
Why wasn't a page matched with an employee?
A page is matched only when all automatching fields of the folder are found in its text – for example, the employee's full name. Check that the PDF contains real text (not a scanned image) and that the data matches the employee's profile.
A document went to the wrong person. What should I do?
Delete the document on the Documents page (⋯ → Delete) and add it again for the correct employee.