diff --git a/app/controllers/api/templates_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/templates_controller.rb
index cd25da88..e32b103e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/templates_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/templates_controller.rb
@@ -85,8 +85,11 @@ module Api
       render json: @template.as_json(only: %i[id archived_at])
     end
 
+    VALID_AUDIENCE_VALUES = %w[single_sided employee_then_manager manager_then_employee simultaneous].freeze
+
     def pdf
       template = build_template
+      audience = params[:audience]
       fields_from_request = params[:fields] if params[:fields].present?
 
       template.save!
@@ -99,6 +102,8 @@ module Api
 
         template.update!(schema: schema)
 
+        apply_audience(template, audience)
+
         finalize_template_creation(template, documents)
       rescue StandardError => e
         template.destroy!
@@ -201,6 +206,17 @@ module Api
       end
     end
 
+    def apply_audience(template, audience)
+      return if audience.blank?
+
+      unless audience.in?(VALID_AUDIENCE_VALUES)
+        Rails.logger.warn("Invalid audience value '#{audience}' for template #{template.id}.")
+        return
+      end
+
+      template.update!(preferences: template.preferences.merge('submitters_order' => audience))
+    end
+
     def finalize_template_creation(template, documents)
       enqueue_template_created_webhooks(template)
       SearchEntries.enqueue_reindex(template)
@@ -252,7 +268,7 @@ module Api
           external_data_fields: {},
           submitters: [%i[name uuid is_requester invite_by_uuid optional_invite_by_uuid linked_to_uuid email]],
           fields: [[:uuid, :question_id, :submitter_uuid, :name, :type,
-                    :required, :readonly, :default_value,
+                    :required, :readonly, :default_value, :prefill,
                     :title, :description,
                     { preferences: {},
                       conditions: [%i[field_uuid value action operation]],
diff --git a/app/javascript/template_builder/field_settings.vue b/app/javascript/template_builder/field_settings.vue
index 55df8305..56fe6b98 100644
--- a/app/javascript/template_builder/field_settings.vue
+++ b/app/javascript/template_builder/field_settings.vue
@@ -595,10 +595,14 @@ export default {
   },
   methods: {
     formatPrefillFieldName (fieldName) {
-      // Convert snake_case to Title Case for display
+      const wordMap = {
+        firstname: 'First Name',
+        lastname: 'Last Name'
+      }
+
       return fieldName
         .split('_')
-        .map(word => word.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + word.slice(1))
+        .map(word => wordMap[word.toLowerCase()] || (word.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + word.slice(1)))
         .join(' ')
     },
     onChangeValidation (event) {
diff --git a/spec/requests/templates_spec.rb b/spec/requests/templates_spec.rb
index 9f4e247c..da585858 100644
--- a/spec/requests/templates_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/templates_spec.rb
@@ -150,6 +150,85 @@ describe 'Templates API' do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'POST /api/templates/pdf' do
+    let(:pdf_base64) { Base64.strict_encode64(Rails.root.join('spec/fixtures/sample-document.pdf').read) }
+    let(:base_params) do
+      {
+        name: 'Test Template',
+        documents: [{ name: 'sample-document.pdf', file: pdf_base64 }]
+      }
+    end
+
+    it 'creates a template with audience set as submitters_order' do
+      post '/api/templates/pdf',
+           headers: { 'x-auth-token': author.access_token.token },
+           params: base_params.merge(audience: 'manager_then_employee').to_json,
+           env: { 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json' }
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+
+      template = Template.last
+      expect(template.preferences['submitters_order']).to eq('manager_then_employee')
+    end
+
+    it 'creates a template with simultaneous audience' do
+      post '/api/templates/pdf',
+           headers: { 'x-auth-token': author.access_token.token },
+           params: base_params.merge(audience: 'simultaneous').to_json,
+           env: { 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json' }
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      expect(Template.last.preferences['submitters_order']).to eq('simultaneous')
+    end
+
+    it 'ignores audience when not provided' do
+      post '/api/templates/pdf',
+           headers: { 'x-auth-token': author.access_token.token },
+           params: base_params.to_json,
+           env: { 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json' }
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      expect(Template.last.preferences['submitters_order']).to eq('single_sided')
+    end
+
+    it 'ignores an invalid audience value' do
+      post '/api/templates/pdf',
+           headers: { 'x-auth-token': author.access_token.token },
+           params: base_params.merge(audience: 'invalid_value').to_json,
+           env: { 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json' }
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      expect(Template.last.preferences['submitters_order']).to eq('single_sided')
+    end
+
+    it 'stores prefill attribute on fields' do
+      employee_uuid = SecureRandom.uuid
+      fields = [
+        {
+          uuid: SecureRandom.uuid,
+          submitter_uuid: employee_uuid,
+          name: 'First Name',
+          type: 'text',
+          prefill: 'employee_first_name',
+          areas: [{ x: 0.1, y: 0.1, w: 0.2, h: 0.03, page: 0 }]
+        }
+      ]
+
+      post '/api/templates/pdf',
+           headers: { 'x-auth-token': author.access_token.token },
+           params: base_params.merge(
+             submitters: [{ name: 'Employee', uuid: employee_uuid }],
+             fields:
+           ).to_json,
+           env: { 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json' }
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+
+      stored_field = Template.last.fields.find { |f| f['name'] == 'First Name' }
+      expect(stored_field['prefill']).to eq('employee_first_name')
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'POST /api/templates/:id/clone' do
     it 'clones a template' do
       template = create(:template, account:,