汉魏六朝以降，在尚书台发展为尚书省，成为宰相机构与行政中枢的过程中，尚书符作为尚书机构行用的特定下行文书，发挥着重要作用。同时，在东汉魏晋的文字史料中，“尚书敕”也常与尚书台紧密关联起来。实际上，从文书的形态上来看，尚书符与尚书敕的性质类似，都是在上奏文的处理过程中形成的副产品。尚书符的出现，或许与尚书台对皇帝诏书的封印和下发职能有关，最早是绑缚在诏书封检上的“符传”文书。
东晋以后，随着尚书台承担的政务职责日益增加，其文书处理流程也出现了显著变化。在门下介入到上奏文审核及诏书传行流程当中的情况下，传世文献中出现的尚书符颁行案例，明显反映出尚书台出现的“听命受事”的政务化倾向。与此同时，在东晋南朝的政务实践中，尚书符的下达也逐渐出现了台省下于州、州下于郡、郡下于县的层次架构，但也存在着尚书台通过行台这类派出机构，越过州府干涉郡县行政的情况。
尚书台省远离皇帝周边的决策圈，向政务机关发展，固然受到官僚与皇权斗争的因素影响，但这实际上也与尚书台的空间结构变化存在紧密联系。随着尚书台机构员额的增加，原有的台城房舍已经容纳不下尚书台的全部机构，不得不在宫中另辟空间，以阁道相连，这也从空间上导致了尚书上省和下舍之间的空间区隔，并因之推动了上省、下舍间的职能分工。刘宋皇太子监国仪注中也多少透露了上述分工在文书行政层面的呈现形式，即郎曹负责具体的奏事文书处理和政务申报，只有军国大事才需经由尚书八座集议做出决策；尚书符的颁行主体，也主要是郎曹而非台省。实际上，在整个南朝，尚书诸曹才是文书行政的核心机构，而尚书八座则通过签署文书和朝堂集议，实现对国家政务的宏观把握。

Since the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, the Shang-shu T’ai developed into the Shang-shu Sheng, and became the prime minister's office and the administrative hub. In this process, Shang-shu Fu, as a specific downward document used by the Shang-shu institution, played an important role. At the same time, in the written materials of the Eastern Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties, “Shang-shu Chi” was often closely associated with Shang-shu T’ai. In fact, in terms of document forms, Shang-shu Fu and Shang-shu Chi were similar in nature, both being by-products formed during the processing of the memorials to the throne. The emergence of Shang-shu Fu may be related to the Shang-shu T’ai’s sealing and issuance functions of the emperor’s edicts. It was originally a “Fu Chuan” document tied to the seal of the edict.
Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, as the Shang-shu T’ai’s administrative responsibilities increased, significant changes also emerged in its document processing procedures. With the Men-hsia intervening in the review of memorials to the throne and the issuance of edicts, the cases of Shang-shu Fu’s promulgation in the handed-down literature clearly reflected the trend of bureaucratization in the Shang-shu T’ai, where it became more obedient to orders and took on more administrative responsibilities. At the same time, in the administrative practices of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, the promulgation of Shang-shu Fu gradually exhibited a hierarchical structure, with the Shang-shu Sheng issuing to the states, the states to the counties, and the counties to the townships. However, there were also instances where the Shang-shu T’ai bypassed the state administrations and interfered in county and township administrations through agencies such as Wai-tai.
The remoteness of the Shang-shu Sheng from the emperor’s decision-making circle and its development towards becoming an administrative organ were influenced by the struggle between bureaucrats and imperial power. However, this was also closely linked to changes in the spatial structure of the Shang-shu T’ai. As the number of staff members in the Shang-shu T’ai increased, the original houses in Taicheng (Palace City) could no longer accommodate all its institutions, and additional space had to be created within the palace, connected by corridors. This spatial separation between the upper and lower parts of the Shang-shu T’ai led to a division of responsibilities between them. Liu Song Huang Tai Zi Jian Guo Yi Zhu also revealed, to some extent, the manifestation of this division of labor in terms of document administration. That is, the T’sao was responsible for handling specific memorial documents and reporting administrative matters, while only major military and state affairs required collective deliberations by Shang-shu Ling, P’u-yeh and Shang-shu. The main issuers of Shang-shu Fu were also the T’sao, rather than the Tai Sheng. In fact, throughout the Southern Dynasties, the various T’sao of the Shang-shu were the core institutions of document administration, while Shang-shu Ling, P’u-yeh and Shang-shu exercised macro-control over national affairs through signing documents and collective deliberations in the court.