How to sign a contract electronically, on any device

Someone has emailed you a PDF to sign, or you have one of your own that needs a signature. This guide walks through signing electronically from the signer's side: what to check first, what the consent step means, the three ways to make a signature, how it works on each kind of device, and what to keep afterwards so the signed document is worth having.

Before you sign: three checks

An electronic signature is as binding as a pen-and-ink one for most documents, so treat the moment with the same care.

1. Read the whole document, not just the fields. Signing tools show you the pages before any field is active. Scroll every page. If a term is unclear, ask the sender before signing; a reply in the same email thread becomes part of the record.
2. Check who sent it. The invitation email names the sender and their email address, and the signing page shows the sender's name or logo. If the request is unexpected, confirm by another route (a phone call, a message to an address you already have). Legitimate e-signature emails never ask for a password.
3. Check your own details. Your name and email are filled in from what the sender typed. If they are wrong, tell the sender before signing so the record matches reality.

Open the link

The email contains a button or link unique to you. It is a long random address that only you were sent, so do not forward it: anyone with the link can open your copy of the document. Opening it is recorded as the first event in the audit trail (time, your IP address and browser), which is normal and is part of what makes the signature attributable to you later.

If the sender set an access code, you will be asked for it before the document appears. The sender should have given you the code separately, usually by phone or text. After a few wrong attempts the page locks for a short while.

The consent box

Before your first signature you will see a checkbox along the lines of "I agree to sign this document electronically and to receive related documents by email." This is not small print to click past: it is the point where you agree to do this electronically instead of on paper, and the time you tick it is recorded. In the United States, the ESIGN Act makes this kind of affirmative consent a condition for sending consumers legally required notices electronically; in the UK and EU it is evidence of intent and agreement to the method. If you would rather sign on paper, close the page and tell the sender.

Draw, type or upload

When you tap a signature field you choose how to make your mark. All three produce a valid electronic signature; pick whichever you can repeat and recognise.

Initials fields work the same way with a smaller box. Date fields fill in automatically with the moment you sign, so you do not type them. Text fields and checkboxes are for anything else the sender needs, such as a reference number or an "I have read the policy" tick.

On a phone, tablet or computer

Phone

The document is shown page by page and fits the screen width. Pinch to zoom if a clause is small. Required fields are counted at the top ("2 of 3 fields") and a Next control jumps to the next empty one. For drawing, turn the phone sideways to get a wider pad. Finishing sends you a confirmation; the completed PDF arrives by email later, once everyone has signed.

Tablet

The best drawing experience: a stylus on a tablet produces a signature close to pen on paper. Everything else is as on a phone.

Computer

Drawing with a mouse is awkward for most people; typing is usually the better choice, or upload an image of your signature. Keyboard users can move between fields with Tab and operate every control without a mouse; the pages are designed to meet WCAG accessibility guidelines.

No app is installed in any case. The signing page runs in your browser, over HTTPS, and nothing from the document is stored on your device unless you download it.

Finishing, and what you receive

When every required field is complete, the Finish signing button becomes active. Pressing it submits your fields and signature; the event is recorded with the time, your email, IP address and browser. If other people still have to sign, the document stays open for them (in sequence, if the sender chose a signing order). When the last person finishes, the tool flattens all the fields into the PDF, appends a completion certificate page and emails every party the final file (attached when small enough, otherwise as a download link).

The certificate lists the document ID, the SHA-256 hashes of the original and final files, each recipient and every event in order. Our guide audit trails explained goes through it line by line.

What to keep

• The completed PDF, including its certificate page. Store it where you keep contracts, and keep the file as received: editing it (even re-saving from some PDF apps) changes its hash.
• The emails: the invitation and the completion notice. They show the addresses used and the dates, and they corroborate the certificate.
• The document ID from the certificate. With it, you or anyone else can check the file on the verification page years later, without an account.

You do not need to keep the signing link; it stops working once the document completes.

If something goes wrong

• The link says expired or voided. Only the sender can resend. Reply to their email.
• You disagree with the document. Use Decline and give a reason. The sender is notified immediately and the document stops; this is better than leaving it unanswered.
• Your name is wrong. Do not sign over it. Ask the sender to correct the recipient details and resend.
• You signed in the wrong place or made a scruffy signature. Before pressing finish, tap the field again to clear and redo it. After finishing, ask the sender to void and resend if it matters.
• The email never arrived. Check spam, then ask the sender to send a reminder, which re-sends the link.

Signing a PDF nobody sent you

If you have a PDF that only you need to sign, for example a form you must return, you can send it to yourself through AiresDocs: upload it, add yourself as the only signer, place a signature field and send. You sign it from the email as described above and receive the completed PDF with a certificate. This gives a form you fill in alone the same evidence as a two-party contract, which is more than drawing on the PDF in a viewer would give it. Three documents a month are free, so occasional forms cost nothing.

For the sender's side of the process, see how the field editor and sending work.

This guide explains how things work in general terms and is not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Email support@airesdocs.com and we will check it against the source.