To sign documents online, upload the file to an e-signature service, place a signature field for each signer, then sign it yourself or send it by email. Each signer types, draws or uploads a signature. When everyone's signed, download the finished copy and keep it with the signing record, because that's your proof of the agreement.
Here's the mistake that catches people out. Someone needs a contract signed, so they paste a picture of their signature into a PDF, email it over, and call it done. It looks signed. But there's no record of who opened it, when they signed or whether anything changed afterwards, and if the agreement is ever questioned, a pasted image doesn't prove much.
Signing online the right way takes about the same effort. The difference is that a signing service builds the record for you as you go. So let's walk through what to do, which services handle each part, and the legal point that decides whether a plain e-signature is enough for your document.
Seven moves from upload to a signed copy you can rely on
- Work out what kind of document you're dealing with and who has to sign. A simple sales agreement isn't the same job as a document that needs a notary or a specific identity check, and that decides how strong the signature needs to be. Docusign and BoldSign are the two services here that talk most about legal strength and identity.
- Upload the PDF or Word file. Every service in this guide does this. The upload turns your file into a signing session and starts the record.
- Add each signer and place their fields. Drop signature, date, text and checkbox fields exactly where each person needs to fill them in, so nobody can sign without completing what you need.
- Create your own signature once. With airSlate SignNow you type it, draw it or upload an image of it, then sign your own copy. You'll only need to do this once per account.
- Send it by email and switch on automatic reminders. Chasing signers by hand is where most of the delay comes from, so let the service nudge anyone who hasn't signed.
- Add an identity check if the document matters. BoldSign can verify a signer with ID and a selfie before they sign, which strengthens your proof of who signed.
- Download the completed copy and store it with the signing record. The finished file and its record are your evidence if anyone disputes the agreement later.
If you're only signing something sent to you, you'll skip steps three and five. If you're the one sending, every step applies, and step seven is the one people forget.
Five e-signature services and where each one earns its place
Docusign
It sends, signs and tracks agreements, with reusable templates, reminder and expiration settings and role-based admin controls. What stands out is that it publishes a legality guide for each country with a summary of the local law, which is a handy starting point before you rely on a signature abroad.
airSlate SignNow
You can sign your own document or send one to several recipients, and you create your signature by typing, drawing or uploading an image. Its reminder and notification bots chase unsigned documents so you don't have to.
BoldSign
This one lets you send, track and embed signing workflows, save contracts as templates and send to many recipients from a CSV file. It can verify signers with ID and a selfie before they sign, and it states its signatures are enforceable under the ESIGN Act and eIDAS. Its page mentions support for free plan users, but plan details aren't spelt out.
Signaturely
Upload a document and get it signed, with signature, date, textbox and checkbox fields. It pairs a library of contract templates with automatic reminders for anything left unsigned, which suits someone who sends the same few agreements again and again.
Documenso
An open-source option: you build signing workflows, create templates and connect through an API, and the company shares its code. It positions itself as an open-source alternative to the big names, with the API working as a signing backend. Its page offers a free plan, as of Nov 2026.
If you'd like a wider field to compare, there's a longer roundup of the e-signature tools worth shortlisting, and a separate list of free electronic signature apps if you only sign now and then.
Whether an e-signature counts depends on your country and the document
This is the part most guides skip. An online signature is only valid where the law of that country, and for that type of document, allows it. Requirements vary, so treat what follows as a map of where to look, not legal advice.
In the United States there are two layers. Docusign's eSignature legality guide for the US explains that the federal ESIGN Act sits alongside state versions of UETA, adopted by 49 states, DC and the territories, with New York using a similar law of its own. Those laws cover electronic signatures on a transaction, not every kind of document.
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In the EU, the European Commission's eIDAS Regulation page describes 'qualified' trust services that are recognised in every member state and carry the same legal status as their paper equivalents. That means a basic signature tool may not be enough where a qualified signature is expected.
So before you rely on a plain e-signature for anything important, check the rules for your country and your document type with the relevant regulator or official guidance. If it turns out a notary is needed, our guide to online notary services covers that route.
My advice before you send your next contract
Stop pasting signature images into PDFs. Pick any signing service that keeps a record, switch on reminders, and save the completed copy every single time. Then, for anything with real stakes, check what your country and document type require before you press send. The tool matters far less than the record it leaves behind and whether the law where you are accepts it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an online signature legally binding?
Often yes, but it depends on the country and the document type. The US has the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws, and the EU has the eIDAS Regulation with qualified trust services. Requirements vary, so check the rules for your case with the regulator.
How do I create an electronic signature?
Most services let you type it, draw it or upload an image of it, then save it for reuse on your account.
Can I sign a PDF without printing it?
Yes. Upload the PDF to a signing service, add a signature field and sign it online, then download the signed copy.
How do I get someone else to sign?
Add them as a signer, place their fields on the document and send it by email. Most signing services can send reminders for you.
Is there a free or open-source way to sign documents?
Documenso describes itself as open source and, as of Nov 2026, its page offers a free plan.
