How do you do a digital signature

TL;DR

signNow enables legally binding eSignatures across web, mobile, and API workflows, supporting ESIGN and UETA compliance and enterprise controls. Use signNow to upload, prepare, send for signature, track audit trails, and store signed documents securely. Plans start at $8/user/mo with a 7-day free trial and no envelope cap; integrations and security certifications support common industry workflows.

What a digital signature is

A digital signature is an electronic way to sign documents so they count like a handwritten signature. Think of it as applying your name to a form using a secure stamp that proves who signed and when, but done on a computer or phone. In formal terms, an eSignature captures signer intent, ties that intent to the document, and records authentication and timestamps. Platforms like signNow let organizations upload files, add signature fields, request signatures, and store final documents with audit trails and encryption for legal and operational use.

Legal validity and practical reasons

Electronic signatures created with compliant platforms meet ESIGN and UETA standards for enforceability in the United States. Use signNow when closing remote sales contracts or collecting employee onboarding signatures at scale. The platform also reduces paper handling, speeds approvals, and provides auditable records for legal and business review.

Common risks and pitfalls

• Unclear signer intent can lead to disputes—ensure signature fields and instructions are explicit and visible on the document.
• Using insecure email for signature requests increases exposure—use in-platform sending and encrypted links where possible.
• Missing authentication steps may weaken evidentiary value—apply email verification, access codes, or two-factor authentication as needed.
• Poor document version control causes confusion—use templates and enforce single-source documents to prevent unsigned or outdated copies.

Who typically uses digital signatures

Organizations across real estate, healthcare, finance, legal, education, and construction use eSignatures to speed approvals and reduce paper dependency.

• Real Estate teams for leases, applications, and closings.
• Healthcare providers for patient intake and HIPAA-compliant forms.
• Finance and legal departments for contracts and approvals.

User roles and personas

IT Administrator

An IT Administrator configures SSO, enforces security policies, and manages user provisioning. They validate integrations, monitor audit logs, and maintain account-wide settings to meet organizational security and compliance requirements.

Business User

A Business User prepares documents, builds templates, sends signature requests, and tracks status. They rely on simple editors and integrations with CRM or storage tools to automate repetitive document workflows and reduce manual steps.

Security and compliance highlights

Encryption in transit: TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3

Encryption at rest: AES-256 encrypted storage

Regulatory compliance: ESIGN, UETA compliant

Certifications available: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001

Healthcare protections: HIPAA compliant with BAA

Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.0 Level AA

Legal and business risks

Disputed signature: Weak evidence risk

Noncompliance penalties: Regulatory fines possible

Data breach: Confidentiality loss

Operational delays: Slower approvals

Invalid forms: Rejected submissions

Audit gaps: Failed reviews

Real-world examples with signNow

These examples show how different organizations complete and manage documents using signNow for secure eSignatures and integrations.

Optica Ventures LLC — COO Brian Fitzgibbons

Optica adopted signNow to simplify customer interactions and reduce in-person paperwork.

• The team used signNow templates and mobile signing to collect signatures quickly.
• This reduced turnaround times and improved customer convenience.

Resulting in faster closings and higher customer satisfaction due to easier signing experiences.

Xerox — Director Kodi-Marie Evans

Xerox integrated signNow with NetSuite to route documents automatically and collect required approvals.

• The integration used API-driven document generation and automated send-for-signature flows.
• This centralized signed documents and reduced manual entry and reconciliation.

Leading to improved accuracy and speed for high-volume transactional documents across teams.

Quick step-by-step signing

Follow these clear actions to upload, prepare, and send a document for an eSignature using signNow on the web or mobile app.

• 01
  Upload Document: Open signNow, choose Upload, and select a file from your computer or cloud storage.
• 02
  Add Fields: Open the document editor and drag signature, date, and text fields to the correct locations.
• 03
  Set Recipients: Enter signer emails, define signing order, and add access codes or authentication as needed.
• 04
  Send For Signing: Click Send, choose email delivery, and monitor status with the document dashboard and audit trail.

End-to-end eSignature flow

A typical electronic signing workflow includes document prep, recipient management, signature capture, verification, and secure storage.

• Prepare: Upload file, add signature and data fields, and save a template if reused.
• Authenticate: Choose email verification, access code, or advanced authentication as required.
• Sign: Recipients receive a link, review the document, and apply an eSignature in their browser or app.
• Finalize: System timestamps, generates an audit trail, and stores the signed PDF securely.

Core eSignature capabilities

Key features support common document workflows: preparing templates, sending bulk requests, protecting documents, and integrating with storage and business apps.

Templates

Create and reuse templates with predefined fields and signer roles to eliminate repeated setup and ensure consistent document structure across recurring transactions.

Bulk Send

Send the same document to many recipients at once using bulk send tooling, reducing manual sends for mass onboarding, NDAs, or notices in one action.

Document Protection

Apply access codes, signer authentication, and encryption to secure documents during transit and storage to meet regulatory requirements and internal security policies.

Integrations

Connect signNow with cloud storage and CRM systems to automate document generation, populate fields from records, and archive signed files for compliance and retrieval.

Best practices for signing workflows

Follow these operational and security practices to maximize legal value, reduce errors, and speed processing when using eSignatures.

Define clear signing order and roles

Always specify signer order and role responsibilities within the document to avoid confusion and ensure documents are signed in the intended sequence for legal effect.

Use templates for repeatable documents

Build and maintain validated templates for commonly used forms such as contracts, NDAs, and HR onboarding to reduce errors and speed document preparation.

Choose appropriate authentication

Match signer authentication to transaction risk: simple email verification for low risk and access codes or two-factor methods for higher-risk transactions.

Keep an auditable record

Retain the final signed PDF and the platform audit trail together, including IP addresses, timestamps, and authentication steps for evidentiary support.

Typical timing and deadlines

Common timelines for signature requests depend on document complexity, signer availability, and internal SLAs; set reminders and expirations to maintain momentum.

Immediate Responses:

Simple approvals completed same day

Standard Contracts:

2–7 business days typical

Large Deals:

1–3 weeks with multiple parties

Regulatory Filings:

Adhere to statutory deadlines

Internal SLA:

48–72 hours recommended

Advanced capabilities and controls

For more complex use cases, platforms offer authentication options, API access, conditional logic, payments, and enterprise governance features.

Advanced Auth

Support for two-factor authentication, phone verification, and configurable access codes to strengthen signer identity assurance for high-value transactions.

API Access

Programmatic document creation, sending, and status checks through REST APIs to embed eSignature flows into custom applications and automated processes.

Conditional Fields

Dynamic form fields that appear based on prior answers to reduce errors and collect only required information for each signer.

Payments

Built-in payment request options to collect fees, deposits, or approvals as part of the signing process for transactional documents.

Role-based Access

Granular user permissions and role definitions so administrators control who can create templates, send requests, or access final documents.

Kiosk Mode

Shared-device signing for in-person or point-of-service signing with simplified flows and local device management.

Audit trail and records process

Maintain compliance and evidentiary value by capturing and storing a complete audit trail alongside signed documents; follow these steps to manage traceability.

01

Generate Audit Log:

Enable automatic logging to capture signer actions, timestamps, and IP addresses for every signature transaction.

02

Attach Signed PDF:

Save the final signed PDF together with the audit log to ensure the document and evidence remain linked for review.

03

Archive Securely:

Store signed files in encrypted cloud storage with access controls and retention settings to meet policy requirements.

04

Export Records:

Use export tools to produce records for legal review, compliance audits, or backup purposes in standard formats.

05

Monitor Activity:

Use admin dashboards to review signer events, failed authentications, and unusual patterns for security oversight.

06

Retain Metadata:

Preserve metadata like timestamps, authentication method, and document version for future validation or dispute resolution.

FAQs and troubleshooting

Common questions about signing, delivery, authentication, and access are addressed here to troubleshoot issues encountered during electronic signing processes.

• Why didn't my recipient get the email?
  Confirm the email address for typos and check spam filters. If delivery fails, use resend function or provide a direct signing link from signNow’s document page.
• How can I increase signer identity assurance?
  Use access codes, two-factor authentication, or phone verification to strengthen signer identity and reduce the chance of unauthorized signatures.
• What if a signer rejects or alters the document?
  If a signer declines, the sender receives a status update. Prepare a corrected document, update fields as needed, and resend for signature using a new version.
• How do I download or export signed documents?
  Open the completed document in signNow, use the Download or Save to Cloud option, and save the signed PDF plus audit trail for records.
• Can I sign offline using mobile?
  Mobile apps offer offline signing where permitted; changes sync when the device reconnects and the completed document gets a timestamped audit entry.
• Who do I contact for compliance or BAA questions?
  Contact signNow support or your account representative to request a BAA and discuss HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, and other compliance documentation.

Timelines and reminders

Set clear expiration dates and automatic reminders to keep signature flows moving and to meet business or regulatory deadlines.

01

Set Expiration

Define a deadline date to expire unsigned requests automatically.

02

First Reminder

Send an automated reminder three days after initial send.

03

Second Reminder

Send a second reminder seven days after initial send.

04

Escalation Notice

Notify an internal owner if not signed before a set threshold.

05

Cancel and Resend

Cancel stale requests and resend with updated content as needed.

06

Audit Reminder

Schedule periodic reviews of completed records for retention compliance.

07

Signer Follow-up

Use personal follow-up when reminders fail to produce a response.

08

Archive Deadline

Move signed documents to long-term storage per retention policy.

Device and platform requirements

signNow works in modern browsers, native mobile apps, and via API integrations; minimal requirements ensure broad access across devices.

• Web browsers: Latest Chrome, Edge, Safari
• Mobile apps: iOS and Android supported
• API usage: REST API over HTTPS

For best results use updated browsers or apps, enable TLS, and consult admin settings for SSO, mobile provisioning, and API key management.

Typical workflow configuration

A standard signNow workflow uses template setup, recipient routing, authentication, reminders, archiving, and retention configurations for consistent processing.

Feature	Value
Template Setup	Reusable templates
Signing Order	Sequential or parallel
Authentication Method	Email, code, or 2FA
Reminder Frequency	48 hours
Retention Policy	Archive after 7 years

Feature comparison at a glance

Quick feature availability comparison between signNow, DocuSign, and Adobe Sign for common enterprise needs.

Feature	signNow (Recommended)	DocuSign	Adobe Sign
Audit Trail
Bulk Send
Advanced Auth	phone/2fa	phone/2fa	phone/2fa
Envelope Cap	no cap	100/year limit	no cap

Pricing and plan comparison (data current)

Pricing snapshot and feature highlights across signNow and selected competitors. Data reflects annual billing and platform starting tiers.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo, billed annually	$8/user/mo, billed annually	$13/user/mo, billed annually	$19/user/mo, billed annually	$15/user/mo, billed annually
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Trial available	Trial available	Trial available	Trial available
Bulk Send	Yes (Premium plan)	Yes (select plans)	Yes (select tiers)	Yes	Yes
Audit Trail	Yes, full audit trail	Yes, full audit trail	Yes, full audit trail	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes, BAA required	Yes, BAA available	Yes, BAA available	Contact sales	Contact sales
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	No envelope cap	No envelope cap	No envelope cap