How to Get Someone's Electronic Signature

TL;DR

Electronic signatures let you collect legally binding consent and approvals online. Using signNow, you can upload or create a document, add fillable fields and signature blocks, send it for signature by email or link, and track completion with an audit trail. signNow supports compliance standards like ESIGN and UETA, offers strong encryption, mobile and API access, and pricing that includes plans with bulk send and enterprise features. This guide explains practical steps, device options, security controls, and common troubleshooting for getting someone's electronic signature.

How to Get Electronic Signatures

An electronic signature is a digital way for someone to agree to a document without pen and paper, similar to tapping an OK button instead of signing with a pen. It proves intent, captures signer details, and records time and identity information. Platforms like signNow let you upload forms, place signature and data fields, and send them by email or secure link for recipients to eSign on desktop or mobile. The system stores an audit trail and encryption metadata so signed documents are verifiable and legally enforceable under ESIGN and UETA.

Legal Validity and Purpose

Electronic signatures speed approvals, reduce paper handling, and maintain legal validity when collected under ESIGN and UETA rules; they also create an auditable record for dispute resolution and regulatory compliance.

Risks and Challenges

• Incomplete signer authentication can lead to contested signatures and potential legal disputes over intent and identity.
• Poorly designed forms create errors and omissions, causing delays, rework, and manual follow-up with signers.
• Insufficient encryption or storage practices risk unauthorized access and regulatory penalties for protected data.
• Ignoring platform audit trails and metadata removes key evidence needed for later contract enforcement or compliance audits.

Who Uses Electronic Signatures

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

• Real estate brokers and property managers for leases and offers.
• Healthcare clinics for patient intake and HIPAA-compliant consent forms.
• Finance teams for invoices, loan docs, and account authorizations.

User Roles and Needs

IT Administrator

Manages account security, SSO, and integrations with systems like Salesforce and NetSuite. Ensures policies, audit logs, and encryption meet corporate and regulatory requirements while provisioning users and controlling access.

Business User

Creates templates, prepares documents, and sends signature requests. Tracks status, configures reminders, and uses bulk send for transactions. Requires simple UI for fast turnarounds and repeatable workflows.

Security and Compliance

Encryption in Transit: TLS 1.2/1.3

Encryption at Rest: AES-256 encryption

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II

Regulatory Standards: ESIGN and UETA

Healthcare Compliance: HIPAA (BAA required)

International Standards: ISO 27001 and eIDAS SES

Operational Risks

Legal Challenge: Signature invalidated

Data Breach: Unauthorized disclosure

Regulatory Penalty: Fines or sanctions

Business Delay: Contract execution stalls

Reputational Harm: Loss of trust

Operational Cost: Manual remediation

Real-World Examples

Concrete examples show how signNow supports different company sizes and needs.

Optica Ventures — COO

The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team.

• Customers sign documents without training.
• Faster customer turnaround and fewer errors.

Leading to improved client satisfaction and quicker deal closure.

Xerox — NetSuite Director

airSlate SignNow provides flexibility to get the right signatures in integrated formats.

• Integrated with NetSuite for automated document generation.
• Reduces manual entry and reconciliation time.

Resulting in faster invoice processing and tighter financial workflows.

Step-by-Step Signing

Follow these clear action steps in signNow to collect an electronic signature from another person.

• 01
  Upload Your Document: Open signNow, click Upload, select the file from your computer or cloud storage, and confirm import.
• 02
  Add Form Fields: Open the editor, drag signature, date, and text fields to the document where responses are required.
• 03
  Set Signer Details: Enter recipient name and email, assign field roles, and choose authentication requirements for the signer.
• 04
  Send for Signing: Click Send, compose the message, set reminders or expiration, and dispatch the signature request via email or link.

Sending and Signing Methods

signNow supports multiple delivery and signing options to match signer preferences and workflow requirements.

• Email Invite: Send a secure email with a signing link directly to the recipient.
• Shared Link: Generate a universal link for public signings or bulk distribution.
• In-Person Kiosk: Use kiosk mode on a tablet for on-site signatures.
• API Integration: Embed signing flows into apps using signNow APIs for automated requests.

Core eSignature Features

Key features streamline acquiring signatures: form creation, signer authentication, templates, and offline/mobile signing capability.

Templates

Create reusable templates for common forms like NDAs, offer letters, lease agreements, and consent forms to reduce repetitive setup and speed send times.

Bulk Send

Dispatch the same document to many recipients with individualized signing links and track delivery and completion across the batch for efficient mass processing.

Mobile Signing

Signers can review and eSign on Android or iOS apps or via mobile browsers with the same legal protections as desktop signatures.

Offline Mode

Download templates and use offline signing on mobile devices; signed data syncs securely when the device reconnects to the internet.

Best Practices for eSignatures

Follow established practices to ensure legally valid, efficient, and secure signature collection across teams and systems.

Use Clear Field Labels and Instructions

Label each form field with concise instructions, indicate required fields, and place signature blocks logically to prevent signer confusion and reduce incomplete returns.

Choose Appropriate Authentication Methods

Select signer authentication based on risk—email verification for low-risk documents and two-factor authentication or knowledge-based verification for higher-risk or regulated documents.

Maintain Template Libraries

Centralize approved templates to ensure consistency, reduce errors, and speed processing; update templates when legal or policy changes occur.

Preserve Audit Trails and Metadata

Retain the full audit trail, IP and timestamp data, and signer email records to support legal enforceability and internal compliance reviews.

When to Use eSignatures

Use electronic signatures for common business triggers to shorten cycles and reduce in-person contact while ensuring traceability.

01

Contract Closings

When finalizing sales or vendor agreements requiring quick execution.

02

Employee Onboarding

When collecting new hire forms and policy acknowledgements at scale.

03

Patient Intake

When gathering consent forms and HIPAA-covered documents in healthcare settings.

04

Invoice Approvals

When approving payments and authorizations to speed cash flow.

Expected Timeframes

Typical processing times vary by signer responsiveness and reminder cadence; set expectations up front when sending documents.

Immediate Acknowledgement:

Seconds to minutes for auto-signed digital approvals.

Standard Completion:

24 to 72 hours is common for emailed requests.

Bulk Send Windows:

Allow 3 to 10 business days depending on recipient pool.

Regulated Signings:

May require additional identity verification, extending timeframes.

Escalation Reminders:

Set reminders at 48 and 96 hours to prompt completion.

Advanced SignNow Features

signNow includes features for scaling signature workflows, integrating systems, and meeting compliance demands across teams.

Audit Trail

Comprehensive, tamper-evident logs capture signer IPs, timestamps, and actions to support enforceability and dispute resolution.

API Access

Full API allows embedding signing flows, automating sends, and integrating with CRMs, ERPs, and custom applications.

Kiosk Mode

Enables on-site signing from a shared tablet, ideal for in-person intake and retail workflows.

Conditional Fields

Show or hide fields based on responses to build smarter, context-aware forms for complex documents.

Bulk Send

Send identical documents to many recipients with individualized links and consolidated status reporting for mass transactions.

Advanced Authentication

Supports two-factor methods and additional verifier steps for regulated or high-value transactions.

Audit Trail Management

Manage audit trails and verification evidence in signNow to preserve legal defensibility and meet retention policies.

01

Enable Audit Logs:

Turn on audit trail capture for all envelopes and templates.

02

Record Signer Metadata:

Capture IP address, timestamp, device type, and email.

03

Export Evidence:

Download PDF with embedded audit history for storage.

04

Retain Records:

Configure retention durations per compliance needs.

05

Review Access:

Limit who can view or export sensitive audit data.

06

Use BAA When Needed:

Enable BAA for HIPAA-covered workflows.

Common Questions and Fixes

Troubleshooting covers signup, authentication, document delivery, and compliance checks for signNow users.

• Cannot Send or Upload Documents
  Check file type and size limits, ensure browser is updated, and confirm your account plan permits uploads; if using Site License or API, verify API keys and endpoint configuration are correct.
• Signer Not Receiving Email
  Verify recipient email accuracy and spam folder; ask recipients to allow mail from signnow domains and consider sending a shared signing link as an alternative delivery method.
• Authentication Failed for Signer
  Confirm chosen authentication method aligns with signer capabilities; for two-factor, ensure correct phone number or secondary email and resend the request if needed.
• Document Not Showing Fields
  Open the editor, check field visibility and conditional rules; if fields are hidden by logic, adjust conditional settings or recreate the template.
• Need HIPAA-Compliant Workflow
  Enable a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in your signNow account settings and restrict access to PHI using role-based permissions and audit logging.
• API Integration Errors
  Validate API credentials, check rate limits, and test calls in a staging environment; consult signNow API docs for correct endpoints and payload formats.

Signature Process Timeline

A typical signing timeline includes creation, delivery, reminders, signing, and archival; each step can be automated in signNow.

01

Document Preparation

Create or upload the file and add necessary fields before sending.

02

Recipient Assignment

Specify signer order and roles for sequential or parallel signing.

03

Initial Send

Dispatch the signing request via email or public link.

04

Automated Reminders

Set reminders to prompt signers at predefined intervals.

05

Signer Completion

Signer reviews and applies signature, then finalizes the document.

06

Audit Capture

signNow logs timestamps, IPs, and actions upon completion.

07

Document Delivery

Completed documents are emailed to parties and saved to account storage.

08

Archival and Retention

Store signed files according to your document retention policy.

Devices and Platform Needs

Access signNow via web browsers, native mobile apps, and APIs to fit different user and developer scenarios.

• Web Browser Support: Modern browsers
• Mobile Apps: iOS and Android
• API Access: RESTful endpoints

For best results use current browser versions, install official mobile apps for offline or kiosk scenarios, and provision API credentials with appropriate scopes and rate limits for integrations.

Workflow Settings Example

Suggested workflow configuration in signNow balances security and signer convenience for routine document exchanges.

Feature	Value
Reminder Frequency	Every 48 hours until signed
Signer Authentication Method	Email plus optional 2FA
Expiration Policy	Expire after 30 days
Retention Period	Retain for seven years
Bulk Send Configuration	Individualized links per recipient

Feature Comparison Snapshot

Quick comparison of common capabilities across three major eSignature providers to help select an appropriate solution.

Feature / Vendor	signNow (Recommended)	DocuSign	Adobe Sign
Bulk Send
API Access	full api	full api	full api
HIPAA Support	yes, baa	varied	varied
Envelope Cap	no cap	100 envelopes/year	varies by plan

Pricing and Feature Comparison

Data as of May 2026. Pricing reflects annual-billing starting rates and key feature availability across vendors for baseline comparison.

	signNow	DocuSign ($8 ser/mo)	Adobe Sign ($13/user/mo)	PandaDoc ($19/user/mo)	HelloSign ($15/user/mo)
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$8/user/mo	$13/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Trial avail.	Trial avail.	Trial avail.	Trial avail.
Bulk Send	Available on Premium	Add-on or plans	Add-on or plans	Yes, paid plans	Yes, paid plans
Audit Trail	Yes, full audit trails	Yes, full trails	Yes, full trails	Yes, full trails	Yes, full trails
HIPAA Compliant	Yes, BAA required	Varied by plan	Varied by plan	Varied by plan	Varied by plan
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan