How to Obtain Digital Signature with signNow

TL;DR

To obtain a digital signature in the United States, use an eSignature workflow: prepare a fillable document, add required fields, choose signer authentication, and send the file to recipients for eSign. signNow supports compliant eSignatures (ESIGN, UETA), secure storage, audit trails, and integrations to automate signing, bulk sending, and retention across devices.

What obtaining a digital signature means

Obtaining a digital signature means collecting an electronically created and recorded signature that legally represents a person’s intent to sign a document. Imagine handing someone a pen on a tablet instead of paper; the platform captures identity, time, and agreement. On signNow, the process uses eSign fields, verification options, and an audit trail, making signatures legally valid under ESIGN and UETA while keeping records for compliance and future verification.

Legal and operational reasons

Use signNow when closing remote sales contracts or collecting employee onboarding signatures at scale. Electronic signatures reduce turnaround time, improve recordkeeping, and support legal enforceability under the ESIGN Act and UETA while integrating with existing business systems for efficiency and compliance.

Challenges when obtaining digital signatures

• Ensuring signer identity without intrusive steps can delay completion and frustrate users.
• Selecting authentication methods that balance security and convenience requires policy alignment.
• Preparing documents with correct fields and conditional logic is error-prone without templates.
• Tracking multi-party signing order and chasing incomplete signers increases administrative overhead.

Organizations and document types that use eSignatures

Companies across real estate, healthcare, finance, legal, and education rely on eSignatures to move paperwork online quickly and securely.

• Real estate agents and property managers who need lease and rental signatures remotely.
• Healthcare clinics and providers collecting HIPAA-protected patient consent and intake forms.
• Finance and legal teams handling contracts, tax forms, and approvals without paper.

Small businesses, enterprises, and government offices use eSignatures to reduce delays, maintain audit trails, and centralize signed document storage for compliance and retrieval.

Typical user roles

IT Administrator

An IT Administrator configures SSO, API access, and security settings for the eSignature platform. They set authentication policies, monitor logs, and ensure compliance reports are available for audits while coordinating integrations with enterprise systems like Salesforce or NetSuite.

HR Manager

An HR Manager prepares onboarding packets, creates reusable templates, and sends bulk signature requests. They track completion status, enforce required fields, and store signed documents in a secure, auditable repository for personnel compliance and record retention.

Security and compliance features

Encryption standards: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit, AES-256 at rest

Audit and logging: Comprehensive timestamped audit trails

Regulatory certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 certified

Health data protection: HIPAA compliant with BAA required

FDA record compliance: 21 CFR Part 11 support available

Accessibility and privacy: WCAG 2.0 AA, GDPR, CCPA compliant

Risks of improper eSignature handling

Legal challenge: Signatures may be unenforceable

Privacy breach: Exposes sensitive data

Regulatory fines: Penalties for HIPAA/CCPA violations

Contract disputes: Challenges around signer intent

Operational delays: Lost revenue from slow signing

Reputational harm: Erodes stakeholder trust

Real-world examples

These customer snapshots show how organizations obtain digital signatures and manage workflows with signNow across industries.

Optica Ventures (COO Brian Fitzgibbons)

Optica used signNow to move investor documents online and simplify client signing

• Intuitive interface and quick setup
• Faster investor turnaround and fewer manual errors

Resulting in improved customer experience and faster deal processing.

Xerox (Kodi-Marie Evans, Director)

Xerox integrated signNow with NetSuite to automate approvals and signature collection

• API-driven workflows and template automation
• Reduced manual entry and faster invoice processing

Leading to more accurate records and quicker revenue recognition.

Step-by-step eSignature process

Follow these clear steps to prepare, send, and complete a digital signature request using signNow on a typical document.

• 01
  Upload Document: Open signNow and import a PDF or Word file from your device or cloud storage.
• 02
  Add Fields: Drag signature, date, and text fields onto the document where signers must respond.
• 03
  Set Authentication: Choose email, access code, or two-factor authentication for each signer as needed.
• 04
  Send for Signing: Enter signer emails, set signing order, and send the request with an optional message.

How sending and signing works

A typical signNow workflow moves a document from preparation to final storage with clear actions for senders and signers at each stage.

• Prepare: Create a template, add fields, and configure signer roles before sending.
• Authenticate: Select email, SMS code, or knowledge-based checks based on sensitivity.
• Sign: Recipients open the link, complete required fields, and apply their eSignature.
• Store: Signed documents are stored with an immutable audit trail for retrieval.

Core capabilities for obtaining signatures

Key signNow features simplify obtaining digital signatures: field placement, reusable templates, authentication options, and integration points for automation and storage.

Fillable Fields

Place signature, initial, date, and data fields that enforce required inputs and reduce form errors during signing.

Reusable Templates

Save completed document layouts as templates for repeated use, allowing fast bulk sends and consistent data capture across teams.

Authentication Options

Use email codes, SMS, access codes, or advanced signer authentication to verify identity to the level required by your policy.

Integrations

Connect to CRMs, ERPs, and cloud storage to auto-populate documents and archive signed files automatically for compliance.

Best practices for obtaining signatures

Follow these operational and security practices to ensure valid, fast, and auditable digital signature collection across teams.

Use templates and conditional fields consistently

Create verified templates for common documents that include conditional logic to hide irrelevant fields and reduce signer confusion while ensuring required fields are always present.

Choose signer authentication appropriate to risk

For routine agreements email verification may suffice; for high-value or regulated documents require multi-factor authentication or stricter methods aligned with internal policy.

Maintain clear signer instructions and order

Include concise instructions in the signing email, set sequential order where needed, and provide a point of contact to reduce delays and incomplete signings.

Retain audit trails and enforce retention policies

Store signed records with full audit logs and enforce retention schedules to meet legal, financial, and regulatory requirements across departments.

Devices, browsers, and API access

signNow is accessible via modern web browsers, native mobile apps, and a REST API for automations and integrations.

• Web browser support: Chrome, Edge, Safari
• Mobile apps: iOS and Android
• API access: REST API and SDKs

Use the web app for full document editing, mobile apps for on-the-go signing and offline access, and API connections for embedding eSignature workflows into enterprise systems and automation pipelines.

Pricing and feature comparison (data current as of 2026)

This table summarizes starting price, trials, bulk send availability, audit trails, HIPAA support, and envelope caps across common eSignature providers.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$8/user/mo	$13/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Free trial available	Free trial available	Free trial available	Free trial available
Bulk Send	Yes, Business Premium	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Yes, select plans	Varies by plan
Audit Trail	Full audit trail included	Full audit trail	Full audit trail	Full audit trail	Full audit trail
HIPAA Compliant	Yes, BAA required	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor

Typical workflow settings for signing

Suggested default settings to configure a repeatable signing workflow that balances security, reminders, and retention across teams.

Setting Name	Configuration
Reminder Frequency and Follow-up Timing	Default reminder every 48 hours until complete
Signer Authentication Method and Options	Email and optional SMS code two-factor authentication
Signature Execution Order (sequential/parallel)	Sequential by default, parallel where appropriate
Storage Location and Retention Controls	Encrypted cloud storage with access controls
Document Retention and Legal Hold Settings	Seven year retention with legal hold support

Common issues and solutions

Frequently encountered problems when obtaining digital signatures and clear steps to resolve them using signNow tools and settings.

• Unable to open signing link
  Confirm the recipient used the latest email link and that the link has not expired. If issues persist, ask the signer to try a modern browser or the signNow mobile app and verify their network allows TLS traffic.
• Signer cannot complete required fields
  Check that required fields are correctly assigned to the signer role and not hidden by conditional logic. Re-send the document or create a fresh copy to ensure fields are visible.
• Authentication code not received
  If SMS or email codes fail, verify the phone number or email address for typos, check spam folders, and ensure carrier or corporate filters are not blocking messages.
• Audit trail or signed copy missing
  Confirm the document reached final signed status; check signNow audit logs for timestamps and download the final PDF. If missing, contact the account admin to review retention and archival settings.
• Integration sync errors
  When CRM or storage integrations fail, review API keys and permissions, check recent schema changes, and retry synchronization. Use signNow API logs to identify errors and reprocess affected records.
• Mobile offline signing problems
  Ensure the mobile app is updated, the signer has enabled offline mode, and the device has sufficient storage. Once back online, the app will sync signed documents and update the audit trail automatically.