How to Submit an Electronic Signature

TL;DR

Submitting an electronic signature (eSignature) lets you sign documents digitally and manage them securely. signNow supports compliant eSign workflows across web, mobile, and API integrations, providing audit trails, authentication options, and storage. This guide explains how to prepare, send, sign, troubleshoot, and maintain legally valid eSignatures in U.S. contexts.

How to submit an electronic signature

An electronic signature is a digital action that indicates a person’s intent to agree to a document, like drawing a signature, typing a name, or clicking "Sign." Think of it like signing a paper but done online: the platform captures who signed, when, and what changed. Using signNow, users upload or create a document, add fields for signatures and data, send it to recipients, and receive a tamper-evident, auditable final file that meets U.S. eSignature laws such as ESIGN and UETA.

Legal validity and core reasons

Electronic signatures executed with signNow meet ESIGN and UETA standards in the United States and include audit trails and authentication options to prove intent. signNow is also HIPAA-compliant with a BAA for health data and supports industry controls for secure, auditable acceptance.

Common obstacles to expect

• Missing signer identity verification can lead to disputes; ensure authentication matches transaction risk and document sensitivity.
• Incorrect field placement often causes rework—preview templates and test signer flows before sending production documents.
• Mobile formatting problems occur when forms are not responsive; use responsive templates and test on phones and tablets.
• Failure to store signed records securely risks compliance issues; maintain encrypted backups and clear retention policies.

Typical users and organizations

Companies and teams that need faster, auditable signatures use eSignatures to remove in-person steps and speed approvals.

• Real estate agents processing leases and purchase agreements quickly and remotely.
• HR teams collecting onboarding paperwork and benefits elections for new hires.
• Healthcare providers capturing patient consents and intake forms with HIPAA protections.

Key user roles

IT Administrator

Responsible for configuring signNow at an organizational level, setting SSO, API keys, provisioning users, and enforcing security settings to meet internal controls and compliance requirements.

Business User

Creates templates, sends signature requests, and manages routine workflows such as sales contracts or HR forms; relies on simple UI and prebuilt templates for speed.

Security and compliance summary

Encryption in transit: TLS 1.2/1.3

Encryption at rest: AES-256

Audit and reports: Detailed audit trail

Regulatory standards: ESIGN and UETA

Enterprise certifications: SOC 2 Type II

Healthcare compliance: HIPAA (BAA required)

Risks of poor eSignature use

Invalid signatures: Contract disputes

Data exposure: Privacy breaches

Regulatory fines: HIPAA or CCPA penalties

Business delays: Slower closings

Lost evidence: Weak audit trails

Noncompliance: Legal challenges

Real-world signNow examples

These short case summaries show how organizations use signNow to run eSignature workflows for different needs and systems.

Optica Ventures (COO)

The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers.

• Simple UI and mobile signing feature.
• Faster customer turnaround and fewer in-person meetings.

Resulting in improved completion rates and user satisfaction across leasing workflows.

Xerox (NetSuite Ops Director)

airSlate SignNow provides us with the flexibility needed to get the right signatures on the right documents, in the right formats, based on our integration with NetSuite.

• Native NetSuite integration and API support.
• Reduced manual exports and improved ERP data consistency.

Leading to faster revenue recognition and more reliable contract lifecycle processes.

Step-by-step: submit an eSignature

Follow these clear steps to upload, prepare, and send a document for signature using signNow’s web or mobile interface.

• 01
  Upload Document: Open signNow, click Upload, select the file from your computer or cloud storage, and confirm the import.
• 02
  Add Fields: Open the document editor, select Signature and Text fields, then drag them to required locations on the document.
• 03
  Set Recipients: Enter signer emails, assign signing order if needed, and set authentication requirements or access options for each recipient.
• 04
  Send for Signature: Review the preview, add a message, set reminders, then click Send to deliver the signing requests to recipients.

How eSignature workflows operate

This overview describes the common stages of an electronic signing workflow and the actions signNow performs at each stage.

• Prepare Document: Convert file to PDF, position fields, and save a reusable template for future use.
• Authenticate Signer: Choose email, SMS, or knowledge-based authentication depending on transaction sensitivity.
• Capture Signature: Signer applies an eSignature via click, typed name, or drawn signature on device.
• Finalize and Store: System creates an audit trail, flattens the signed file, and stores it securely for retrieval.

Primary features for submitting eSignatures

Key signNow features streamline how organizations create, send, and complete electronic signatures for common document types and workflows.

Fillable Fields

Create text, checkbox, date, and signature fields that guide signers through required inputs and ensure forms are complete before submission.

Audit Trail

Every transaction records signer identity, timestamps, and IP addresses to support legal validity and provide an immutable activity history for dispute resolution.

Bulk Send

Send the same document to many recipients simultaneously using bulk send features on qualifying plans to speed mass distributions like waivers or policies.

Mobile Signing

Signers can review and sign documents on iOS and Android apps or mobile browsers with responsive fields and offline signing capabilities for intermittent connections.

Practical best practices for eSigning

Adopt these practices to reduce errors, meet compliance, and improve signer experience when submitting electronic signatures with signNow.

Design forms for clarity and mobile responsiveness

Use concise labels, group related fields, and test templates on phone and tablet views to avoid signer confusion and incomplete submissions.

Select appropriate signer authentication levels

Match authentication (email, SMS, access code, or identity verification) to document risk and regulatory needs to reduce dispute exposure.

Maintain consistent retention and backup

Define retention periods, export signed archives regularly, and keep encrypted backups to satisfy audits and data recovery requirements.

Use templates and conditional fields to scale

Create reusable templates and implement conditional logic to automate field visibility, reducing manual editing and speeding recurring transactions.

Typical timing and deadlines

Common timing considerations for electronic signing help set expectations for senders and signers and reduce process bottlenecks.

01

Signature expiry window

Set expiration to prompt completion within a specific time frame.

02

Reminder schedule

Configure automatic reminders to increase completion rates before deadlines.

03

Escalation triggers

Use escalation when a required signer misses a deadline for urgent approvals.

04

Retention enforcement

Apply retention rules to preserve signed records for compliance.

Retention and processing timeframes

Document retention and processing timelines vary by industry and regulatory needs; typical policies are outlined here to aid planning.

Short-term retention policy:

Store transactional records for at least one year.

Standard retention period:

Retain signed contracts for seven years when legally required.

HIPAA-related retention:

Follow healthcare record retention rules per organizational policy.

Immediate processing window:

Expect most signers to complete within 48–72 hours.

Long-term archiving schedule:

Export and archive annually for disaster recovery needs.

Advanced capabilities and integrations

Beyond core signing, signNow offers features and integrations that support enterprise workflows, payment collection, and developer automation for complex use cases.

API Access

Full REST API for document creation, sending, and retrieval, enabling deep automation and custom integrations with backend systems.

CRM Integrations

Prebuilt connectors with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics to trigger eSign workflows within sales and service records.

Authentication Options

Support for email, SMS, access codes, and advanced signer identity validation methods for higher-assurance transactions.

Conditional Logic

Use conditional fields and formula fields to adapt forms dynamically based on user inputs or business rules.

Payments Integration

Collect payments with signed documents through available payment connectors on qualifying plans.

Kiosk and Bulk Modes

Enable onsite signing and mass distribution modes for events, HR, or compliance rollouts.

Audit trail and records management

Ensure every signed file has a reliable audit trail; follow these steps to capture, verify, and store evidence for legal and compliance needs.

01

Enable Audit Logs:

Turn on detailed audit logging and retention in account settings for every envelope and signer action.

02

Capture Metadata:

Record IP addresses, timestamps, and authentication method on every signature event for legal proof.

03

Attach Supporting Files:

Include driver’s license photos or identity verification reports when higher-assurance evidence is required.

04

Export Signed Files:

Download completed PDFs and associated audit reports for offline archiving and long-term preservation.

05

Maintain Chain of Custody:

Protect access to records with role-based permissions and encrypted storage to prevent tampering.

06

Respond to Inquiries:

Prepare standard retrieval procedures for auditors and legal teams to access required records quickly.

FAQs About submitting electronic signatures

This FAQ addresses common problems and practical fixes when sending or receiving electronic signatures with signNow.

• Why didn't my signer receive the email?
  Confirm the recipient address, check spam or quarantine filters, and verify your signNow sending domain settings; resend from the dashboard after confirming deliverability.
• Signers cannot sign on mobile devices
  Verify the mobile browser or app is up to date, ensure the document uses responsive fields, and try the signNow mobile app for a consistent experience.
• How to add additional signer authentication
  Edit the recipient settings in the envelope to require SMS or access code authentication, and resend the request so the signer uses the new verification method.
• What if a signer reports a mismatch or dispute?
  Download the signed PDF and full audit trail from signNow, review identity and timestamp records, and escalate to legal with preserved logs if needed.
• Why is a field not saving data?
  Check for overlapping fields, locked template settings, or conditional logic hiding the field; adjust the template and test it again before sending.
• How to handle large-volume sends
  Use bulk send on qualifying plans or the API for programmatic distribution; monitor delivery status and apply batching to manage throughput.

Deployment and rollout timeline

A structured rollout reduces user friction; below are typical phases and timing estimates for implementing signNow for an organization.

01

Discovery and requirements

Two to three weeks to map workflows and compliance needs.

02

Account configuration

One week to enable security settings and SSO.

03

Template creation

One to two weeks to build and test reusable templates.

04

Pilot testing

Two to four weeks with selected user groups for validation.

05

Training sessions

One-week schedule of role-based training workshops.

06

Full rollout

Phased deployment over one to four weeks depending on user base.

07

Monitoring and optimization

Ongoing adjustments during the first quarter after launch.

08

Audit and review

Quarterly reviews of controls and retention policies.

Device and platform compatibility

signNow supports common browsers, mobile apps, and API access to accommodate most user environments and integration needs.

• Web browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari
• Mobile apps: iOS and Android
• API requirements: RESTful JSON

For best results, use current browser versions, keep mobile apps updated, and consult developer documentation when integrating the API so systems communicate securely and reliably.

Recommended workflow configuration

Use these suggested settings when building a typical signNow signing workflow for contracts and HR forms.

Setting Name	Configuration
Reminder Frequency	48 hours
Authentication Method	Email or SMS
Template Library	Organized by department
Bulk Send Settings	Batch size 200
Webhook Notifications	Enabled for completions

Quick comparison with alternatives

This table compares selected capabilities across signNow and two major competitors to highlight practical differences for common requirements.

Feature availability and technical details overview	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign
Advanced signer authentication	yes, multiple methods	yes, multiple methods	yes, multiple methods
API and developer access	comprehensive rest api	comprehensive rest api	rest api available
Bulk send capability	yes, on premium plan	yes, enterprise feature	yes, enterprise feature
Envelope cap and limits	no envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	no envelope cap

Pricing and plan feature snapshot

Pricing and plan features as of current data; values show starting price and whether key features are included or limited in typical entry plans.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo, no cap	$8/user/mo, entry	$13/user/mo, entry	$19/user/mo, entry	$15/user/mo, entry
Free Trial	7-day free trial, no card	Yes, trial avail.	Yes, trial avail.	Yes, trial avail.	Yes, trial avail.
Bulk Send	Yes, on Business Premium	Yes, enterprise plans	Yes, enterprise plans	Yes, select plans	No bulk on entry
Audit Trail	Detailed audit trail	Detailed audit trail	Detailed audit trail	Audit logs	Audit logs
HIPAA Compliant	Yes, BAA required	Yes, BAA required	Yes, BAA required	Limited, contact sales	Limited, contact sales
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	No envelope cap	No envelope cap	No envelope cap