What is an electronic signature?

How the law defines an electronic signature

The most quoted definition is in the US ESIGN Act at 15 U.S.C. 7006(5): an electronic sound, symbol or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record. UETA, the model state law from 1999, uses almost the same words in section 2(8).

The EU's eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 takes a similar line in Article 3(10): data in electronic form attached to or logically associated with other data, which the signatory uses to sign. The UK's Electronic Communications Act 2000, section 7, and the UAE's Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 both recognise electronic signatures in the same broad terms.

None of these laws requires a particular technology. That is deliberate. The law cares about intent and attribution, not about whether the signature looks like handwriting.

What counts as an electronic signature in practice

Courts in the US and UK have accepted a wide range of marks as signatures when the intent was clear. Common forms include:

• A signature drawn with a mouse, trackpad or finger
• A name typed into a signature box, often shown in a handwriting-style font
• An uploaded image of a handwritten signature
• A click on a button labelled 'Sign' or 'I agree' after reviewing the terms
• A typed name at the foot of an email, in some cases

Why the evidence matters more than the mark

A squiggle on a screen proves very little on its own. If a signer later says 'that was not me' or 'the document was different when I signed', what settles it is the record kept at the time: the email address the link went to, a code confirmed from that inbox, the IP address and device, timestamps, and a fingerprint of the file.

This is why e-signature services attach an audit trail and a certificate of completion. The signature is the act; the evidence is what lets you prove the act later.

How Sign PDF handles electronic signatures

In Sign PDF, signers draw (the default), type or upload their signature after confirming a six-digit code sent to their email. Before signing they agree to sign electronically, and that moment is recorded.

When everyone has signed, we add a certificate of completion listing each signer's name, email, IP address, approximate location, browser and device, and the UTC time of each step, then seal the PDF with a digital signature and a DigiCert timestamp. Under eIDAS these are simple electronic signatures, which are valid for ordinary contracts. Some documents, such as wills and deeds that need a witness in person, still need ink. This is general information, not legal advice.