Glossary
What is a simple electronic signature?
Short answer
A simple electronic signature is any electronic signature that does not meet the extra requirements for an advanced or qualified one, such as a signature drawn in a browser or a typed name. Under eIDAS Article 25(1) it cannot be refused legal effect or as evidence just because it is electronic or not qualified. Most everyday e-signatures, including those made with Sign PDF, are simple electronic signatures.
Updated 25 October 2026
- Simple electronic signature
- A simple electronic signature (SES) is the basic level of electronic signature under eIDAS Article 3(10): data in electronic form attached to or logically associated with other data and used by the signatory to sign, such as a drawn signature, a typed name or a click to accept.
What counts as a simple electronic signature
The definition is wide on purpose. If a person uses some electronic data to sign, and the signature is not advanced or qualified, it is simple. Examples include a signature drawn with a finger on a phone, a name typed into a box, a scanned signature image pasted onto a page, and a tick box beside 'I agree to these terms'.
The category is the same idea as the 'electronic signature' in the US ESIGN Act and UETA. Those laws do not grade signatures into levels at all.
Is a simple electronic signature legally valid?
Yes, for most purposes. eIDAS Article 25(1) says it shall not be denied legal effect and admissibility as evidence solely because it is electronic or not qualified. What it does not get is the automatic equivalence to a handwritten signature that Article 25(2) gives a qualified one.
So if it is challenged, the person relying on it has to show it is genuine. That is where the evidence comes in: email verification, IP addresses, timestamps and a record that the document has not changed.
When a simple signature is not enough
Some national laws in EU countries require a qualified signature for particular documents, such as certain employment contracts, consumer credit agreements or filings with public bodies. Some documents need a notary or a wet signature whatever the technology. Check the rules in the country concerned. This is not legal advice.
Sign PDF and simple electronic signatures
Sign PDF provides simple electronic signatures. We back them with stronger evidence than a bare signature image: each signer confirms a six-digit code sent to their email, agrees to sign electronically, and is recorded with IP address, approximate location, device and UTC timestamps in a hash-chained audit trail. The finished file is sealed with a digital signature and a DigiCert timestamp, so later edits are flagged.
That evidence does not make our signatures advanced or qualified. It does make them much easier to defend than a signature pasted into a Word file.
Questions people ask
Is a scanned signature a simple electronic signature?
Yes, if the person placed it to sign the document. The weakness is that anyone with the image could paste it, so on its own it is weak evidence of who signed.
What is the difference between simple and advanced electronic signatures?
An advanced signature must meet four requirements in eIDAS Article 26, including being uniquely linked to and capable of identifying the signer. A simple signature has no such technical requirements.
Can I use a simple electronic signature for an employment contract in the EU?
In many EU countries, yes. Some countries require a qualified signature or a written form for certain employment terms, so check the local rules or ask a lawyer.
Does Sign PDF offer advanced or qualified signatures?
No. Sign PDF provides simple electronic signatures with a strong evidence record. For a qualified signature you need a qualified trust service provider.
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