How to Sign a PDF Online for Free (No Account, No Software)

1. 1

   Upload your PDF.

   Drag it into the tool or select it from your device. Multi page documents are supported, and the file stays in your browser while you edit and sign.
2. 2

   Create your signature.

   You have two options:

   • Draw it with your mouse, trackpad, or finger on a touchscreen, just like signing on paper.
   • Type your name and have it rendered in a handwriting style script font, if you'd rather not draw with a mouse.
3. 3

   Save it for reuse.

   Keep your full signature and your initials as two separate saved options, so you don't have to redraw them for every page or every document in the same session.
4. 4

   Drag your signature into place on the page.

   Resize it if needed, and adjust its position precisely. This isn't a fixed stamp in the corner; you control exactly where it lands.
5. 5

   Repeat for any additional pages that need a signature or initials.

   Apply the same saved signature or initials to every page that requires it before you export.
6. 6

   Add fill in text fields (optional).

   Use Add Text to place typed fields on pages that need dates, names, or other fill ins. Each fill page costs 55 credits on export (50 for the page plus a 5 credit fill surcharge).
7. 7

   Download your signed PDF.

   The rest of the document is untouched. Your signatures, initials, and fill text fields are added as overlays, and the underlying text stays selectable and searchable, so the document is still fully usable, not flattened into an image.

In the United States, two laws govern this: the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act), a federal law passed in 2000, and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), adopted by nearly every U.S. state. Together, they establish that an electronic signature can't be denied legal effect purely because it's in electronic form.

For a signature to hold up, four things generally need to be true:

• Intent to sign: both parties meant to sign, not accidentally clicked something.
• Consent to do business electronically: both sides agreed to handle the transaction digitally.
• The signature is associated with the record: it's clearly tied to the specific document being signed.
• The signed document can be retained and reproduced: both parties can access and keep a copy.

Some documents are excluded from electronic signing regardless of these conditions: wills, certain court orders, and a handful of other specific categories. For anything else (contracts, proposals, invoices, agreements, forms), an electronic signature is typically just as binding as a wet ink one.

(This is general information, not legal advice. If a specific document's validity matters a lot to you, it's worth confirming with a lawyer for your situation. See our Disclaimer for more detail.)

Both are legitimate electronic signatures under the law described above. The legal validity comes from intent and consent, not from the specific visual method used to create the mark.

• Draw it if you want something that looks like your actual handwriting, or if you're signing on a touchscreen where drawing feels natural.
• Type it if you're on a laptop without a trackpad you trust for drawing, or you just want something clean and consistent every time. Typing your name renders it in a handwriting style font rather than plain typed text, so it still reads as a signature rather than a label.
• Save one of each if you're not sure. You can switch between them per document.

It's worth being clear on the difference, since both can apply to the same PDF:

• A signature indicates you (or someone) reviewed, approved, or agreed to a specific document.
• A watermark protects a document or file from unauthorized use or copying, and doesn't imply approval. A “DRAFT” watermark, for example, means the opposite of a finished, signed agreement.

You can use both on the same PDF. Sign a contract and watermark it “COPY” for the version you send before the final signed original, for instance. The guide to watermarking photos, PDFs, and videos covers how watermarking works when you need draft marks or copy protection on the same file.