Sign PDF: Add Your Signature Online

How to sign a PDF online

1. Press Choose PDF or drop the document on the page. The signature window opens as soon as the pages are shown.
2. Create your signature: Draw it with a mouse, finger or stylus, Type your name and pick one of three handwriting styles, or Upload a photo or scan of your signature (the white paper around it is removed automatically). Choose black or blue ink and press Add to page.
3. The signature appears on the page you are looking at. Drag it onto the signature line and drag a corner to make it bigger or smaller. Use the arrows next to the page number to go to another page.
4. Add whatever else the document asks for: Initials on each page, Date (today's date in your own format), Text for your name or address, and Check for tick boxes. If the PDF has fillable fields, fill them in the Form fields panel.
5. Press Save signed PDF. The file downloads as name-signed.pdf; your original is not changed.

Signing several documents? Your signature and initials stay available in the signature window until you close the tab. Tick Remember on this device to keep them in this browser for next time; they are stored only on your device and you can remove them with the cross on each one.

Electronic signature or digital signature?

The two terms are often mixed up, and the difference matters:

• A simple electronic signature is any sign of agreement in electronic form: a drawn or typed signature on a PDF, a scanned signature, even ticking a box. This tool creates this kind: your signature is placed on the page as a picture.
• A certificate-based digital signature is cryptographic. Software seals the file with a certificate issued to you, so anyone can check who signed and that nothing changed afterwards. Advanced and qualified electronic signatures are built this way. This tool does not add one.

Whether a simple electronic signature is enough depends on the country and the type of document. Laws such as the EU's eIDAS Regulation and the US ESIGN Act generally say a signature cannot be refused only because it is electronic, and simple e-signatures are widely used for everyday forms, agreements, consent slips and invoices. Some documents still need more, for example a qualified electronic signature, a handwritten signature or a notary, which often applies to wills, property transfers and some official filings. If you are unsure, ask whoever requested the signature which form they accept. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Tips for a signature that looks right

• On a phone, turn the screen sideways for a wider signing area and sign with your finger slowly; the line follows your speed like a real pen.
• For an uploaded signature, sign with a dark pen on plain white paper and photograph it in good light, straight from above. The background removal keeps only the ink.
• Blue ink is a common way to show that a printed page carries an original signature.
• Need to cover a wrong entry, highlight a clause or rearrange pages before signing? Use the full PDF editor, which has whiteout, highlight, drawing, images and page tools.

Privacy

Signing happens entirely in your browser. The PDF, the signature you draw, type or upload and the signed file stay on your device: nothing is uploaded or stored on our servers, and the PDF libraries are loaded from a public code CDN without your file. A remembered signature is saved only in this browser's local storage (listed in our cookie policy) and never sent to us.

Limits

• Password-protected or encrypted PDFs must be unlocked first with Unlock PDF. A PDF that already carries a certified digital signature will lose that seal's validity when anything is added, because the file changes.
• The signature is a picture on the page; it cannot be verified like a certificate-based signature.
• To send the signed file by email, compress it if it is too large, or merge it with other documents. The guide how to edit and sign a PDF for free covers signing in more depth.

Frequently asked questions

How do I sign a PDF for free without an account?

Open the PDF on this page, draw, type or upload your signature, drag it onto the signature line and press Save signed PDF. There is no account, no limit on documents and no watermark.

Is an electronic signature on a PDF legally valid?

In many countries a simple electronic signature is accepted for everyday agreements and forms, and laws such as eIDAS in the EU and the ESIGN Act in the US recognise electronic signatures. Some documents need a stronger or handwritten signature, so check with the person who asked you to sign. This is not legal advice.

Is this a digital signature with a certificate?

No. Your signature is added as a picture, which is a simple electronic signature. It does not add a cryptographic certificate that proves who signed or seals the file against changes.

Is my document or signature uploaded?

No. The PDF and your signature are processed in your browser and the signed file is created on your device. A signature is stored in this browser only if you tick Remember on this device.

Can I sign a PDF on my phone?

Yes. Draw your signature with your finger, drag it into place and save. Turn the phone sideways for more room, or use the full-screen button in the toolbar.

Can I add my initials and the date?

Yes. Initials uses the same draw, type or upload window and places a smaller mark, and Date adds today's date in the date format of your device's language, as text you can move and resize.