Product · Online Signing

Online document signing

Collect legally binding signatures on any document — no printing, no scanning, no back-and-forth. Signers get a link, sign on any device, and you get a PKCS#7-sealed, tamper-evident document with a full audit trail.

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Any device, any browser

Signers receive an email with a unique link. They sign on a hosted page in any browser — desktop, tablet, or mobile. No app install, no account, no plugin.

Identity verification built in

Each signer verifies identity with an email or SMS one-time code before accessing the document. Verification is recorded in the audit trail.

Legally binding in Canada and the US

Signed documents are backed by an explicit consent record, a timestamped audit trail, and a PKCS#7 digital seal — valid under PIPEDA, ESIGN, and UETA.

Sealed, verifiable documents

Every completed document is sealed with a CA-issued digital signature. Open it in any PDF reader and verify the seal has not been broken since signing.

Notifications and reminders

Signers receive email reminders automatically. You receive a webhook when each signer completes and when the document is fully signed.

Audit certificate page

The last page of every sealed document is a machine-generated certificate listing every event — view, consent, OTP, signature, seal — with timestamps and IP addresses.

How online document signing works

1
Sender

Upload a PDF and declare the signers. Place signature fields on the document using the API or the drag-drop field placer.

2
API

Generates a unique, tokenized signing link per signer. Sends each signer an email with their link.

3
Signer

Clicks the link, verifies identity with OTP, reviews the document, provides e-sign consent, and signs the fields.

4
API

Flattens the signatures into the PDF, appends an audit certificate, applies a PKCS#7 seal, and fires the envelope.completed webhook.

5
Sender

Receives the webhook, downloads the sealed document, and stores it in their document management system.

Online signing vs. emailing a PDF

AspectEmail PDFOnline signing
Signer must print and scan✕ Required✓ Not required
Signer must have a printer✕ Required✓ Not required
Signed copy easy to lose✕ Yes — email chain✓ Stored, always retrievable
Tamper-evident document✕ No — editable file✓ PKCS#7 sealed
Legal audit trail✕ None✓ Hash-chained, append-only
Multi-party routing✕ Manual coordination✓ Sequential or parallel — automatic
Identity verification✕ None✓ Email or SMS OTP
Mobile-friendly for signer✕ Difficult on mobile✓ Works on any device

Frequently asked questions

What is online document signing?

Online document signing is the process of collecting legally binding signatures on a document over the internet — without printing, scanning, or mailing paper. The sender uploads a document, specifies who needs to sign and where, and the system sends each signer a unique link by email. Signers review the document and sign on a hosted webpage using any device. The completed document is digitally sealed and stored.

Is online document signing legally binding?

Yes, in most cases. Online e-signatures are legally binding under Canada's PIPEDA, the US ESIGN Act (federal), and UETA (adopted by 49 states). For a signature to be legally binding: (1) the signer must have consented to sign electronically; (2) the signature must be attributable to the signer (via identity verification); (3) the signed document must be retained and accessible. GetSigned captures all three automatically on every signing. Exceptions include wills, certain court filings, and specific state-regulated documents — consult legal counsel for your specific use case.

What types of documents can be signed online?

Most commercial documents can be signed online: NDAs, employment contracts, service agreements, rental agreements, loan documents, consent forms, terms and conditions, purchase orders, and more. Any standard PDF works with GetSigned — generated from Word, Google Docs, LaTeX, or any PDF library. Document types excluded from e-signature legislation include wills, adoption papers, and certain real estate instruments — these vary by jurisdiction.

Do signers need to create an account to sign online?

No. Signers receive a unique link via email. They click the link, verify their identity with a one-time code (sent to their email or phone), and sign on a hosted page. No account, no app, no plugin. This is intentional — requiring signers to create accounts before signing dramatically reduces completion rates.

Can I add online document signing to my own product?

Yes — via the GetSigned REST API. Upload a PDF, declare signers and field coordinates, call /send — your signers receive links and your system receives a completion webhook when they finish. The signing UI is hosted by GetSigned (with your branding), or you can embed it in your product using an iframe for a fully in-product experience. See the embedded signing guide for details.

How secure is online document signing?

GetSigned uses: TLS encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, OTP identity verification per signer, PKCS#7 digital sealing of completed documents (any byte change invalidates the seal), a hash-chained append-only audit log (tamper-detectable at the database level), and tenant-scoped data access (no cross-tenant data leakage). The sealed PDF and its audit trail are stored separately so the evidentiary record survives even if the file is purged.

Related: Document signing API · E-signature legality · Embedded signing · Compliance guide

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