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How to e-sign a document online: draw, type or upload

By the nodshake team. Published 14 October 2026, updated 14 October 2026.

To e-sign a document online, open it, add your signature by drawing it, typing your name in a handwriting style or placing an image of your signature, and send it back. Whether that counts as signed depends on the document and the country, and on whether the other side agreed to sign electronically. A signature image alone is not proof of agreement.

Key points

  • Draw, type or place an image: all three put a visible signature on the page.
  • A signature image is not proof that someone agreed. A signing service records who signed, when and what.
  • Some documents, such as wills, are outside the e-signature law in many places.
  • Check that the other side agreed to sign electronically before you rely on it.

E-sign a document in four steps

  • Open the document. A PDF works in most tools.
  • Add your signature: draw it with a mouse, finger or stylus, type your name in a handwriting style, or place a signature image you saved earlier. Make a signature image in your browser if you need one.
  • Place it where the document asks for it and add the date if required.
  • Send it back in the way the other side asked, and keep a copy.

Which way should you sign?

  • Drawing looks most like your handwriting and works well with a stylus or a finger on a phone.
  • Typing is fast and looks neat.
  • A saved image is quickest when you sign often, because you place it instead of redrawing.

When does an e-signed document count?

A signature image shows how someone signs. It does not record who clicked, when, or which version they saw, and a signing service does. Whether a document is validly signed depends on its type and the country: read what the law says by country or open the e-signature law checker.

If you send many documents, compare what signing services charge with the cost calculator. To have nodshake set up signing for you, request access.

Questions

Can I e-sign a PDF for free?
Yes. Any tool that lets you place text or an image on a PDF works. The signature generator makes the image for you in your browser.
Does an image of my signature make a document legally signed?
Not by itself. It depends on the document type, the country and whether the other side agreed to sign electronically. See the guide on whether electronic signatures are legally valid.
Should I keep a copy of what I signed?
Yes. Keep the signed file and any confirmation message, because they show what was signed and when.

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