Definition: what is an electronic signature?
An electronic signature(e-signature) is any electronic indication that a person intends to agree to the content of a document or record. It can be as simple as typing your name at the bottom of an email, clicking an “I agree” button, or drawing your signature on a touch screen.
The key concept is intent. An e-signature does not need to look like your handwritten signature — it only needs to demonstrate that you willingly agreed to the document at a specific point in time.
Under the U.S. ESIGN Act (2000) and UETA, as well as the EU’s eIDAS Regulation, electronic signatures carry the same legal weight as wet-ink signatures for the vast majority of commercial and personal agreements.
How does an electronic signature work?
Modern e-signature platforms like QuickerSign capture several pieces of evidence when a document is signed:
The exact date and time the signature was applied, recorded in UTC.
A SHA-256 hash of the signed file, proving the content has not changed since signing.
Explicit consent is captured — the signer must actively agree before signing.
Once all parties have signed, a tamper-evident seal locks the audit record.
Together, these create an audit trail — a complete, tamper-evident record that can be used to prove exactly who signed, when, and what they agreed to.
Are electronic signatures legally binding?
In most countries and for most document types, yes. The two most important legal frameworks are:
ESIGN Act & UETA (United States)
Federal law since 2000. Makes e-signatures valid for commercial transactions, employment agreements, consumer contracts, and most everyday agreements.
eIDAS Regulation (European Union)
Governs e-signatures across all EU member states. Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) are accepted for general commercial use.
Other jurisdictions
Most common-law and civil-law countries have equivalent legislation, including the UK (eIDAS retained), Canada (PIPEDA), Australia (ETA), and Singapore (ETA).
Important: Some document types are excluded from e-signature laws in many jurisdictions — including wills, codicils, certain real-estate deeds, court orders, and family-law documents. Always consult a qualified attorney for high-stakes or regulated agreements. See our full disclaimer.
Electronic signature vs digital signature
These terms are often confused. Here is the practical difference:
| Feature | Electronic Signature | Digital Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any electronic act showing intent to sign | A cryptographic technique (subset of e-sig) |
| Technology | Audit trail, consent record, hash | Public-key cryptography (PKI), certificates |
| Certificate required? | No | Yes — issued by a trusted CA |
| Legal acceptance | ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS SES | eIDAS AdES / QES (higher assurance) |
| Best for | Most everyday business documents | Highly regulated / high-value contracts |
| Example | QuickerSign, DocuSign | Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL) signatures |
Types of electronic signatures
Under eIDAS, there are three tiers. Most businesses use SES for everyday agreements.
The most common type. No certificate required. Accepted for the vast majority of commercial contracts — NDAs, offer letters, vendor agreements, etc. QuickerSign operates at this level.
Uniquely linked to the signatory, capable of identifying them. Created using data under the signatory's sole control. Required for some regulated industries.
The highest tier. Equivalent to a handwritten signature in EU law. Requires a qualified certificate from an accredited trust service provider (TSP). Needed for notarial acts in some EU countries.
Common use cases for e-signatures
How to sign a document online
With QuickerSign, getting a document signed takes under two minutes:
- 01
Upload your document
Drag and drop a PDF or image. No conversion or special software needed.
- 02
Create your signature
Draw, type, or upload your signature. Set up initials too.
- 03
Place and sign
Click anywhere on the document to place your signature, initials, date, or text fields.
- 04
Send for others to sign
Add recipient email addresses for multi-party or broadcast signing. They receive a link by email — no account needed.
- 05
Done
Everyone gets a copy of the signed document with a full audit trail attached.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electronic signature the same as a scanned signature?
A scanned image of a signature pasted into a document is a very basic form of e-signature, but it provides almost no evidentiary value — anyone can copy and paste it. A proper e-signature platform captures a full audit trail (consent, timestamp, IP address, document hash) that makes it verifiable and tamper-evident.
Can I use an electronic signature for a contract?
Yes, for the vast majority of commercial contracts. NDAs, employment agreements, service contracts, purchase orders, and lease agreements are all routinely signed electronically. A small number of document types (wills, certain real-estate transactions, court filings) may require notarised or wet-ink signatures depending on your jurisdiction.
What happens if someone disputes an electronic signature?
The audit trail is your evidence. A reliable e-signature platform logs the signer's email address, the consent timestamp, and a cryptographic fingerprint of the document at the moment of signing. This makes it demonstrably difficult to claim the signature was forged or the document was changed after signing.
Does the person signing need an account?
With QuickerSign, no. Recipients receive a unique signing link by email and can sign directly in their browser — no registration, no download.
How is an electronic signature verified?
QuickerSign's Verify tool lets anyone upload a signed document to confirm it matches the stored cryptographic fingerprint. If the document was modified after signing, verification will fail — proving tampering.
Are electronic signatures secure?
Yes, when used on a reputable platform. QuickerSign stores documents in encrypted cloud storage, logs every action with an immutable audit trail, and computes a SHA-256 hash at the moment of signing so any modification is immediately detectable.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Laws governing electronic signatures may change quickly, and QuickerSign cannot guarantee that all information on this site is current or correct. Should you have specific legal questions, consult a licensed attorney. Read our full disclaimer →