How to sign a contract electronically

Sign a contract PDF with Quick PDF

1. Save the contract PDF Download the contract from your email or messaging app to your device's Downloads folder or Files app.
2. Open it in Quick PDF Go to quickpdfapp.com, sign in, and open the PDF. It is opened and processed in your browser on your device.
3. Review the whole contract Zoom in and read every page, including the fine print, before adding anything.
4. Fill in your details Type your name, company, title and address into form boxes, or with Add text on a flat PDF.
5. Sign, initial and date Tap Sign to place your signature on the signature line and initials where requested, then use Add text for the date.
6. Download and return the signed contract Tap Download (choose Flatten form on fillable contracts if you want answers locked), check the file, and send it back by email or Share.

Open Sign PDF

Before you sign: a quick contract checklist

• The parties: your legal name (or your company's) is correct, and so is theirs.
• What is being exchanged: the work, product or service is described clearly, with deliverables and deadlines.
• Payment: amount, schedule, how invoices are paid, and late payment terms.
• Length and ending: start date, end date, renewal terms, and how either side can terminate.
• Risk clauses: confidentiality, non-compete, liability, indemnity and who owns the work.
• Blanks: no empty spaces the other side could fill in later.

If anything needs changing, ask the other party for a revised version rather than editing their wording yourself. A signed contract should reflect text both sides agreed to.

Choosing the right signature for a contract

Quick PDF's Sign tool lets you draw your signature, type it in one of six script fonts, or upload a photo of your pen signature, in black, blue or dark red ink. For contracts:

• Use the same signature you use on paper where you can: draw it or upload it.
• Type your printed name and title (for example "Jane Doe, Owner") under the signature with Add text if you are signing for a business.
• Create a separate initials signature if pages or changes need initialing.
• Turn on Save for next time so every contract you sign looks consistent.

Need to make a good reusable signature first? See how to create an electronic signature.

Countersigning and getting a fully signed copy

A contract usually needs signatures from both sides. With a PDF contract, there are two common orders:

1. You sign first: sign, download and send it. The other party adds their signature and sends you the fully signed copy.
2. They sign first: they send a contract already signed by them. You add your signature and return it; you now both have the final version.

Always ask for and keep the fully signed copy. Quick PDF does not route contracts between parties, send reminders or keep an audit trail of who signed when; you exchange the file yourselves by email or message.

When to use an e-signature service instead

Signing a PDF yourself is ideal when someone sends you a contract to sign. A dedicated e-signature service can be the better fit when:

• You are the one sending contracts out and need several people to sign in a set order.
• You want an audit trail: a record of email addresses, timestamps and IP addresses for each signature.
• The other party requires a certificate-based digital signature that shows the file was not changed after signing.

Quick PDF adds an electronic signature image on the page. It is not a certificate-based digital signature and does not create an audit trail. Learn the difference in electronic vs digital signature.

Is an electronically signed contract binding?

General information, not legal advice: in the US, the ESIGN Act and the UETA say a contract cannot be denied legal effect just because it was signed electronically. What usually matters is that each party intended to sign and agreed to the terms, and that the signed contract can be kept and reproduced.

Exceptions exist. Wills, certain family law and court documents, and documents that need notarization can follow different rules, and some industries have their own requirements. If you are unsure whether a contract can be signed electronically, check with whoever asked you to sign or with a lawyer.

Keep contracts secure and organized

• Lock it: on fillable contracts, Flatten form on download turns your entries into part of the page. See how to flatten a PDF.
• Protect it: contracts with sensitive terms can be password-protected with Protect before you send them; share the password separately. See send a PDF securely.
• Name it clearly: for example, client name, contract type, date and "signed".
• Store it: keep signed contracts in a folder you back up.

Questions people ask