E-Signature (Electronic Signature)

An e-signature (electronic signature) is any electronic sound, symbol or process attached to a record to show a person's intent to sign it. Typing a name, drawing with a finger, ticking "I agree" or using a signing service all count as forms of e-signature in many places.

Why it matters

E-signatures speed up agreements and avoid printing and posting. Whether one is legally valid, and for which document types, depends on the country; laws such as the US ESIGN Act and the EU eIDAS regulation are examples, and some documents still require specific formality. This is a definition, not legal advice. An e-signature is not the same as a digital signature, which uses cryptography to bind a signer's key to the content and detect later changes.

Example

A typical signing service records an audit trail:

1. The sender uploads a contract and enters the signer's email address.
2. The signer opens a unique link and verifies identity as required.
3. The signer places a signature and the service logs the time, IP address and a document hash.
4. Both parties receive the completed file and certificate.

Common mistakes

• Assuming every e-signature has the same legal strength.
• Sending signing links over insecure channels.
• Using an image of a signature pasted into a PDF as strong evidence of intent.

Related

• Digital signature
• Public key
• Hashing
• KYC

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