Electronic Agreement and Digital Signature Guide

Award-winning eSignature solution

What electronic agreement and digital signature means

An electronic agreement and digital signature is a contract or approval process completed in digital form, with a signer’s intent captured electronically. In practice, a document is prepared, sent, reviewed, and signed on a device, then stored with an audit trail that records who signed, when, and from where. Under U.S. law, the signature can be legally valid when it is attributable to the signer and the parties consent to electronic records.

Why it matters under U.S. law

It reduces paper handling, shortens turnaround time, and supports enforceable transactions under ESIGN and UETA when consent, attribution, and record retention are handled correctly.

Why teams look for DocuSign alternatives

Common implementation challenges

Signer consent is missing or not captured before the document is sent.
Identity checks are too weak for higher-risk agreements or regulated workflows.
Audit trails are incomplete, making disputes harder to defend in court.
Retention rules are unclear, so signed records are deleted too early.

Business use cases

Organizations use electronic agreement and digital signature for contracts, disclosures, approvals, and acknowledgments that need clear signer intent and recordkeeping.

Document types

It fits lease agreements, patient forms, tax documents, policy acknowledgments, and vendor contracts across U.S. industries.

People who benefit most

A director of NetSuite operations at Xerox uses signNow to route the right signatures to the right documents through a NetSuite-connected workflow, which helps keep approvals aligned with internal formats and business rules.
A COO at Optica Ventures LLC uses signNow because the interface is simple for staff and customers, making online execution easier for recurring agreements, service forms, and other high-volume documents.

be ready to get more

Get legally-binding signatures now!

Start free trial

Request a call

Best ROI. Our customers achieve an average 7x ROI within the first six months.
Scales with your use cases. From SMBs to mid-market, airSlate SignNow delivers results for businesses of all sizes.
Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.

Document workflow

Create, send, and sign documents in one flow, so teams spend less time moving files between tools and more time finishing approvals.

Audit trail

Audit trails capture signer activity, timestamps, and document history, which helps support enforceability and internal review.

Reusable templates

Templates reduce repetitive setup for recurring agreements, disclosures, and forms, while keeping document structure consistent.

Mobile signing

Mobile signing lets recipients review and sign from phones or tablets without waiting for desktop access.

Signing order

Role-based routing sends documents in the right order, which is useful for approvals, countersignatures, and multi-party agreements.

Access control

Access controls and authentication options help match the signing process to the risk level of the document.

Integrations that connect signing work

Connected systems move documents, contacts, and approvals into signNow so signing happens where work already lives, without duplicate entry.

How the signing flow works

The signing process follows a simple sequence from document preparation to final storage, with each action recorded for review.

Prepare document: The sender uploads or creates the document in signNow.
Add signers: Recipients are added with signing order and access rules.
Collect signatures: Each signer reviews, signs, and receives a copy.
Save record: The completed file is stored with a tamper-evident record.

Quick setup steps

Use a short setup sequence to prepare the file, define signers, and send it for execution.

Start the file:
Upload the agreement or build it from a template.
Add fields:
Place signature, date, and initial fields where needed.
Assign signers:
Enter recipients and set the signing order.
Send and track:
Send the document and monitor completion status.

Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	SMS OTP for routine agreements
Signature type	SES for standard contracts
Audit trail	Enable full event logging
Document retention	6 years for HIPAA records
Encryption	TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256

Platform and device requirements

Use a modern browser or mobile app on a supported operating system, with a secure TLS connection for signing and review.

Desktop browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
Operating systems Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
Security connection TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3

For managed deployments, confirm browser policy, mobile device controls, SSO provisioning, and API access before rollout. Regulated teams should also verify retention, encryption, and any certificate or validation requirements tied to HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, or internal policy.

Security and compliance snapshot

Encryption:

TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Storage protection:

AES-256 at rest

Control report:

SOC 2 Type II available

Security management:

ISO 27001 certified

Healthcare use:

HIPAA support with BAA

Legal framework:

ESIGN and UETA aligned

NetSuite operations

A NetSuite operations leader needed flexible routing for different document formats and signature paths across teams.

Xerox used signNow with NetSuite integration.

The workflow matched document formats to the right signing path, which supported cleaner internal processing and faster external turnaround.

Real estate founder

A founder managing property documents needed online execution with security and mobile access for parties in different locations.

Martin Properties processed documents online.
Mobile and offline access mattered.

The online process reduced paper handling and supported efficient return of signed forms while keeping the record trail intact.

Best practices for reliable signing

A clear setup, consistent identity checks, and documented retention rules make electronic agreements easier to defend and manage.

Match identity checks to risk

Use the least intrusive identity check that still fits the document’s risk, then increase assurance for regulated or high-value transactions.

Record electronic consent clearly

Capture signer consent before the first send, and keep the consent record with the signed file for later review.

Define retention up front

Set retention rules before rollout so completed agreements stay available for the required business or regulatory period.

Pilot the workflow first

Test templates, routing, and signer notifications with a small group before broad deployment to reduce avoidable errors.

FAQ and troubleshooting

These answers focus on plan features, compliance settings, and recordkeeping issues that affect electronic agreement and digital signature workflows.

signNow Business includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, templates, and mobile apps. If a document lacks a clear signer history, check that the workflow used a completed signing request and that the audit trail was preserved with the file.

HIPAA support requires a BAA. If your workflow includes PHI, confirm the agreement is covered by a signed BAA and that access controls, audit controls, and retention align with 45 CFR 164.312 and 164.530(j)(2).

The Business Premium plan adds bulk send. If you do not see bulk sending, verify the plan level and whether the account has the feature enabled for the workspace.

ESIGN and UETA support electronic signatures when the signer consents and the record is retained. If a recipient disputes intent, review the consent step, signer authentication, and the completed audit trail.

The Site License adds SSO, full API access, and phone support. If user provisioning is failing, confirm SSO configuration, account mapping, and admin permissions before assigning users.

For 21 CFR Part 11 workflows, use unique user IDs, secure timestamps, and retained document history. If validation evidence is incomplete, review system validation records and access-control settings before release.

signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc
ESIGN and UETA	Yes	Yes	Yes
Audit trail	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Envelope cap	Unlimited	100/year	Not verified

Day 1:

Set up the workspace, templates, and signer roles.

Day 2:

Send the first agreement and confirm delivery receipts.

Week 1:

Onboard the core team and review completed audit trails.

HIPAA retention:

Keep signed PHI records for 6 years per 45 CFR 164.530(j)(2).

Trial period:

signNow offers a 7-day free trial.

Business rollout:

Business plans include unlimited users at no extra cost.

Enterprise review:

Confirm SSO, API access, and retention policy before launch.

Regulated records:

Validate controls before use in 21 CFR Part 11 workflows.

Risks of improper execution

No consent

Document may be challenged as unenforceable.

Poor audit trail

Evidence may be weak in disputes.

No BAA

PHI handling may violate HIPAA.

Early deletion

Records may fail retention review.

Signer authentication:

Verifies the signer through the selected authentication method.

Timestamp capture:

Records each action with a secure UTC timestamp.

Document hashing:

Creates a hash that changes if the file changes.

Tamper-evident sealing:

Seals the record so later edits are detectable.

Audit record storage:

Stores the event history with the completed document.

Trail retrieval:

Exports the trail for review or legal use.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free trial	7 days	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Bulk send	Business Premium	Not verified	Not verified	Yes	Not verified
Audit trail	Included	Included	Included	Included	Included
HIPAA compliance	BAA required	Available	Available	Not verified	Not verified

28M+Documents signed

13+Years in business

4.6/5Average G2 rating