Find Digital Signature With SignNow eSignature Tools

Award-winning eSignature solution

What a digital signature means in signNow

A digital signature is a cryptographic way to sign a document that helps confirm who signed it and whether the file changed after signing. In signNow, the signer receives a document, authenticates, and applies a signature that is tied to the record with encryption and an audit trail. The result is a signed file that can be reviewed, tracked, and stored with evidence of the signing event for U.S. business use.

Why digital signatures matter

Digital signatures reduce paper handling, speed approvals, and preserve evidence of intent. Under ESIGN and UETA, they can be legally enforceable when the signer’s identity and consent are captured, and signNow adds audit trails and retention controls to support that record.

Why teams look for DocuSign alternatives

Common digital signature issues

Signers may confuse a drawn signature with a cryptographic digital signature, which creates mismatched expectations about verification strength.
Weak authentication can make it harder to attribute the signature to the right person in a dispute.
Missing audit details can leave gaps in the signing record, especially for regulated or high-value documents.
Poor retention practices can make it difficult to retrieve the signed file, history, or supporting evidence later.

Real estate

Real estate teams use digital signatures for leases, disclosures, and closing packets that need fast turnaround.

Healthcare

Healthcare teams use digital signatures for intake forms, consent documents, and HIPAA-covered records.

People who benefit most

At Optica Ventures LLC, COO Brian Fitzgibbons described signNow as simple for the team and customers. That matters when a venture or operations group needs fast approvals on contracts, internal forms, and customer-facing documents without adding friction to the signing process.
At Xerox, Director of NetSuite Operations Kodi-Marie Evans said signNow gave the team flexibility to get the right signatures on the right documents in the right formats. That fits finance, operations, and systems teams that route approvals through NetSuite-connected workflows.

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Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.

Audit trail

Capture signatures with a clear audit trail that records who signed, when, and from where, helping preserve transaction evidence for later review.

Mobile signing

Send documents from desktop or mobile so signers can complete approvals without printing, scanning, or mailing paper copies.

Templates

Use templates to standardize repeat documents and reduce setup time for recurring agreements, forms, and approvals.

Status tracking

Track document status in one place so teams can see sent, viewed, signed, and completed stages.

Signer verification

Apply signer authentication to support attribution and reduce uncertainty about who completed the signature event.

Record storage

Store completed files with signing history so records remain organized for internal review, audits, and retention needs.

Connected systems for digital signatures

Connected systems move signed documents into the tools teams already use, reducing manual entry and duplicate file handling.

How the signing flow works

The signing process follows a simple sequence from document delivery to completed record storage.

Open document: The signer opens the document and reviews the request.
Authenticate signer: signNow verifies identity with the chosen authentication method.
Sign document: The signer applies the signature and submits the file.
Save record: signNow stores the completed record with a time-stamped trail.

Quick steps to use digital signatures

Use a short workflow to prepare, send, and store signed documents in signNow.

Prepare file:
Upload the document and add the required fields.
Assign recipients:
Choose the signer and set the signing order.
Send request:
Send the request and monitor progress.
Save completed file:
Download or store the completed document.

Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	SMS OTP
Signature type	Digital signature
Audit trail	Enabled
Document retention	6 years (HIPAA 45 CFR 164.530(j)(2))
Encryption	AES-256 at rest

Platform requirements for digital signatures

signNow works in modern browsers and on major desktop and mobile operating systems, with mobile apps for on-the-go signing.

Browser support Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Operating systems Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Mobile access signNow mobile apps available

For regulated workflows, managed devices, current browser versions, and secure network settings help preserve access, authentication, and record integrity.

Security and compliance

Encryption:

TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Data storage:

AES-256 at rest

Controls report:

SOC 2 Type II available

Security management:

ISO 27001 certified

Healthcare use:

HIPAA support with BAA

Regulated records:

21 CFR Part 11 support

Xerox

A NetSuite operations leader needed the right signatures on the right documents in the right formats.

NetSuite integration
Format-specific routing

The workflow matched document formats to the right approvers, which reduced manual handling and improved consistency across signature requests.

Martin Properties

A property founder needed online execution for documents while keeping compliance and security visible.

Mobile signing
Built-in security

The online workflow supported remote execution and record handling without paper delays, while preserving compliance-focused document processing.

Best practices for digital signatures

A clear setup helps teams keep signing records consistent, defensible, and easier to manage over time.

Verify recipients before sending

Use a named signer list and confirm each recipient before sending. This reduces routing mistakes and helps keep the audit trail aligned with the intended approval path.

Match authentication to risk

Choose the strongest authentication method that fits the document’s risk level. For sensitive records, use two-factor or ID-based verification instead of email-only access.

Reuse approved templates

Standardize templates for repeat forms and agreements. Consistent fields, signer order, and reminders reduce setup errors and make review easier for operations and compliance teams.

Define retention rules early

Set retention and storage rules before rollout. Keep completed files, audit history, and related records long enough to meet internal policy, HIPAA, or other legal requirements.

Day 1:

Set up the workspace and signing roles.

Day 2:

Send the first document for signature.

Week 1:

Onboard the full team and templates.

7-day trial:

Free trial lasts 7 days, no card required.

HIPAA retention:

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

ESIGN recordkeeping:

Retain evidence long enough to show intent and attribution.

Part 11 records:

Keep secure audit history for regulated records.

Annual review:

Review access, retention, and authentication settings yearly.

Risks of improper use

Weak attribution

Document may be harder to enforce.

Missing trail

Audit evidence may be incomplete.

Retention gap

HIPAA records may fail retention rules.

Validation failure

Part 11 records may be rejected.

Signer authentication:

Verifies the signer before the record is accepted.

Timestamp capture:

Captures UTC timestamps for each signing event.

Document hashing:

Creates a hash of the signed document.

Tamper-evident sealing:

Seals the record so later edits are detectable.

Audit trail storage:

Stores the event history with the completed file.

Audit export:

Exports the log for review or evidence.

	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	Yes	Not verified	Not verified	Yes	Not verified
Audit trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Envelope cap	No cap	100/year	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified

FAQ and troubleshooting

These answers cover plan limits, compliance questions, and recordkeeping issues that affect digital signature workflows in signNow.

signNow Business starts at $8/user/mo billed annually. It includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, templates, mobile apps, and compliance support such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR.

signNow supports ESIGN and UETA compliance, so electronic signatures can be enforceable when signer intent, attribution, and record integrity are captured. The audit trail helps preserve evidence of the signing event.

HIPAA workflows require a BAA and controls for user identification, audit logging, integrity, and access protection. signNow’s HIPAA support is available when the customer signs the required BAA.

Bulk send is included in Business Premium and above. If you need to send the same document to many recipients, that plan level is the better fit than the entry Business plan.

signNow records signer activity in an audit trail, including time-stamped events and document history. That record supports review under ESIGN, UETA, and, where needed, 21 CFR Part 11 workflows.

For EU transactions, signNow supports SES on all plans, while QES and AES are available on the Site License. The right tier depends on the legal requirement and transaction risk.

signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Acrobat Sign	PandaDoc
ESIGN and UETA	Yes	Yes	Yes
Audit trail	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Envelope limit	No cap	100/year	Not verified

28M+Documents signed

13+Years in business

4.6/5Average G2 rating