Send signature requests & sign documents with eSignature

With eSignature, you can create documents for signatures and send signature requests in Google Docs and Google Drive. Signers can then easily fill in requested information to complete eSignature requests. Note that use of this feature is subject to the following terms and conditions.

Enrollment & eligibility

The eSignature feature for Google Docs and Google Drive is in beta. If you have a Workspace Individual account, you should have access to this feature. If you’re on other eligible Workspace plans, you‘ll get guidance on the beta sign-up process soon.
 

Create & send a document for eSignature

Prepare an eSignature document

Important: This is only available to certain eligible users.

  1. Open the eSignature side panel.
    1. If you start from PDF files in Google Drive:
      1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
      2. Upload a new PDF file or find an existing one that you want to use.
      3. Open the PDF file in viewing mode.
      4. At the top right, click Menu More and then eSignature.
    2. If you start from Google Docs:
      1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
      2. You can create a new Google Doc or open an existing one that you’d like to use.
      3. Go to Tools and then eSignature.
  2. To select the signer to insert eSignature fields for, use the "Insert fields for" dropdown.
    1. You can update the list of available signers in the dropdown by selecting the “Manage signers” option that opens the "Manage signers" dialog.
    2. In this dialog, you can add up to 10 signers and assign labels for each signer to be able to identify the signers in the document.
  3. Drag and drop one or more of the following fields to add to your document:
    1. Signature
    2. Initials
    3. Name
    4. Date signed
  4. [For Google Doc only] Click on the inserted field in the Google Doc to open a popup below the field. You can view which signer the field is assigned to in that popup.
    1. You can also update signer assignments for the field using the "Assigned to" dropdown in the popup.
    2. You can click on the "Manage signers" button in the dropdown to open the same dialog as above to update the list of signers in the Google Doc.
  5. Repeat the process above to add all signers and eSignature fields for signers in the document.

Note: Each signer in the document is assigned a unique color and all fields assigned to the same signer are displayed in the same color to be able to differentiate fields assigned to different signers easily.

Tips:

  • You can add a maximum of 200 fields of any type per document.
  • You can add up to 10 signers to an eSignature request.
  • When you close the PDF file with eSignature fields, the fields won't be saved. If you want to save eSignature fields and use them as a template, start the eSignature request on a Google Doc.
  • The signer label is just a placeholder identifier for the signer in the document, and isn't part of the signing PDF that is generated later.
  • There's no requirement to use signer's email addresses as signer labels at this point since no emails are sent yet. That happens later in the "Send an eSignature request” section below where the placeholder labels for signers are mapped to actual email addresses.
Send an eSignature request
  1. Once you add all appropriate fields, in the right side panel, click Request signature.
    • Only collaborators that own or have edit access to the document can find this button. If you don't have these permissions, this button won't be available.
  2. Enter a title for the generated PDF file.
  3. Enter the email address for each signer.
    • You can also add a message that will be sent to the signers in the eSignature request email.
  4. You can select the audit trail locale in the request dialog. This value determines the locale in which the audit trail generates at the end.
  5. Click Request signature.
    • After the eSignature request is successfully created:
      • A PDF file is generated from the document and shared with the signers with view access. You can find the generated file in your My Drive.
      • An email notification is sent to the signers with a link to the document.

Tips:

  • After you click Request signature, the PDF file locks to avoid any changes before the signers can fulfill the eSignature request. The file used to create the signature request remains unlocked and isn't automatically shared with the signers as part of the eSignature request.
  • The file used to create the signature request can be used to generate other eSignature requests in the future. Each request generates a new PDF file, which is stored in your My Drive.
  • To view the progress of an eSignature request:
    1. Open the respective PDF file in Drive or through the link in the email notification.
    2. Click View details in the upper right corner of the PDF to open the right side panel and view eSignature details.
Make changes to a document after you send it
You can't update the PDF file while there's a pending eSignature request because the PDF file is locked. If you unlock the PDF to make changes, the eSignature request gets automatically canceled.
To cancel the eSignature request and make changes after a request is sent, select Cancel. You can send a new request after you make changes to the Google Doc and send a new PDF file for signature by following the steps in Create & send a document for eSignature.
If the eSignature request is active, you can't unlock the PDF file. You can make changes to the Google Doc at any time because it isn't locked as part of the eSignature request.
Cancel an unsigned eSignature request
If the eSignature request is still pending, you can cancel the request.
  1. Open the PDF file for that request.
  2. Click Menu More and then Cancel.

Tip: If you don't want to keep the copy of the PDF file for your canceled request, navigate to the folder where the PDF file is saved and delete that copy. The default location is My Drive.

Check the status of eSignature request
  1. Open the PDF file for that request.
  2. Choose an action:
    • Click Menu More and then eSignature.
    • Click View details.
  3. The side panel should show the details of the eSignature request and its current status.

Sign, reject, or view details for an eSignature request

Sign an eSignature request
  1. On a computer, open the email account that the eSignature request was sent to.
  2. Open the email notification.
  3. Click the embedded link.
    • Tip: If you open the PDF file directly from Drive, to sign the document, click Sign.
  4. Click any colored fields, which indicate that those fields are yours to sign.
    • Fields assigned to other signers who haven't completed the request yet are greyed out.
    • The PDF should contain signature values provided by other signers who have already completed the request at this point.
  5. Enter your full name and initials.
  6. Click Adopt and sign.
  7. After you complete all signature fields, click Mark Complete.
    • After you click “Mark complete,” you'll get a notice in the dialog that shows:
      • The exact email value input by the requestor- this will be viewable by others with access to the eSignature PDFs once you click to proceed.

Tip: In the case where a Signer has multiple emails on their Google account, only the email entered by the requester in the request dialog will be shown.

  1. Review and accept the Terms of Service.
  2. Click Agree & Continue.

Tips:

  • If you're the only signer: You and the requester get an email that the request is complete.
  • If the request has multiple signers: The request isn’t complete until all signers sign, at which point all signers and the requester get an email that the request is complete.
Reject an eSignature request
  1. On a computer, open the email account that the eSignature request was sent to.
  2. Open the email notification.
  3. Click the embedded link.
  4. Click Reject.
  5. Optional: Provide a reason for the rejection.
  6. Click Reject. The requester receives an email that the request was rejected.
View details of an eSignature request
  1. On a computer, open the email account that the eSignature request was sent to.
  2. Open the email notification.
  3. Click the embedded link.
  4. Click View details.

Completed eSignature requests

Find the finalized document

Once the eSignature request is complete, a copy of the finalized document is sent to all signers and the requestor’s email inboxes and saved in every party’s Drive. If you haven't received the email, check your spam folder.

If you can't find the email notification anywhere, select Send feedback to report the issue.

View audit trail

You can select the audit trail locale in the request dialog. This value determines the locale in which the audit trail generates at the end.

Tip: After all signers sign the document, a final .pdf is generated. The end of the .pdf contains an audit trail page. The page is generated in the locale the requester selected when initiating the eSignature request. This page contains a log of various events that occurred during the eSignature request lifecycle with timestamps, such as:

  • eSignature was requested
  • eSignature was signed
  • eSignature was completed
  • The available identifying information for the users involved such as their email and name

Learn about beta limitations

Product updates may roll out continuously while you're in the beta program. The team welcomes your feedback as we consider improvements to the feature.

The eSignature beta has the following limitation:

  • Signature requests on file types other than PDF and Google Docs

Send feedback

To provide feedback to Google:

  1. Open the PDF file for the signature request you want to provide feedback for.
  2. Click View details and then Menu More and then Send feature feedback.

You can also send feedback through the product:

Need more help?

Try these next steps:

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