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. To complete eSignature requests, signers can easily fill in requested information. Use of this feature is subject to the following terms and conditions.

Enrollment & eligibility

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

If you don’t have a Workspace subscription plan, you can gain access to this feature today by signing up for a Workspace Individual plan.

Create & send a document for eSignature

Prepare an eSignature document

Important: This is available to certain eligible users.

1. Open the eSignature side panel.
   • If you start from PDF files in Google Drive (beta):
     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 eSignature.
   • 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 eSignature.
2. If you have multiple signers, under “Insert fields for,” select the specific signer you want to insert an eSignature field for.
   • To update the list of available signers in the dropdown, select Manage signers. It’ll open the Manage signers dialog.
   • In the Manage signers dialog, you can add up to 10 signers and assign labels for each signer to identify the signers in the document.
3. Drag one or more of the following fields to add to your document:
   • Signature
   • Initials
   • Name
   • Date signed
4. For Google Docs only: To open a popup below the field, click the inserted field in the Google Doc. You can find which signer the field is assigned to in that popup.
   • To update signer assignment for the field, use the Assigned to dropdown in the popup.
   • To update the list of signers in the Google Doc and open the same dialog as above, in the dropdown, click Manage signers.
5. To add all signers and eSignature fields for signers in the document, repeat the steps.

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.
• For a signer in the document, the signer label is just a placeholder identifier and isn't part of the signing PDF that’s 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.
• To differentiate fields assigned to different signers easily, each signer in the document is assigned a unique color. All fields assigned to the same signer are displayed in the same color.

Send an eSignature request

1. After you add all appropriate fields, on the right, click Request signature.
   • Collaborators that own or have edit access to the document can find this button. Otherwise, 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'll 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. Review and accept Terms of Service if shown in the request dialog.
6. Click Request signature.
   • After the eSignature request is successfully created:
     • From the document, a PDF file is generated 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.
• To generate other eSignature requests in the future, the file used to create the signature request can be used again. Each request generates a new PDF file, which is stored in your My Drive.
• To check the progress of an eSignature request:
  • Open the respective PDF file in Drive or through the link in the email notification.
  • To open the right side panel and view eSignature details, at the top right of the PDF, click View details.

Add changes to a document after you send it

You can't update the PDF file once an eSignature request starts on it because the PDF file is locked. You can still organize it in your Drive, for instance, change its location.

To change or cancel the eSignature request after a request is sent, select Cancel. You can send a new request after you add changes to the source Google Doc or PDF file in Google Drive and send a new PDF file for signature. Follow the steps in Create and send a document for eSignature.

If the eSignature request is active, you can't unlock the PDF file. You can still add changes to the Google Doc at any time because it isn't locked as part of the eSignature request.

Cancel a pending eSignature request

If the eSignature request is still pending, to cancel the request:

1. Open the PDF file for that request.
2. Click Menu   Cancel.

Tip: If you want to delete the PDF copy of your canceled request, navigate to the file’s folder 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. Select an action:
   • Click Menu eSignature.
   • Click View details.
3. On the side panel, you’ll find the details of the eSignature request and its status.

Sign, reject, or view details for an eSignature request

Sign an eSignature request

1. Open the email account that the eSignature request was sent to.
2. Open the email notification.
3. Click the embedded link.
   • 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 signed yet are grayed out.
   • Signature values provided by other signers who have already signed are in the PDF.
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 get a notice in the dialog that shows:
     • The exact email value being recorded for you that is viewable by others with access to the eSignature PDFs after you click to proceed.
     • In the case where you have multiple emails on your Google Account, the email that the requester had entered for you in the request dialog is used.
8. Review and accept the Terms of Service.
9. 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.
   • Optional: Provide a reason for the rejection.
5. 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.

Complete eSignature requests

Find the finalized document

After the eSignature request is complete, a final document copy or a link to the final document is sent to all signers and requestor's email inboxes, and a final document copy is saved in every party’s Drive. 

If you can't find the final document:

• Check your spam folder.
• Reach out to other parties involved in the eSignature request to obtain a copy.
• Send feedback about Gmail or Contact Google Drive support.
• To make sure you can receive future eSignature documents:
  • If you have a Google Drive account, check your Drive settings so that you can store new content.
• Check your email settings so that you can receive emails from [e-mail].

Find 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 they start the eSignature request. This page contains a log of various events that occurred during the eSignature request lifecycle with timestamps, such as:

• eSignature requested
• eSignature signed
• eSignature completion
• Identifying information for the requester and signers such as their email and name

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  Menu   Send feature feedback.

You can also send feedback through the product:

• Send feedback about Gmail
• Contact Google Drive support