

Anything that is determined to represent a signer could be considered an electronic signature.Īs you might expect, because everything is created and signed in a digital format, it’s easier than ever to forge signatures. With these definitions in mind, it’s important to note that e-signatures don’t have to resemble handwritten signatures at all. This is similar to the legal definition described in the eIDAS Regulation in Europe. Strictly speaking, electronic signatures are defined by the Federal ESIGN Act of 2000 as, “an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.” Let’s take a closer look at what you need to know when creating electronic signatures and e-signing documents in Google Docs. There are different ways to sign, and how you choose to do so can determine whether your signature is considered legally valid. Unfortunately, creating electronic signatures isn’t as easy as scribbling your name on a document. As more companies and individuals opt for virtual signatures and eliminate the burdensome process of hand-signing documents, this has become a critical feature for many organizations. What you might not know is that it’s possible to add electronic signatures to your Google Docs without ever leaving your document window.

Plus, the functionality provided by Gmail and Google Drive is completely free. It’s a powerful productivity platform that comes with a set of great tools for businesses and individuals alike. Right now, Google Workspace ( formerly G Suite) has over 2 billion monthly active users. Google Docs is one of the world’s most popular word processors.
