Sign a PDF in your browser, without uploading it anywhere

Sign PDF — frequently asked questions

Is a signature made here legally binding?

For most everyday documents, yes. US law (the ESIGN Act and UETA) is deliberately technology-neutral: an electronic signature is any symbol or process adopted with intent to sign, and no cryptography is required. Courts have accepted scanned handwritten signatures, faxes and email. In the EU, eIDAS Art. 25(1) says a signature can't be denied legal effect purely for being electronic. The exceptions matter though — see the limits above.

What's the difference between this and a 'digital signature'?

This stamps a visual mark into the page. A digital signature cryptographically binds a certificate to the file's bytes so any later change is detectable. Free online tools — Adobe's, Smallpdf's and iLovePDF's free tiers included — all give you the visual mark; the cryptographic version sits behind their paid plans because it needs a certificate authority relationship. We'd rather say so than imply otherwise.

Can I reuse the same signature on other documents?

Yes. Tick 'save on this device' and it's stored in your browser's local storage, ready to place with one click next time. It never leaves your browser, and there's a Clear button whenever you want it gone.

The PDF already has signature and text fields. Can I fill those?

Yes. If the document has real form fields (an AcroForm), they're detected and rendered as proper inputs rather than making you float a text box over each one. Signature fields get a 'click to sign' affordance that drops your signature exactly into the box. Fields are flattened on export so the values are baked in.

Do I have to initial every page separately?

No. Place your initials once, then use 'apply to every page' — the position is mapped proportionally, so it lands in the same visual spot even on documents that mix A4, Letter and rotated pages.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. Every operation runs in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly — the file never leaves your device. You can verify it: load the page, disconnect from the internet, and the tool still works. There is no upload endpoint to send it to.

Is it really free? What's the catch?

It's free because it costs us almost nothing to run: there's no server doing the work, so there's no per-file cost to recover. No account, no watermark, no daily task limit, and no feature that turns out to be paid at the download step.