How to sign a PDF in your browser

Signing a PDF usually means one of two different things: placing a picture of your handwritten signature on the page, or applying a cryptographic digital signature backed by a certificate. Most everyday forms — a rental application, a school permission slip, a freelance agreement — only need the first. That can be done entirely in your browser.

Add your signature, step by step

1. Open Sign PDF and drop the document onto the drop zone. It is read into the page's memory; nothing is uploaded.
2. Draw your signature in the white box with a mouse, trackpad, stylus or finger. Clear starts again.
3. Choose the page (the last page is selected by default), the position, and the signature width.
4. Click Place signature & download. You get a new PDF with your signature embedded as a transparent image.

What kind of signature is this?

The result is a visual signature: an image of your handwriting placed on the page. It shows intent to sign, and many organisations accept it, but it does not prove who signed or that the document hasn't changed since — anyone could copy the image. A digital signature (certificate-based, sometimes called PAdES in PDFs) does both, and PDF readers show it in a signature panel.

Which one you need depends on the document and the country. Many jurisdictions recognise simple electronic signatures for ordinary agreements, while some documents need a certificate-based or handwritten signature. India's IT Act, for example, recognises specific methods such as Aadhaar eSign and digital signature certificates. When in doubt, ask the person or organisation receiving the document what they accept. This guide isn't legal advice.

Keep the original safe

• The tool writes a new file and never changes your original, so keep the unsigned version too.
• Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first.
• If you need to send several signed pages as one file, sign each document, then combine them with Merge PDF.