Guide
How to Sign a Contract Online
Electronic signatures are legally valid for most contracts. Here's how to sign one digitally.
Steps
- 1
Prepare your contract as markdown or PDF
- 2
Submit via Signbee API with sender and recipient details
- 3
Recipient receives email with secure signing link
- 4
Both parties add their signatures
- 5
Certified PDF delivered with tamper-proof audit trail
Try it with curl
curl -X POST https://signb.ee/api/send \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"content": "# Your Document\n\nContent here...",
"senderName": "Your Name",
"senderEmail": "you@email.com",
"recipientName": "Recipient",
"recipientEmail": "recipient@email.com"
}'Legal validity
Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS Regulation (EU), and Electronic Communications Act (UK). Every Signbee document includes a SHA-256 tamper-proof certificate.
More details
The word 'contract' covers thousands of document types — and almost all of them can be signed electronically. The ESIGN Act and eIDAS don't restrict by document type; they establish that electronic signatures have the same legal validity as wet signatures, with limited exceptions (wills, family law, court orders).
What makes an electronically signed contract enforceable: 1. Intent to sign — the signer took an affirmative action (clicking, drawing, typing) 2. Consent to do business electronically — implied by using the electronic signing tool 3. Association — the signature is linked to the specific document 4. Record retention — the signed document is preserved in its final form
Common contract types signed online: - Service agreements and SOWs - Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) - Employment contracts and offer letters - Lease and rental agreements - Purchase agreements - Consulting and advisory agreements - Partnership and joint venture agreements - Vendor and supplier agreements
For contracts requiring multiple signatures (e.g., two business partners), each party receives their own signing link and signs independently. The final document is delivered once all parties have signed.
For high-value or regulated contracts, consider using Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES) or Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) which provide stronger legal standing in EU jurisdictions.
Frequently asked questions
What types of contracts can be signed online?
Almost all business contracts can be signed electronically — NDAs, service agreements, employment contracts, leases, vendor agreements, and more. Limited exceptions include wills, certain family law documents, and some court orders.
Is an online contract as legally binding as a paper one?
Yes. Under ESIGN (US), eIDAS (EU), and ECA (UK), electronically signed contracts have identical legal standing to paper-signed contracts. The SHA-256 certificate actually provides stronger evidence of signing than a paper signature.
Related resources
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