An electronic signature is any sound, symbol, or process that a person attaches to a record and executes or adopts with the intent to sign it. That definition comes almost word for word from U.S. law. Under the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act), 15 U.S.C. §7006(5), an "electronic signature" is defined 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." A typed name at the bottom of an email, a checkbox you click to accept terms, and a signature you draw with a mouse or finger can all qualify. The law cares about intent and attachment to the record. Ink and handwriting don't enter into it.
The legal definition, in plain English
Strip away the legal phrasing and the definition has three parts.
- A sound, symbol, or process. This is deliberately broad. It covers a typed name, a scanned image of a handwritten signature, a checkbox, a voice recording, or a cryptographic process.
- Attached to or logically associated with the record. The mark has to connect to the specific document; sitting somewhere near it isn't enough. A signature block at the end of a contract satisfies this. A signature floating in an unrelated email does not.
- Executed or adopted with intent to sign. The person has to mean to sign. Mentioning your own name in an email isn't a signature.
Every U.S. state has adopted some version of the parallel Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), which uses nearly identical language and works alongside ESIGN. Between them, they're the reason electronic signatures are enforceable for the vast majority of everyday business contracts. For the enforceability details, see are electronic signatures legally binding?
Examples of what counts as an electronic signature
Because the legal bar is intent plus attachment, a lot of everyday actions qualify:
- A typed name. Typing "Jane Doe" into a signature field at the end of a contract, with the intent to sign it, is a valid electronic signature.
- A drawn signature. Signing with a mouse, stylus, or fingertip on a touchscreen. This is the most common form in e-signature tools like GSD.
- A click-to-sign checkbox or button. Clicking "I agree" or "Sign" after reviewing a document, where the platform records that click as the act of signing, satisfies the process prong of the definition.
- An uploaded image of a handwritten signature. A photo or scan of your signature, placed onto the record.
- A conformed signature ("/s/ Jane Doe"). Typing
/s/followed by a name is a long-standing way to indicate a signature on a document that isn't handwritten. You'll mostly see it in court filings and SEC/EDGAR filings, where the filer represents that the named person authorized the signature. It's a legitimate way to adopt an electronic signature, but it doesn't explain or authenticate itself. Courts and agencies vary in what they expect around it, and some require a retained physical or electronic record of authorization behind the /s/. If you're filing with a specific court or agency, check that body's own rules before relying on the convention instead of a signing platform's audit trail.
What does NOT make a signature valid on its own
The mark itself is rarely the whole story. A few things to keep in mind:
- The mark alone isn't proof of intent or identity. A typed name proves someone typed it. It doesn't by itself prove who typed it, or that they meant to be bound. That's why a real record of the transaction (who signed, when, from where) matters more than what the mark looks like. See what makes an audit trail hold up.
- Consent to do business electronically still has to be there. ESIGN and UETA both require that the signer had the opportunity to consent to electronic records and signatures (and, for consumer transactions, certain disclosures). Skipping this doesn't invalidate a signature, but consent is a separate legal element from the mark itself.
- Some documents are excluded from ESIGN entirely (see below). For those, an electronic mark by itself doesn't satisfy the applicable signing requirement, no matter how it's captured.
Documents ESIGN doesn't cover
The ESIGN Act carves out several categories where its rules don't apply, per 15 U.S.C. §7003. In broad terms, these include:
- Wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts
- State-law matters of adoption, divorce, and other family law
- Most of the Uniform Commercial Code (with a few listed exceptions)
- Court orders, notices, and official court documents filed in connection with court proceedings
- Notices of utility service cancellation or termination (water, heat, power)
- Notices of default, foreclosure, or eviction, or the cancellation of health or life insurance benefits
- Notices of product recalls or material failures that risk health or safety
- Documents required to accompany the transportation or handling of hazardous, toxic, or dangerous materials
If a document falls into one of these buckets, don't assume an e-signature tool clears the legal bar. Check the specific state or federal requirement that applies. Everything else is fair game: the sales contracts, service agreements, offer letters, and NDAs most small businesses actually send. For those, electronic signatures are standard practice and legally sound when captured properly.
How GSD captures an electronic signature
GSD is built around this legal definition. Signing is a browser-based process the signer carries out with clear intent. You upload a PDF or Word document, GSD's AI places signature, date, and text fields automatically, and you send it to your signer. They open the link in any browser on phone or desktop, type or draw their signature, and submit. They don't need an account or a download. When they finish, you get the completed document plus a Certificate of Completion and a tamper-evident audit trail (SHA-256 hash of the signed file, signer IP addresses, and timestamps). That record is what backs up the signature if anyone ever questions it. To try signing something yourself first, sign a PDF for free or create a signature image. Neither needs an account.
Electronic signature vs. digital signature
People often use these terms interchangeably, but they mean different things. "Electronic signature" is the broad legal term this article covers: any sound, symbol, or process executed with intent to sign. "Digital signature" more precisely means a certificate-based cryptographic signature that uses public-key infrastructure (PKI) to bind a signature to an identity verified by a certificate authority. GSD provides electronic signatures with a hashed, tamper-evident audit trail. It does not provide certificate-based PKI digital signatures, and it isn't a notary or a provider of eIDAS qualified/advanced signatures. If you specifically need certificate-based signing, read electronic vs. digital signature for the full comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is the electronic signature meaning under U.S. law?
Under the ESIGN Act, an electronic signature is "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" (15 U.S.C. §7006(5)). Nearly every state has an equivalent definition under its own UETA statute.
What is a sample of an electronic signature?
Common examples include a typed name in a signature field, a signature drawn with a mouse or finger, an uploaded image of a handwritten signature, a click-to-sign checkbox, and a conformed "/s/ Jane Doe" signature used in court and regulatory filings.
What does "/s/" mean before a name?
"/s/" is a conformed-signature convention. It indicates that the named person signed the document electronically or authorized their signature, and it's common in court filings and SEC/EDGAR documents. Expectations around it vary by court or agency, so check that body's filing rules.
Is a typed name a legally valid electronic signature?
Generally, yes. If it was executed with the intent to sign and is attached to the record, a typed name satisfies the ESIGN and UETA definitions for most everyday business documents. Some documents (wills, certain family-law matters, specific court and utility notices) are excluded and require other signing methods.
Is an electronic signature the same as a digital signature?
No. Electronic signature is the broad legal category; digital signature specifically means a certificate-based cryptographic signature using PKI. GSD provides electronic signatures with a tamper-evident audit trail, not PKI-based digital signatures.