Sending a contract for signature shouldn’t mean printing it, scanning it and chasing email attachments. With PlatoForms, the other party fills in and signs the contract in their browser, and you get back the completed PDF together with a signature certificate that records how it was signed.
This guide shows how to send a contract for electronic signature, step by step, and what you get once it is signed.
Table of Contents:
1. Why send contracts for e-signature?
2. What online contract signing means in PlatoForms
3. How to send a contract for electronic signature
4. What you get after they sign
Why send contracts for e-signature?
- Faster turnaround. The signer opens a link, fills in the contract and signs on a phone or computer. Nothing to print, scan or post.
- Works for remote signers. Clients, contractors and new hires can sign wherever they are.
- One record. The signed PDF, the answers and the signature certificate stay together with the submission, so you don’t have to collect them from different inboxes and tools.
What online contract signing means in PlatoForms
The signer fills in and signs the same PDF or web form you send. There is no separate signing tool to set up.
PlatoForms signatures are simple electronic signatures backed by recorded evidence. The evidence is captured in a signature certificate. They are not PKI digital signatures or qualified signatures, and the signer’s identity is not checked with an ID document or a text-message code. If you want the background on how electronic and digital signatures differ, read what an e-signature is. For the legal side, see Legally binding electronic signatures.
How to send a contract for electronic signature
1. Turn your contract into a form
Start from the contract you already use. Upload the PDF and make it fillable, so the signer fills in the same layout and you get the same PDF back. Or build a web form if you prefer a form that reflows on phones.
2. Add a Signature field
In the form builder, add a Signature field where the contract needs to be signed. The signer can draw, type or upload their signature.
Under the signature pad, the signer sees a one-sentence consent notice. By default it reads:
By signing and submitting this form, I agree to sign electronically, with the same legal effect as signing by hand.
You can edit the wording in the Signature field’s Consent notice. On forms created since the September 2026 certificate upgrade, every Signature field goes on the certificate, so there is no extra option to tick on the field.
3. Send it by invitation or in a workflow, with the certificate on
The signature certificate is available on paid plans.
How you send the contract decides whether you get a signature certificate. A certificate is created only when PlatoForms knows who was asked to sign:
-
One signer: send an invitation. In the form’s Invitation panel, keep Tracking Invitation on and turn on Signature Certificate before you send.
-
Several people, in order: use a workflow, for example when a manager approves the contract before the client signs. On the step that collects the signature, turn on Create signature certificate. For the first step of a workflow, turn the certificate on in the invitation instead.
A form filled in from its public link produces no certificate, because there is no record of who received the link.
4. The signer fills in and signs
The signer opens the link from their email, fills in the contract and signs. The consent notice appears under the signature pad, in the form’s own style and language. Submitting the form completes the signing.
5. Download the signed contract and its certificate
On the Submissions page, open the submission’s actions to download the signed PDF, download the signature certificate, or click Verify signatures online. The default notification email also attaches the certificate. Forms created before this became the default need two variables in the email body.
What you get after they sign
The signature certificate records:
- The signer’s email address, the time of signing, and their IP address and browser.
- The consent notice exactly as they saw it.
- The fingerprint of the signed PDF.
- A tamper-evident timeline of the signing, from opening the link to submitting.
Every certificate links to a public verification page. Anyone holding the signed contract can upload it there to confirm it is the file that was signed, with no PlatoForms account. A copy of the certificate is also kept in write-once storage for seven years.
To see how to check a signed PDF step by step, read How can I prove a PlatoForms e-signature is valid?.
When to use a different method
Many everyday business documents can be signed this way, such as service agreements, client contracts, consent forms and onboarding paperwork. Some documents have special formalities, or fall outside the general e-signature rules, depending on where you are: for example wills, certain powers of attorney and deeds, notarised documents and documents filed in court. Follow the rules of the relevant court, registry or authority, and get legal advice where you need it. Legally binding electronic signatures lists the documents and countries to check before you rely on a simple electronic signature.
FAQ
Can a contract be signed electronically?
Generally, yes. Many jurisdictions recognise simple electronic signatures for everyday business contracts, subject to local law, the document type and the evidence surrounding the signature. Some documents have special formalities, such as wills, certain powers of attorney and notarised documents, depending on where you are. See Legally binding electronic signatures for the documents and countries to check.
Do I need a separate e-signature tool to send a contract?
No. In PlatoForms you add a Signature field to the contract form and send it by invitation or in a workflow with the signature certificate turned on. You get back the completed PDF and its signature certificate in the same place.
Does a public form link produce a signature certificate?
No. A certificate is created only when the form is sent through an invitation or a workflow step with the certificate turned on, because only then does PlatoForms know who was asked to sign. The Signature field still works on a public link, without a certificate.
How do I turn on the signature certificate?
Add a Signature field to your form. Then turn on Tracking Invitation and Signature Certificate in the form’s Invitation panel before you send, or turn on Create signature certificate on the workflow step that collects the signature. On forms created since the September 2026 certificate upgrade, there is no per-field option to tick: every Signature field goes on the certificate.
Send your next contract for signature
Turn the contract you already use into a fillable form, add a Signature field and send it with a certificate. Create your free PlatoForms account and send your first contract today.
