Prerequisites
- An open signature request. You’ll need the protected link sent to your email. You don’t need a Paperplane account.
- A device with a mouse, touchscreen, or trackpad to draw with — or a signature image file if you’d rather upload one.
- Access to the inbox the request was sent to, since you verify that email address with a one-time code before signing.
Steps
- Open the protected signature link from your email.
- Verify your email address with the one-time code Paperplane sends you. See Verify a protected signature link by email.
- Review the PDF you’ve been asked to sign. You can also download it first.
- Under Sign directly in the document, select Open signing editor.
- Draw your signature with your mouse or finger, or upload an image of your signature instead.
- Drag the signature to where it belongs on the page and use its corner to resize it. Paperplane adds your email address and, on submission, the signing time to the signature.
- Confirm that the mark is your electronic signature and submit it.
Expected result
Your signature is placed on the PDF and submitted to the sender, who reviews it and approves or rejects it. You receive an email with the outcome. Once approved, the request is complete, the signed PDF is stored in the sender’s archive, and you can download it through your link.
This is a simple electronic signature, suitable for many everyday documents. Check any legal or contractual signing requirements that apply to your document before using it.
Common problems
- You can’t draw a clean signature with a mouse. Try uploading an image of your signature instead — a photo of your signature on paper, cropped to just the signature, usually works well.
- The signature won’t stay exactly where you want it. Move it in small steps with the arrow keys, and resize it with Shift and the arrow keys, before submitting.
- The page says the signing deadline has passed or the link is unavailable. See Resolve signature link problems.
- You submitted but the request still shows as awaiting review. That’s expected: the sender reviews every simple signature, and the request completes once they approve it. See Review and manage signature submissions.