The Signature question makes it easy to collect legally valid electronic signatures right within your form, no need to send respondents to a separate tool. Whether you’re gathering signed agreements, consent forms, or service contracts, this feature keeps the entire process seamless.
Respondents will have the option to type, draw or upload their signature on the form.
- Type - The respondent types their full name and it’s displayed in a signature-styles font.
- Draw - The respondent uses their mouse or touchscreen (e.g. mobile device) to draw their signature.
- Upload - The respondent uploads an image of their signature.
Each signed submission is stored securely within your Typeform account, locked to prevent edits, and can be downloaded as a PDF for your records. Respondents will need to provide an email address when they sign, and a copy of the signed form along with their responses will automatically be emailed to them.
The Signature question is available on the Growth Pro, Growth Custom, and Enterprise plans.
How to add a Signature question
- Open an existing form or create a new one and click + Add content.
- Select Signature from the Other question types section.
- Type your question in the placeholder field, and optionally add in a description. We recommend letting respondents know what you are collecting their signature for.
- Respondents will have the option to type, draw or upload their signature.
- In the Question settings on the right, you can toggle the required setting to be on or off for the Signature question.
- An email question will automatically be added to the end of the form when you use the Signature question type. A copy of the signed document will be sent to this email address. Click View example to see what the email question will look like in preview mode.
At the end of the form, respondents will see a question asking them for their email address and to click the consent checkbox. If respondents don’t click the consent checkbox, they won’t be able to submit the form.
If respondents have skipped the Signature question, they will not see the email question at the end of the form.
Note! If you add a Signature question, an email address
question with a consent checkbox is automatically added at the end of
your
form. The email address given here isn't stored in the
Responses section
of your account. To link responses to an email address, use it for integrations,
Contact
& Automations,
or any other follow ups, add your own Email or
Contact
Info
question to the form.
When the respondent clicks on the final Submit button, they'll receive a copy of the signed document along with their responses to the form in their inbox.
In the email, respondents will be able to download the document with their form responses and signature. The link to download the document will expire in 2 hours after submitting the form. If a respondent replies to the email, the reply will be sent to the Typeform Workspace owner’s email address.
The Typeform account owner will also receive an email with a link to download a copy of the signed form.
Note! The PDF is generated after the form is submitted and
may take a moment to be ready. If the download button shows
Checking PDF availability
, try again in a few seconds.
- We recommend adding an end screen to let respondents know they can download a copy of their signature with their answers to the form within 2 hours. Click the + button next to Endings to add an end screen.
- Click Share/Publish edits to publish your form and make it live.
Respondent experience
Below you’ll find what respondents will see when they fill out a form with a Signature question.
Respondents can click Type, Draw, or Upload to sign the form.
If they click Type and type their full name, it’s displayed in a signature-styles font.
If they click Draw, the respondent can use their mouse or touchscreen to draw their signature. They’ll have the option to click Clear to redo their signature if they’re unhappy with it. When they’re done, they can click OK to move on with the form.
If they click Upload, respondents can upload an image of their signature. The file can be up to 10MB. When they’ve finished uploading, they can click OK to move on with the form.
Viewing and downloading signed responses
Click Results and then Responses to view the signatures you’ve collected.
Under the Signature question column, you can view which respondents have signed or not signed.
To view/download the signed form, click the expand icon on an individual response. Currently, bulk exporting of signatures isn’t supported.
Click Download signed form.
Open the downloaded file to view the responses and signature of the respondent. Respondents will receive a copy of this file.
FAQ
Is a Typeform e-signature legally binding?
Yes, generally speaking, this is acceptable in most cases. It applies when the intent to sign is clear and the context allows for basic electronic signature to be legally valid. If you’re unsure whether this applies to your specific case, it’s best to consult a legal professional.
Can I use the Signature question for contracts?
Yes, for most common business agreements (NDAs, service agreements, freelance contacts, consent forms, etc.). It’s not intended for document types that legally require handwritten signatures, notarization, or higher-assurance identity verification.
How many Signature questions can I add to a form?
We recommend only adding 1 Signature question to a form. You can include multiple Signature questions and the signatures will be recorded, however only a single PDF is generated.
What happens if a respondent refuses to sign?
The full form will not be submitted, but partial responses collected before the partial submit point will appear in the Responses section.
Can I use the Signature question with Partial Submit Points?
Yes, you can add up to 3 Partial Submit Points depending on your plan.
If a respondent has passed a Partial Submit Point and has passed the Signature question, their response will appear as Not signed in the Responses section. Their signature response won’t update to Signed until they click the consent checkbox and submit the entire form.
Can I use the Signature question with an integration?
Currently, the Signature question isn’t supported with integrations or through the API.
Can I edit a signed response?
No, once a response is signed and submitted, it cannot be changed. This restriction applies to both you and the respondent to ensure the integrity of the signed record.
What file format is the signed document?
The signed document will be a flattened PDF containing the full form, all responses, and the signature. The PDF is generated automatically after submissions and is accessible from the Results/Responses section.
What information is included in the signed PDF?
- Form questions and responses
- The signature
- Exact timestamp of when the form was signed
- Signing method used (typed, drawn, or uploaded)
- User agent (browser/device information)
What standards does the Signature question cover?
- ESIGN Act (U.S. federal)
- UETA (U.S. state-level)
- eIDAS (European Union) — Basic Electronic Signature (BES) tier
What does the Signature question not cover?
The Signature Block provides a basic (simple) Electronic Signature. It does not provide identity verification, Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES), or Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). In the EU for high-risk transactions, it requires a higher signature tier. Typeform does not currently support those.
What should I not use the Signature question for?
- Real estate transactions or property transfers
- Wills, trusts, or estate documents
- Court filings or notarized documents
- Any document type that explicitly requires a wet (handwritten) signature in your jurisdiction
If you are unsure whether electronic signatures are valid for your specific use case or jurisdiction, consult a legal professional. Typeform’s Signature question is a general-purpose tool and is not tailored to meet all local laws. See our full Legal Terms for the Signature question here.
What are the respondent’s rights?
In line with U.S. federal requirements (ESIGN/UETA), respondents are informed of the following before signing:
- They have the right to refuse to sign electronically
- They can choose to reject the signature request and process the document offline instead (by contacting the form creator)
- A copy of the signed document will be sent to their email address
Security and data handling
- Signed PDFs are stored in encrypted, secure storage
- Submitted forms are locked immediately after signing — neither the respondent nor the form creator can modify a signed response
- File access is controlled through Typeform’s internal file service and requires authentication. Signature files are not publicly accessible via a direct URL
- Files are retained according to Typeform’s standard data retention policy.
Where can I find more detail on the legal terms?
See our full Legal Terms for the Signature question here.