Electronic signature

An electronic signature is any way of signing a document electronically to show intent to agree, from typing your name to drawing a signature with your finger. Under the EU's eIDAS regulation, these come in tiers: a Simple Electronic Signature (SES), an Advanced one, and a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), with QES carrying the strongest legal weight.

For most everyday agreements, a Simple Electronic Signature is enough and is legally valid. Drawing or placing your signature on a PDF, an NDA, a quote, a consent form, creates a binding record of who agreed and when. The higher tiers add identity verification and certificate-based assurance for high-stakes cases like notarized acts.

The key thing to know: an electronic signature is about the act and intent of signing, while a digital signature (the cryptographic kind) is the technology that can make it tamper-evident. They are related but not the same thing.