One of the most common questions among people who work with documents, contracts, certificates, and files that require a signature is how to digitally sign a PDF. Digital signatures are an excellent alternative if you want to save time and reduce the costs of printing and sending these documents.

Read more about what a Digital Signature is.

Digital Signature vs. Physical Signature

Unlike a handwritten signature, a digital signature is difficult to forge because it uses a range of data beyond the signature itself, which can be verified by any signer.

The processes that help make the signature secure include data collection, email confirmation, IP address and geolocation, unique codes known as tokens, and electronic authentication.

When you digitally sign a PDF with Autentique, for example, all this data is recorded in each new document created and sent for signature. Brazilian Provisional Measure 2,200-2 of 2001, Law No. 14,063/2020, and Decree 8,539 of 2015 help form the legal basis applicable to electronic signatures in Brazil.

Step-by-step guide to digitally signing a PDF

In the step-by-step guide below, you will see how easy and fast it is to sign your PDF without needing to download any software.

Follow these steps and, in just a few seconds, you will have your PDF document signed for free:

1. Create your account with Autentique at autentique.com.br.
2. Confirm your email. You will receive a registration confirmation email to verify that the address is correct and validate your account, so we know that you are who you say you are.
3. Log in to the dashboard and, to get started, click “New Document”.
4. Fill in the “Signer” field with the email address, or mobile number, depending on the delivery method selected, of the people who will sign the document. Signers can sign, endorse, act as witnesses, and perform other roles. You can also create a signing workflow, defining the order in which signatures will take place, or add yourself as a signer to sign your own document.
5. Click “Select File” and add your PDF. In addition to PDF files, we also accept Word, Excel, LibreOffice, and other document formats.
6. Click “Next”.
7. This step is optional. You can add your signature and position it wherever you want in the document. If you do not position it, your signature, along with the standard information, will appear on the signature page attached to the document, which is used for document audit purposes.
8. Click “Send for Signature”.

Done. Your signers will automatically receive your signature request by email, or by SMS or WhatsApp, and you will be notified as soon as they sign. If you are one of the signers, you can sign immediately.

You will be able to view your document on the platform, track the signature status, and download the document.

Still have questions? Read more about how to create your digital signature here.

Which documents can be signed?

“Can I sign all documents with Autentique?”

Well, almost all of them. There are some documents for which you still need to go to a notary office, such as deeds and certificates. However, practically all private documents can be signed with Autentique.

Here is a short list of the main documents you can digitally sign:

• Agreements;
• Donations;
• Asset divisions;
• Non-disclosure agreements;
• Usage rights;
• Extrajudicial notices and communications;
• Receipts;
• Powers of attorney;
• Authorizations;
• Prenuptial agreements;
• Purchase and sale agreements;
• Private contracts;
• Rental and lease agreements;
• Employment and contractor agreements;
• Service agreements;
• School contracts;
• Service hiring documents;
• Practically all private and professional documents.

Advantages of digitally signing a PDF

Digitally signing a PDF offers several advantages, such as:

• Speed and practicality;
• Signing at any time and from anywhere;
• Reduced costs with printing, couriers, delivery services, postal services, and notary offices;
• Better use of employees’ time;
• Less paper usage;
• Faster contract completion, including signatures and signature requests.

Now that you know all about digital signatures, start putting them into practice: digitally sign a PDF with Autentique.