Initials
Initials are the first letters of a signer's name, written or adopted next to a specific page, clause or change to show they saw and accepted it.
Updated October 13, 2026 · 1 min read
When to ask for initials
- Beside important clauses: cancellation terms, late fees, warranty limits, exclusions.
- On every page of a long agreement, so no page can be swapped out unnoticed.
- Next to handwritten changes or strike-throughs on a paper contract.
Initials or a full signature?
Initials acknowledge a part of the document. The full signature, usually at the end, is what accepts the whole agreement. Asking for initials doesn't replace the signature; it adds proof that the signer saw the parts most likely to be argued about later.
Initials in SignMaster
Place an Initials field anywhere a signer should acknowledge something. The first time they reach one, they draw, type or upload their initials and select Adopt and sign, agreeing they're their electronic initials. SignMaster then places them on every initials spot for that signer. Team members can save their initials to sign in one tap.
The certificate of completion counts each signer's initials alongside their signatures.
Questions? Answers.
Are electronic initials binding?
They can be, the same way an electronic signature can. In SignMaster, a signer selects Adopt and sign and agrees that these are their electronic initials, as binding as initials made with pen and paper.