How to add a date to a PDF
Most forms ask for a date next to the signature, and it trips people up more than you'd think: the wrong format, the day they printed it rather than the day they signed, or a blank. You can type a date onto a PDF with free tools. When other people sign, it's better to let the date fill itself in at the moment they sign. Here's both.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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Type a date with a free tool
Every PDF tool that adds text can add a date. The trick is a text box sized to the line, in the format the form asks for.
- Mac: in Preview, click Show Form Filling Toolbar, then the Text Box Tool, click on the date line and type. See signing in Preview.
- Any computer: in Chrome's PDF viewer, select Add text, choose a font size close to the form's, and click on the line. See signing in Chrome.
- iPhone and iPad: in Markup, tap Add, then add a text box and type the date. See signing on iPhone.
- OneDrive on Android: in Markup, press and hold Text and choose Date. See signing in OneDrive.
Pick a format nobody can misread
04/05/2026 is April 5 in the US and 4 May in much of the world. If the form doesn't specify, write the month as a word, like Apr 5, 2026, or use 2026-04-05.
Date signed vs date: two different fields
When you send a PDF for signature in SignMaster, there are two date fields, and they do different jobs.
| Field | Who fills it | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Date signed | Nobody types it. It's stamped automatically when that signer finishes. | The date beside a signature |
| Date | The signer picks a date, or you prefill one before sending. | Start dates, birth dates, move-in dates, delivery dates |
Date signed can't be backdated or typed over by the signer, which is the point: it matches the timestamp on the certificate of completion. Use a plain Date field only when the date isn't the signing date.
Add date fields in SignMaster
Each send is an envelope: one or more documents going to one or more signers.
- 1
Upload the PDF and add signers
Click New envelope, upload the PDF, and add each signer on Recipients & order.
- 2
Place Date signed beside each signature
Choose the signer, then drag Date signed from the Other group in the palette onto the date line next to their signature.
- 3
Pick a format
Click the field and choose a format: Oct 8, 2026, 10/08/2026, 08/10/2026 or 2026-10-08. Without one, the stamp shows the date and time.
- 4
Add any other dates
Drag a Date field from the Data group for dates the signer chooses. Set Earliest date or Latest date, for example today or later for a start date, or prefill it yourself.
- 5
Repeat on every page if needed
If each page has a date line, use Copy to other pages from the field's menu instead of placing it again and again.
A signer who picks a date outside the range is asked to choose one that fits before they can finish, so you don't get a start date in the past. Every date they enter is printed into the signed PDF and listed when you export the answers.
Questions? Answers.
How do I add today's date to a PDF?
Type it into a text box with Preview, Chrome, Markup or Acrobat Reader. When someone signs through an e-signature tool, a date signed field fills in the date automatically.
What's the difference between date signed and a date field?
Date signed is stamped automatically when the person finishes signing and can't be edited. A date field is a date the signer chooses, such as a start date, or one you prefill.
Can I change the date format on a PDF?
On a typed date, just type it differently. On SignMaster date and date signed fields, open the field's settings and choose one of the formats.
Can someone backdate an e-signature?
Not on a date signed field: it's stamped by the system, and the certificate of completion records when each step happened. A typed date is only as reliable as the person typing it.