How to get a contract signed remotely
Most contracts now get signed by people who never meet: a client two states away, a contractor overseas, a buyer who can't take time off work. The signature part is easy. The parts that need thought are making sure the right person signs, helping them through it, and keeping proof. Here's a remote signing routine that covers all three.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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1. Get the document ready to send
- Agree on the terms first, by phone or email. A contract that arrives with surprises gets stuck, or comes back with questions instead of a signature.
- Send a PDF, not an editable file, so everyone signs the same wording.
- Fill in what you know, like names, prices and dates, so the signer only adds what's theirs.
- Mark the clauses that matter with an initials box beside them, so nobody can say they missed the cancellation terms.
2. Confirm who's signing
When you can't see the signer, the evidence of who signed is the email address the link went to, plus anything extra you ask for. Match the effort to what's at stake:
| Check | What it proves | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Signing link sent to their email | The signer controls that inbox | Most everyday agreements |
| Emailed code | Whoever opened the link could also read that inbox | Links that might be forwarded |
| Code you share by phone | The signer is the person you spoke to | Higher-value or sensitive contracts |
| Photo of an ID with a Photo field | A picture of their ID, placed on the signed document | Rentals, equipment hire, age checks |
3. Send it
In SignMaster, each send is an envelope: one or more documents going to one or more signers.
- 1
Upload and add signers
Click New envelope, upload the contract, and add each signer's name and email. Put the other party first and yourself last, so you countersign what they've agreed to.
- 2
Choose their language
Signers can get the emails and signing page in any of 6 languages, set per person, and they can switch on the page.
- 3
Place fields
Signature, date signed, initials beside key clauses, and anything they need to fill in, like a billing address.
- 4
Set a deadline and reminders
On Message & settings, add a sign-by date and reminders. As the date nears, reminders switch to due tomorrow, due today and overdue.
- 5
Add the access check
Choose an emailed code or a code you share for anyone who needs one, then click Send for signature.
4. Walk them through it
For a big contract or a nervous signer, get on a phone or video call and have them open the email while you talk. They can ask questions from the signing page with Comments, tied to a page or field, and you reply from the envelope. If something must change, they choose Request changes; you get their message, duplicate the envelope as a draft, fix it and resend.
Signing across time zones
Signers can choose Save and finish later and pick up on any device from the same link, so a contract started on a phone at lunch can be finished on a laptop that evening.
5. Keep the proof
When the last person signs, everyone gets the signed PDF by email. Its certificate of completion lists each signer's name, email, IP address, approximate location and browser, when they viewed, consented and signed, and a SHA-256 fingerprint of each original file. Keep that PDF with your records; it's the copy to rely on if anyone later asks who signed.
Questions? Answers.
Is a contract signed remotely legally binding?
Generally yes. The federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws give electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten ones for most contracts. A few documents, like wills, have their own rules.
How do I know the right person signed?
The link goes to their email, and you can require an emailed code or a code you give them by phone. The certificate records their email, IP address and browser.
Can someone in another country sign?
Yes. The link works anywhere with an internet connection, and the signing page comes in 6 languages. Check the e-signature rules of their country for unusual documents.
Do they need to print anything?
No. They sign in their browser on a phone or computer. Someone who'd rather use a pen can print, sign and upload the pages, unless you turn that off.