How to sign a Google Doc
How you sign a Google Doc depends on two things: who has to sign, and which Google account you have. On a free account, you can add your own signature with a drawing or an image. Paid Google Workspace plans add eSignature, which sends the Doc to signers. Here's each route, step by step.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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Sign it yourself with a drawing
This works on any Google account, in a browser on a computer.
- 1
Open the drawing tool
Click on the signature line, then choose Insert > Drawing > + New.
- 2
Pick Scribble
Open the line tool's menu in the drawing toolbar and choose Scribble. Sign by dragging with your mouse or trackpad, or with a finger on a touchscreen.
- 3
Save it into the Doc
Click Save and close. The signature drops into the Doc as a drawing you can resize by its corners.
A mouse rarely produces a convincing signature. For a cleaner result, insert an image instead: make a transparent PNG with our signature maker, then use Insert > Image > Upload from computer. The add a signature in Google Docs guide covers sizing and reusing it.
Request signatures with Workspace eSignature
Google lists eSignature for Workspace Individual and certain Business, Enterprise and Education Plus plans, once an admin turns it on. Only the Doc's owners and editors can request signatures.
- 1
Open eSignature
In the Doc, choose Tools > eSignature.
- 2
Add signers and fields
Under Insert fields for, choose a signer; Manage signers adds up to 10. Drag Signature, Initials, Name, Text field or Date signed fields into the Doc.
- 3
Send the request
Click Request signature, enter a title and each signer's email, add a message and optional Automatic reminders, then click Request signature again.
Signers choose Type or Draw, click Adopt and sign, then Mark Complete. Google produces a final PDF with an audit trail on its last page. While a request is out, the copy being signed is locked, so a fix means canceling the request, editing and sending a new one.
On a free account, send a PDF instead
A Google Doc stays editable by anyone with edit access, which makes it a poor container for a signed agreement. Before anyone signs, choose File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf) to freeze the wording, then sign or send that PDF. Each send in SignMaster is an envelope: one or more documents going to one or more signers.
- 1
Mark the spots while you write
In the Doc, type tags where fields belong, such as {{signature:1}} and {{date_signed:1}} for the first signer, or {{name:2}} for the second. SignMaster offers to turn them into fields when you upload the PDF.
- 2
Upload the PDF
Click New envelope and add the downloaded PDF. Add each signer's name and email and set who signs first.
- 3
Check the fields and send
Confirm the tag fields, or place signature, initials, date signed and text fields yourself. Signers need no Google account and no SignMaster account.
- 4
File the signed copy
When everyone has signed, the signed PDF arrives by email with its certificate of completion. Upload it to the same Drive folder as the Doc, so the draft and the signed version sit together.
Questions? Answers.
Can you sign a Google Doc for free?
You can add your own signature for free with Insert > Drawing or an uploaded signature image. Requesting signatures from others with Google's eSignature needs an eligible paid Workspace plan.
How many people can sign with Google Docs eSignature?
Google's help page allows up to 10 signers per request, and up to 200 fields in a document.
Do signers need a Google account?
For SignMaster, no: they sign from an email link in any browser. For Google's own eSignature, check Google's current help for your plan.
Can I sign a Google Doc on my phone?
The Docs mobile app doesn't have the drawing tool. Download the Doc as a PDF and sign it with Markup on iPhone or an app on Android, or open a signing link someone sent you.