How to Add an Electronic Signature in Google Forms

Google Forms provides an effortless way to collect information. With it, you can create, distribute, and manage forms quickly. It makes closing deals easier since you can negotiate with clients remotely. Instead of scheduling an in-person meetup, you can simply ask respondents to sign online using a smartphone or laptop.

However, Google’s form builder lacks the option to add signatures, so you’ll need to look for a workaround. Don’t fret; this post will teach you how to add a signature to a google form.

How to Add an Esignature to a Google Form

Here’s how you can add an electronic signature in Google Forms:

1. Create a New Form

Head to docs.google.com and log in using your Google account. Start with a blank document, or choose any of the premade layouts in the template gallery. You may then customize the form by:

• Changing the title and introductory text
• Adding and deleting questions
• Setting optional vs required responses
• Adding videos and images
• Changing the text style
• Uploading a custom header image
• Setting a different background color

2. Install the Signature Add-on

Since there's no native signature field in Google Forms, you'll need to install a third-party plug-in to enable this functionality and be able to sign documents in Google Workspace. The add-on is called Signature, which allows respondents to validate your forms with actual handwritten signatures. You can also self-sign documents before sending them to your respondents.

Installing the add-on is easy. Click the three-dots icon next to the Send button at the top-right of the form editor. You should see a list of options. From there, select Add-ons to open the window for Google Workspace Marketplace.

Type "Signature" in the search box and press Enter. Select the add-on that says Signature by Gigaccounting Limited. Click Install, then follow the on-screen prompts. During this process, you'll need to grant specific permissions such as allowing complete access to your Google Drive files.

3. Configure Your Form Settings

Go to the Responses tab and click the toggle icon beside Accepting responses. You must ensure that your form accepts responses since you'll be using it to collect signatures from multiple signatories.

Then, go to the Settings tab and disable the option that requires users to sign in. This way, anyone can view and fill out your forms, including those outside your company or organization.

4. Add a Signature Field to Your Google Form

Click the puzzle icon in the form editor to launch the Signature add-on. Click start and sign in to the add-on using your Google account. From there, you can choose from three options:

• Add a single signature
• Multiple signatures
• Self-sign

5. Enter Your Recipient's Email Address

Enter the email address of your signatory and then type it again to confirm. Next, type your signatory's full name and check whether all the details you've entered are correct.

6. Send Your Esignature Request

At this stage, the plug-in will give you two options:

• Notify your recipients via email: Select "Email them for me" and click Submit. The invite will immediately appear in your signatory's inbox.
• Use a shareable link: Select "I'll contact them myself" and click Submit. Copy the link by clicking Confirm. Paste the copied link in a self-composed email or chat message.

Remember that this option will ask your recipient to log in using the email address provided. They won't be able to access the form while logged out.

Important: The Google Forms electronic signature add-on only allows up to 10 free esignatures upon installation. After which, you can request up to 3 free esignatures per month. Once you've consumed all your free credits, you'll need to pay 15 cents (USD) for each request.

7. Have Your Signatories Sign the Form

Upon receiving the invite to sign, your signatories must do the following:

1. Click the link or invite button provided in the email.
2. A new window will pop up along a green blinking button that says Click to continue. Clicking that button will load the Google Form.
3. After filling out the form, your signatories must click the Show Signature page button and draw the signature using a fingertip, stylus, or mouse. Click Confirm Signature to proceed.
4. Your signatories must then complete the form by clicking the Submit button. That's it.

While it's possible to add an electronic signature in Google Forms, there is no guarantee that the electronic signature would be legally binding. If you need to sign contracts and other official documents, it’s best to choose a safer alternative like Fill.

See more: What Makes an Electronic Signature Legally Binding?

Challenges of adding an electronic signature in Google Forms

While Google Forms is a handy tool for collecting responses, adding a digital signature isn’t as straightforward. Here are some of the biggest hurdles you’ll face:

1. No Native Signature Field

Google Forms doesn’t come with a built-in signature option. If you need respondents to sign, you’ll have to rely on third-party add-ons or alternative tools, which adds extra steps and complexity.

2. Dependence on Third-Party Add-Ons

To capture signatures, you’ll need to install an add-on like Signature by Gigaccounting Limited, DocuSign, or PandaDoc from the Google Workspace Marketplace. This not only means juggling permissions and settings but also trusting external apps with access to your documents.

3. Limited Usability and Buggy Experience

Signature add-ons often provide a clunky user experience. They may not display properly on mobile devices, fail to configure smoothly, or limit the number of times you can attempt setup. Once created, editing options are also restricted, which can be frustrating.

4. Legal and Compliance Risks

Not every signature collected through Google Forms add-ons is legally binding. Since most lack proper identity verification and security certificates, they may not comply with global standards like the ESIGN Act or eIDAS. This raises the risk of fraud or unenforceable agreements.

5. No Support for Multiple Signatures

Need multiple people to sign the same form response? That’s a challenge. Many add-ons don’t support multi-party signing, making Google Forms unsuitable for official contracts or agreements.

6. Data Access and Sync Issues

Collected signatures don’t always show up neatly in your form responses. Sometimes they’re stored separately in the add-on’s interface, creating extra work when you’re trying to manage or sync data.

7. Security Concerns

Since signatures involve sensitive data, you need to ensure they’re securely transmitted, stored, and verified. With third-party add-ons, this responsibility largely falls on you—and often requires technical know-how to set up correctly.

Are Google Form Add-Ons Safe?

Google Forms has stringent measures to safeguard data against unauthorized access. Even so, there are limits to what it can do, especially if you allow third-party plug-ins to modify and delete your Google Drive documents. Thus, it pays to be extra cautious with the add-ons you install.

A malicious add-on can pose a severe threat to your business. It can damage your brand's reputation, leading to severe financial losses.

Add an Electronic Signature to Your Google Form with Fill

Instead of jumping through hoops with add-ons, you can use Fill to securely capture electronic signatures on any form or agreement. With Fill, you don’t need to worry about legality, compliance, or clunky integrations—every signature you collect is legally binding and compliant with ESIGN act and other global standards.

Here’s how to add an electronic signature to a Google Form using Fill:

1. Create Your Google Form: Start by building your form as usual in Google Forms. Add all the fields and questions you want your respondents to complete.
   
   
2. Export Your Form to PDF: Once your form is ready, download it as a PDF or take a copy that you’d like to send out for signing.
   
   
3. Upload to Fill: Log in to your Fill account and upload your form. Fill will automatically prepare your document for e-signatures.
4. Add Signature Fields: Using Fill’s drag-and-drop editor, place signature fields wherever you want respondents to sign. You can also add text boxes, checkboxes, or initials fields for more customization.
5. Send for Signing: Enter your recipients’ email addresses and send the document directly through Fill. Your signatories can access and sign the form instantly from any device—desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
6. Collect Legally Binding Signatures: Every signature collected through Fill is backed by audit trails, encryption, and compliance with eSignature laws. Once completed, you’ll get a signed copy stored securely in your Fill dashboard.

With Fill, you can skip the hassle of unreliable add-ons and guarantee that your documents are signed safely, quickly, and legally.

A Smarter, Safer Way to Add Signatures on Online Forms

Why risk the safety of essential data when there's a safer way to sign forms and agreements? With Fill, you can create and add a legally binding electronic signature to any online form or contract. Our browser-based tool provides a dedicated signature field where you can type or draw your signature. You can also have your signatories affix their esignatures from anywhere using any device.

Every signature you create using Fill complies with the E-Sign Act, so all you need to focus on is closing more deals and boosting your income.

Instead of going through all the trouble of adding signature for Google Forms, use Fill to streamline your document-signing process.

Create a free account today to get started.

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