How to upload a document to Docusign

Remember when we had to collect ink signatures on documents — and how much it slowed down our business processes? Well, those days are long over. With just a few clicks, e-signature services allow people to sign contracts, agreements, and other documents from anywhere as soon as they receive them.

Docusign is one of the most popular e-signature services that allows users to upload, share, and sign PDFs. The great news is that the process is free; you just have to create an account on the Docusign website. Here are tips on how to get started using Docusign and an alternative option that has even more capabilities.

How to upload a document to Docusign

First, let’s look at how to upload a document to Docusign and sign it electronically.

  1. Log in to your Docusign account.
landing page of docusign
  1. Click Start.
Homepage of DocuSign featuring a call-to-action for eSignature services, with images of people engaging in various activities
  1. Click Upload and select the PDF document you’d like to sign.
Interface for adding documents and recipients in a digital document signing service with an upload area and recipient details form
  1. Under Add Recipients, check the I’m the only signer box.
Digital document signing platform interface showing options to add documents, designate recipients, and include a message
  1. Click Sign.
Document upload interface with fields for adding recipients and a custom message, and a 'Send' button highlighted
  1. Click Continue to view the document. 
Digital document signing interface displaying a Letter of Authorization ready for completion with various field options on the left
  1. Drag and drop your signature from the panel on the left to the desired location(s) on the PDF.
Electronic document signing screen showing an employment offer letter with signature fields and a 'Finish' button at the bottom
  1. Click Finish.
An online document completion interface showing an employment offer with an HR signature field and a prompt to finish

Here’s how to upload a document to Docusign to collect someone else’s signature:

  1. Follow steps 1–3 from the previous section.
  2. Under Add Recipients, add the name and email address of the person you want to sign the document.
Document setup interface showing an uploaded offer letter template and recipient details with a 'Next' button for proceeding
  1. Click Next.
Email setup interface for an employment offer letter with fields for adding a message and a 'Next' button
  1. From the left panel, drag and drop fields into the document for the signer to complete — such as name, date, address, initials, and signature.

Find out more about them in our guide, how to add fields in Docusign.

Document preparation screen with fields for HR and employee signatures on an employment offer letter, and options to preview or send
  1. Click Send.
A close-up view of an electronic employment offer letter with signature placeholders and an editing panel on the right side

Why you might upload a document for signature

E-signature solutions like Docusign are designed to reduce the cost, time, and environmental waste associated with printing and physically signing documents. In fact, most people use Docusign to streamline the entire signing process — from document creation to signature collection to document storage.

But sometimes you need to add an electronic signature to a PDF that you didn’t create in Docusign. This is especially common in the healthcare, legal, and real estate industries, where you might have legacy paper forms to scan in or if people have filled out a large stack of forms by hand but missed a signature line or two.

By learning how to upload a document to Docusign, you can quickly get signers the pages they need to complete — instead of starting again from scratch.

How to upload a document to Jotform Sign

As impressive as Docusign is, it’s not the only e-signature platform on the market.

Jotform Sign helps users create, sign, and share polished e-documents in minutes. With Jotform Sign, you can choose from hundreds of premade e-sign document templates and use drag-and-drop functionality to customize your document to align with your brand — without any coding.

This versatile e-signature tool also creates an audit trail, connects with popular third-party apps, generates real-time reports, builds custom apps and workflows, and, of course, uploads documents for signature.

Uploading and signing a document with Jotform Sign is as easy as using Docusign. Just follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to your My Forms page in your Jotform account and click the orange Create Form button.
Jotform dashboard displaying a user's forms with various categories and options for form creation and management
  1. Click Create Signable Document.
Jotform's form creation options page, offering choices to start from scratch, use a template, import a form, or create a signable document
  1. Click Upload Document.
Jotform interface for creating a signable document, with options to upload a document or use a pre-made template
  1. Either drag and drop your document into the provided space or click Upload Document and select the file you’d like to upload. (If you upload multiple documents at once, they will be merged into one signable PDF.)
Jotform's upload page for converting documents into signable formats with a drag-and-drop area and an upload button
  1. Once your document is uploaded, click the green Create Signable Document button.
Document upload interface with a file ready to be converted into a signable document and options to add more documents or create the signable document
  1. Finally, click the Detect Fields button above the document to automatically scan the document for signature fields. You can also drag and drop elements from the left panel to add fields for signatures, full names, addresses, and more to the PDF.
Jotform Sign Builder interface showing a Letter of Authorization document with options for field detection and field addition for digital signing

Sometimes using software to create or edit a PDF is a more time-consuming process than uploading an existing one. But now that you know how to upload a document to Docusign and Jotform, you’ll be able to collect signatures (or add your own) quickly and securely.

AUTHOR
Jotform's Editorial Team is a group of dedicated professionals committed to providing valuable insights and practical tips to Jotform blog readers. Our team's expertise spans a wide range of topics, from industry-specific subjects like managing summer camps and educational institutions to essential skills in surveys, data collection methods, and document management. We also provide curated recommendations on the best software tools and resources to help streamline your workflow.

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