Adding electronic signatures to your WordPress site eliminates the friction of printing, scanning, and mailing documents. Whether you’re collecting client contracts, service agreements, or consent forms, WPsigner makes it possible to handle the entire signing process from your WordPress dashboard.
This guide walks you through the complete setup — from installation to collecting your first legally binding signature.
Why Add E-Signatures to WordPress?
If your business relies on signed documents, embedding e-signatures directly into your WordPress site offers several advantages:
- Faster turnaround — documents get signed in minutes, not days
- Reduced costs — no printing, shipping, or storage fees
- Legal compliance — ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS compliant
- Better experience — clients sign from any device, anywhere
- Complete audit trails — timestamps, IP addresses, and document hashes for every signature
Unlike cloud-based solutions that charge per envelope or per user, a self-hosted approach with WPsigner gives you unlimited signatures with a single purchase — and your data never leaves your server.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- WordPress 6.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.x recommended)
- SSL certificate installed (HTTPS is required for secure signing)
- A WPsigner license (view pricing)
Step 1: Install WPsigner
- Download the WPsigner plugin from your account dashboard
- In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
- Select the
.zipfile and click Install Now - Click Activate Plugin
After activation, you’ll see a new WPsigner menu item in your WordPress admin sidebar.
Step 2: Enter Your License Key
Navigate to WPsigner → Settings and enter the license key from your purchase confirmation email. Click Activate License to unlock all features.
Your license includes unlimited signatures, unlimited signers, and all field types. There are no usage caps.
Step 3: Create Your First Document
- Go to WPsigner → Documents → Add New
- Give your document a title (e.g., “Service Agreement”)
- Upload your PDF template or create a new document from scratch
- The document editor will open, showing your PDF with an overlay for adding fields
Step 4: Add Signature Fields
The drag-and-drop field editor supports multiple field types:
| Field Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Signature | Draw or type a legally binding signature |
| Initials | Quick initial fields for multi-page documents |
| Date | Auto-populated or manually entered dates |
| Text | Free-text fields for names, addresses, etc. |
| Checkbox | Agreement checkboxes and multi-select options |
Place fields where you need them on the document. Each field can be assigned to a specific signer if you have multiple parties.
Step 5: Configure Signing Settings
Under the Signing Settings tab, configure:
- Signing order — Sequential (one after another) or parallel (all at once)
- Email notifications — Customize the email template sent to signers
- Expiration — Set a deadline for document completion
- Redirect URL — Where signers are sent after completing the document
Step 6: Send for Signing
Click Send for Signing and enter the signer’s email address. WPsigner will:
- Send a branded email invitation with a secure signing link
- Display the document with embedded signature fields
- Capture the signature along with IP address, timestamp, and browser information
- Generate a completed PDF with an embedded audit trail
- Notify you when the document is fully signed
Step 7: Verify the Audit Trail
Every signed document includes a detailed audit trail containing:
- Signer identity — Name and email address
- IP address — Recorded at time of signing
- Timestamp — Exact date and time using RFC 3161 standard
- Document hash — SHA-256 hash proving the document hasn’t been altered
- Browser information — Device and browser used for signing
This audit trail is what makes your e-signatures legally binding under the ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS regulations.
Advanced: Auto-Send Contracts With WooCommerce
If you run a WooCommerce store, WPsigner can automatically send contracts after purchase:
- Navigate to WPsigner → Integrations → WooCommerce
- Enable the WooCommerce integration
- Select which products should trigger a signing request
- Map customer data (name, email, address) to document fields
- Choose when to send — after payment, after order processing, or manually
This is perfect for:
- SaaS terms of service — automatically sent after subscription purchase
- Service agreements — triggered when a client buys a service package
- NDAs and confidentiality agreements — required before accessing digital products
Conclusion
Adding electronic signatures to WordPress with WPsigner takes about 10 minutes. Once set up, you get unlimited legally binding signatures, complete data ownership, and a seamless signing experience for your clients — all without monthly subscription fees.
Ready to get started? View Pricing → | Read the Documentation →
Related Reading
- 7 Best WordPress E-Signature Plugins Compared — See how WPsigner stacks up against the competition
- Sign Documents Online — Without Monthly Fees — Learn about self-hosted alternatives to cloud signing
- WordPress E-Signature Plugin: Full Feature Overview — Deep dive into every WPsigner feature