eSignature now available worldwide

We’re excited to share that eSignature for Microsoft 365 is now available worldwide* on Microsoft 365 public clouds allowing signatures to be requested on all PDFs and Word documents stored in SharePoint. This pertains to all PDFs and Word documents stored in SharePoint. Previously, this service was limited to the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia-Pacific regions. Worldwide availability also includes the integration of Adobe Acrobat Sign and Docusign eSignature for PDFs on SharePoint.

Signatures made simple

We’re also excited to announce several updates to eSignature that make requesting and managing signed documents easier:

• eSignature for Word (Desktop) is now available to Word users on the Microsoft 365 Current Channel.
• eSignature for Word and PDFs is now available worldwide (while previously it was limited to certain regions).
• We’re adding a new free-text field capability for Word electronic signature requests.
• We’ve enhanced the signed PDF automatic save back capability with Adobe & Docusign signature services.

Lastly, if you’ve been using “SharePoint eSignature”, you’ll notice it will soon have a new name in the UI, “Microsoft 365 eSignature”, reflecting that it’s a core part of the Microsoft 365 experience.

Request electronic signatures from Word - Launched

Microsoft Word now has built-in eSignature support for everyone on the Microsoft 365 Current Channel.  

This means you can initiate the signing process without ever leaving Word. No more toggling between multiple applications as you can add signature fields and send out for signatures directly from Word. Watch the eSignature for Word video to learn more about it.

Microsoft Word ribbon showing the “eSignature fields” option on the “Insert” tab

How it works:

• In Word (Desktop), open a document that’s stored in a SharePoint site with eSignature enabled. Once enabled by your administrator, you’ll find an “eSignature fields” option on the Insert tab of the ribbon. Click it to insert signature fields where needed in your document.
• Once you’ve placed the fields, you can enter the recipients’ email addresses (and optionally include a custom message), then hit “Create request”.
• Word will automatically convert the document to PDF for signing and send it out, all in one go.
• The signed PDF is saved right back into the SharePoint library next to your original Word file. In other words, your document never leaves your Microsoft 365 tenant during the process.
• And because your document and the signed copies remain in Microsoft 365, you retain full control over security and compliance. There’s no need to send files through external channels or as email attachments.

New free-text field for Word documents – rolling out in October

We’ve also added a new field to make your signature requests more powerful: free-text fields. This allows you to include additional input fields to your documents for signers to fill out when they sign, beyond just their signature or initials.

Screenshot of the eSignature field options in Microsoft Word highlighting the “Text” field

• A free-text field is a blank text field you can place in a document (just like a signature line or date field). When your signer is completing the signature request, they will see this field and can type in the information you requested.
• You can use it to gather any extra details you need. For example, you might ask the signer to provide their job title, an ID number, a mailing address, or any other relevant information while signing the document.
• This feature is great for scenarios where a signature alone isn’t enough and you had to chase down extra info via email or separate forms. Now you can capture that information in one step, during the signing process itself.

Automatic save to original location – now available

If you already use Adobe Acrobat Sign or Docusign eSignature for electronic signatures, you can leverage the eSignature for Microsoft 365 experience to initiate the request and have a copy of the signed PDF automatically saved back to the originating SharePoint library. This will help save your time in creating and finding signed PDFs.

• Users can create PDF signature requests from a SharePoint document library and choose one of those providers (if enabled by an admin) as the signing service.
• The PDF will be automatically uploaded to the provider to create a signing request.
• When signed, a copy of the signed PDF is automatically saved back into the original SharePoint library (whereas previously the signed PDF was saved back to a single dedicated provider folder).

Next steps

These updates (a new name, global availability, Word integration, custom fields, and third-party updates) all aim to make eSignature more convenient for you.

If you’re an admin or interested user, make sure eSignature is enabled in your tenant. It’s found under Pay-as-you-go services in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Check that your Office apps are updated so you can see the Word integration. And give these new features a try!

To learn more about eSignature configuration and usage, check out Overview of eSignature page on Microsoft Learn

For a view of previous updates please see here:

• Announcing SharePoint eSignature for Microsoft Word | Microsoft Community Hub
• SharePoint eSignature product updates! | Microsoft Community Hub

*Worldwide availability excludes Indonesia and Türkiye