Announcing SharePoint eSignature for Microsoft Word

We are excited to announce that SharePoint’s native eSignature service is now integrated with Microsoft Word. This new capability allows you to request electronic signatures directly from Word documents, without the need to manually create PDFs.

By bringing eSignatures into the flow of Word, you can create eSignature templates, accelerate document approvals, eliminate physical signing steps, and maintain compliance and security within the Microsoft 365 environment.

Figure: Invoking SharePoint eSignature in Word 

Key features:

• Seamless Word integration: You can insert signature fields into Word documents and request signatures without leaving the familiar Word interface. The eSignature functionality is accessed from the Word Insert ribbon and eliminates toggling between applications or converting files to PDFs before sending for signature.
• Automatic PDF creation & storage: When you send a signature request from Word, recipients will sign an automatically generated PDF copy of the Word document. The signed PDF is saved in the same SharePoint location as the original Word file. Your document never leaves the Microsoft 365 trust boundary during this process, ensuring end-to-end security and compliance.
• Word documents as eSignature templates: You can reuse your Word files as eSignature templates, streamlining repetitive signing processes.
• Integrated audit trail and notifications: SharePoint eSignature provides built-in tracking. Both senders and signers get email notifications throughout the signing process, and you can view the activity history (audit trail) in the signed PDF to verify when and by whom it was signed.
• Security and compliance controls: Administrators have control over how eSignature for Word is used in the organization – it can be enabled for specific users via an Office group policy and even limited to certain SharePoint sites. And SharePoint eSignature enables logging of eSignature activities in the Purview Audit log.

“SharePoint eSignature for Word gives us a seamless, compliant, and secure way to complete documents directly within Microsoft 365. It streamlines our workflows and increases security by keeping sensitive content inside our trusted environment—eliminating the cost and complexity of third-party tools.” 

Cloudwell, SharePoint eSignature for Word early adopter

 How to request a signature in Word

Figure: Requesting eSignatures from Word

1. Open a document in Word Desktop: Make sure your Word document is saved in a SharePoint site that has SharePoint eSignature enabled.
2. Insert a signature field: Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon. You will see an option ‘eSignature fields’ (if enabled by your admin). Insert signature fields at the appropriate location in your document where a signature is required.
3. Add recipients and a note: Add the internal or external signers email addresses and optionally include a note for the signers. The note will be included in the mail sent to the signers.  
4. Send for signature: Once you’ve filled in the request details, send the request. SharePoint eSignature will automatically create a PDF version of your document and send a secure signing link to the designated signers. The signer will receive an email invitation to review and sign the PDF document.
5. Automatic saving and notification: The signed PDF is saved into the SharePoint library, right next to your original Word document. You can now open the signed PDF to review the document.

Once the request is sent, you can immediately send a new request or use the document (with the eSignature fields already inserted) as a template for future agreements.

“I can see the integration of SharePoint eSignature, in Microsoft Word, being a game changer for our users. With native eSignature capabilities, our users can initiate and complete the signing process without ever leaving Word. This eliminates friction points allowing our users to stay in the flow of their work.” 

SharePoint eSignature for Word early adopter, Europe.

Benefits of SharePoint eSignature for Word

SharePoint eSignature for Word simplifies and accelerates the signing process, offering several key benefits:

• Faster turnaround: By enabling direct signature requests from Word, you remove manual steps (like printing, scanning, or converting Word documents to a PDF).
• Enhanced productivity: Users stay in the flow of work. There’s no need to switch focus to send documents for signature. Reusing Word documents as eSignature templates means you don’t have to start from scratch for each new request.
• Compliance and security: Documents are kept within your Microsoft 365 trust boundary during the signing process.

"The feature itself is very user-friendly. One aspect that we particularly appreciated was the automation of the PDF conversion step. Being able to initiate the e-signature directly from Word eliminates the need for manual PDF conversion, making the entire process much more efficient.”

SharePoint eSignature for Word early adopter, North America

Availability and rollout

SharePoint eSignature for Microsoft Word is now rolling out to devices on the M365 Beta and Current Channels and will complete by early July for the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, and the Australia-Pacific region. It will be available globally by the end of 2025.

Getting started: How to enable this feature

To use eSignature in Word, a few steps are required by administrators:

• Enable SharePoint eSignature: First, your tenant needs to have SharePoint eSignature configured in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and the Word checkbox enabled.
• Apply a policy to allow Word integration: Once the service is enabled, apply the policy “Allow the use of SharePoint eSignature for Microsoft Word.”  Once this policy is enabled (via Intune, Group Policy manager, or the Cloud Policy service for Microsoft 365) it will activate the Word ribbon capabilities for your users.
• Client requirements: Users will need to be on Word Desktop using the Microsoft 365 Current Channel (or Beta Channel).

To learn more about SharePoint eSignature configuration and usage, check out Overview of SharePoint eSignature - Microsoft Syntex | Microsoft Learn

Feel free to add any comments or questions below. Thanks!