Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, electronic signatures are legally binding in 180+ countries including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. They have the same legal weight as handwritten signatures under laws like:

• United States: ESIGN Act (2000) and UETA
• European Union: eIDAS Regulation
• United Kingdom: Electronic Communications Act (2000)
• Canada: PIPEDA
• Australia: Electronic Transactions Act (1999)

Most documents can be signed electronically, including:

• Contracts and agreements
• Employment documents (offer letters, NDAs, etc.)
• Real estate documents (leases, purchase agreements)
• Financial documents (loan applications, account openings)
• Legal documents (client agreements, court filings in some jurisdictions)
• Healthcare forms (with HIPAA-compliant platform)
• Sales contracts and proposals

Exceptions: Wills, trusts, adoption papers, and some court documents may require handwritten signatures in some jurisdictions. Always check local laws.

For an electronic signature to be legally valid, it must meet these requirements:

• Intent to sign: The signer must intend to sign the document
• Consent to do business electronically: All parties must agree to use electronic signatures
• Association with the record: The signature must be clearly associated with the document
• Record retention: The signed document must be stored and accessible
• Audit trail: A complete audit trail showing who signed, when, and from where

All reputable e-signature platforms (including Signova) automatically meet these requirements.

Yes, electronically signed documents are admissible in court and have the same legal weight as handwritten signatures. In fact, electronic signatures often provide stronger evidence because they include:

• Timestamp of when the document was signed
• IP address and location of the signer
• Device information
• Complete audit trail of all actions
• Tamper-proof sealing

This makes it harder to dispute an electronic signature compared to a handwritten signature, which can be easily forged.

Yes, electronic signatures from reputable platforms are very secure. Signova and other leading platforms use:

• 256-bit encryption: Military-grade security for all documents
• SOC 2 Type II certification: Independently audited security controls
• GDPR compliance: Data privacy protection
• HIPAA compliance: For healthcare documents
• Blockchain audit trails: Tamper-proof records
• Two-factor authentication: Extra account security

Electronic signatures are actually more secure than handwritten signatures because they create a tamper-proof audit trail and use encryption.

Electronic signatures are much harder to forge than handwritten signatures. E-signature platforms use multiple security measures to prevent forgery:

• Email verification (signer must access their email)
• IP address tracking
• Device fingerprinting
• Timestamp verification
• Optional: SMS verification, knowledge-based authentication, ID verification
• Audit trails showing all actions

In contrast, handwritten signatures can be easily copied or forged with no way to verify authenticity.

An audit trail is a detailed record of all actions taken on a document. It includes:

• Who sent the document and when
• Who viewed the document and when
• Who signed the document and when
• IP addresses and locations
• Device information
• Any changes or modifications
• Email notifications sent

The audit trail is automatically generated and cannot be modified, providing legal proof of the signing process.

Signova stores all signed documents securely for the lifetime of your account with automatic backups and 99.99% uptime guarantee. You can download documents at any time.

We recommend also storing important documents in your own systems as a backup.

Signova offers a free tier with 5 documents/month forever. Paid plans start at:

• Free: 5 documents/month, all basic features
• Starter ($10/month): 50 documents, API access, webhooks
• Professional ($30/month): 1,000 documents, custom branding, priority support
• Enterprise ($100/month): Unlimited documents, dedicated support, SLA

This is 60-70% cheaper than DocuSign ($10/month for 5 docs) and 33% cheaper than HelloSign ($15/month for 20 docs).

Yes! Signova offers a free tier with 5 documents/month forever - no credit card required. You can upgrade to a paid plan anytime if you need more documents or advanced features.

This is better than a "trial" because you can use it forever for free if you only need occasional signatures.

Yes, you can cancel your Signova subscription anytime with no cancellation fees. If you cancel:

• You'll have access until the end of your billing period
• Your account will automatically downgrade to the free tier
• All your documents remain accessible
• You can reactivate anytime

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), debit cards, and PayPal. Enterprise customers can also pay by invoice.

Electronic signature is any digital mark indicating consent (like typing your name, drawing your signature, or clicking "I agree").

Digital signature uses cryptographic technology (PKI - Public Key Infrastructure) to verify the signer's identity and detect tampering.

Key differences:

• Electronic signatures: Easy to use, legally binding, sufficient for most business documents
• Digital signatures: More secure, requires certificates, used for high-security documents

For most business documents, electronic signatures are sufficient and legally binding.

Yes! Signova has mobile apps for iOS and Android. You can:

• Sign documents using your finger or stylus
• Upload documents from your phone
• Send documents for signature
• Track document status
• Receive notifications

The mobile experience is fully optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Signova supports all common document formats:

• PDF files (.pdf)
• Word documents (.docx, .doc)
• Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls)
• PowerPoint presentations (.pptx, .ppt)
• Images (.jpg, .png, .gif)
• Text files (.txt)

Non-PDF files are automatically converted to PDF for signing.

Yes! You can send a document to multiple signers. Features include:

• Add unlimited signers to a document
• Set signing order (sequential signing)
• Allow parallel signing (all sign at once)
• Assign different fields to different signers
• Track who has signed and who hasn't
• Send automatic reminders

AI-powered signature detection automatically finds where signatures should go in your document. Instead of manually placing signature fields, Signova's AI:

• Scans the document for signature indicators (like "Sign here", "Signature:", "X_____")
• Automatically places signature fields in the correct locations
• Detects date fields, initial fields, and text fields
• Saves 5-10 minutes per document

This is an exclusive Signova feature not available in DocuSign or HelloSign.

Yes! Signova offers both REST and GraphQL APIs starting from the Starter plan ($10/month). The API allows you to:

• Send documents programmatically
• Create and manage templates
• Track document status
• Download signed documents
• Manage users and teams
• Set up webhooks for real-time notifications

Full API documentation is available at signova.ai/api-docs.

Signova integrates with popular business tools:

• Cloud Storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box
• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive
• Productivity: Gmail, Outlook, Slack
• Development: Zapier, Make, API, Webhooks

New integrations are added regularly based on customer requests.

Yes! Signova offers embedded signing (available in Professional plan and above). You can:

• Embed the signing experience in an iframe
• Use the JavaScript SDK for custom integration
• White-label the signing experience with your branding
• Receive webhooks when signing is complete

This allows your users to sign documents without leaving your website or app.

Signova offers multiple support channels:

• Free tier: Email support, knowledge base, community forum
• Starter plan: Priority email support (24-hour response)
• Professional plan: Priority email + chat support (4-hour response)
• Enterprise plan: Dedicated account manager, phone support, 1-hour response SLA

Yes! We offer free migration assistance for teams switching from DocuSign, HelloSign, or other platforms. Our team will help you:

• Export your templates and documents
• Import them into Signova
• Update your API integration (if applicable)
• Train your team on Signova

Contact us to schedule your free migration consultation.

No, there's no limit on users! All Signova plans include unlimited users at no extra cost. You only pay for the number of documents you send per month.

This is different from platforms like DocuSign that charge per user, making Signova much more cost-effective for teams.