Is there the ability to have a PDF signable in-browser without a specific recipient?

Question

Hi there! I want to make a PDF signable and I want to host the PDF file on my website for clients to sign. It's a client agreement, but I want it signable at any time by any person, not one at a time by a specific person. Is it possible to do this with Acrobat WITHOUT needing the person to use Acrobat, be it mobile or desktop?

I know that I can create a signable PDF with the old non-Request Signatures way, but if someone goes to download it on a desktop, they will have the PDF opened by their browser by default and you can't sign PDFs within a browser by just accessing the PDF, at least without a browser add-on. The way that the new Request Signatures option does it, is that Adobe hosts the PDF and uses a special browser-flow that allows signers to sign it within the browser without opening the PDF directly.

The problem is, that I can't seem to find an option to have a PDF signed by anyone who isn't a specific recipient. I also can't just set the PDF to allow anyone to sign and then just distribute the URL, because once it is signed then the document is no longer signable by anyone else.

I don't want to have to direct users to open the PDF with a program that they might not have installed, or direct them to install a 3rd party browser extension to enable signing.

So is there a way to do this with Acrobat? Or should I just go looking for a different eSignature service to fulfill this need?

Thanks!

ls_rbls · Accepted Answer

You must employ Adobe Sign, but the features that you're inquiring about are not present with the individual plan that is shipped with Adobe Acrobat.

You may need to upgrade to Adobe Sign for Teams or a business plan.

joinott · Answer

If you make the signature fields as simple lines or form fields, it doesn't require the recipient jumping thru hoops.

"Adobe Reader" or the Acrobat browser extensions published by Adobe has the 'Fill & Sign' tool that allows the user to sign by:

typing in a cursive font
or select a pre-saved scanned image of their signature
or use a pen or finger (touch screen, tablet, pen compatible devices, of course).

Any other PDF reading program (Chrome's built-in PDF reader, for example) that has basic capability for filling regular form fields will allow them to sign this way, because you've just inserted a regular form field and labeled it 'signature'. What you receive back from the user will be no different than if the recipient printed the PDF, signed it with a pen, and rescanned it to send back to you.

What you lose out on not using Adobe Sign is Acrobat vouching for the document originating from you and vouching for persons who are signing, and any auditing/tracking of accesses to the document and with storage of the signature and signed document residing on the third party website (Adobe's document cloud). This requires the recipient to create an Adobe account and generates aslew of emails.

It depends whether your company requires the DIGITAL signature and document assurance for your contract to be legally binding, or whether paper/pen or simple ELECTRONIC signature is sufficient.

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