How to prepare a PDF for electronic signature

Finish the document content first

Confirm names, amounts, addresses and agreed wording in your source editor. DocAISign places signature and date boxes; it is not a general PDF text editor. Required text or checkboxes should already be completed in the document before you upload it.

Export a PDF from the source, open the exported copy and compare it with the original. If you only have paper, scan each required page and review the resulting order. A signature does not repair missing wording or an unreadable scan.

Check every page, including landscape pages

Count pages, check orientation and zoom in on the smallest text. Look for clipped tables, missing attachments and blank pages introduced by export. In DocAISign the PDF must fit the current 20 MB and 100-page limits.

Use the preview to place boxes in the actual signature spaces. Do not cover terms, names or page numbers. If the document already carries a signature that needs to remain verifiable, keep its original and check the required workflow before adding another mark or converting it.

Separate your signature from the recipient’s

The editor lets you assign new boxes to Me or Signer. Put each signature/date box under the person who should fill it. Review the assignments after placement; a box in the correct visual position can still belong to the wrong person.

DocAISign supports one other recipient. It does not provide several external signers, approval roles or signing order. If the document needs a larger chain, choose a suitable workflow instead of forwarding one person’s signing link.

Choose self-signing or a request

For self-signing, all boxes must be yours and completed before you select Sign and download. For a request, enter the intended recipient’s email carefully and use a sender account with confirmed email and an available send. The recipient opens the invitation without creating an account.

Check Pricing for sending availability and the current allowance. Self-signing and sending to someone else are different actions; free self-signing does not mean unlimited free invitations.

Review before finalising

• Every required page and attachment is present and readable.
• Names and terms are complete before signatures are added.
• Each box belongs to the correct person and avoids covering text.
• The intended recipient accepts this electronic-signature workflow.
• The email address and document version are correct.

Keep the completed PDF and audit together

After completion, download the signed PDF and audit record, open both, and store them with a meaningful filename. Keep the completed version separate from your unsigned source. A signing link is temporary access, not a permanent filing system.

Review the Privacy page for retention. If you need to deliver the finished document by fax to Canada or the US, download it first and use the separate fax service described in the fax guide. The document is not transferred automatically.