- July 24, 2025
- FOXITBLOG
Paper Forms Are Out—Electronic Signature Forms Are In
If you’re still handing out clipboards or sending PDFs that need to be printed and signed, you’re adding unnecessary friction to your workflows. In today’s digital-first world. Electronic signature forms are the proven smarter, faster, and more secure way to capture legally binding signatures, whether in person, remotely, or online.
From client onboarding to event waivers to registration forms, electronic signature forms are becoming standard across industries. They reduce errors, save time, and give your teams a centralized, audit-friendly way to manage documentation. In this guide, we’ll cover what these forms are, the most common types, and how tools like Foxit eSign can help you create, send, and sign them with ease.
What Is an Electronic Signature Form?
An electronic signature form is a digital document that includes one or more signature fields, designed for people to sign electronically. Unlike static PDFs or Word documents, these forms are interactive because they include fillable fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and of course, areas where recipients can sign using their mouse, finger, or stylus.
These forms are legally valid under regulations like the ESIGN Act and eIDAS, provided there’s clear intent to sign and an audit trail of the transaction. They’re increasingly used in scenarios where paper forms used to dominate, such as employee onboarding, service agreements, medical consent, event registration, and customer applications, to name a few.
But what really sets them apart is how flexible they are. Whether you’re embedding a form on your website or signing from a tablet at a kiosk, electronic signature forms adapt to your workflow, not the other way around.
Types of Electronic Signature Forms
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to electronic signature forms. Here are the most popular types and how they’re used:
PDF Forms
These are the classic digital documents enhanced with fillable fields and signature blocks. With Foxit eSign, you can upload any PDF and add fields for:
- Signatures
- Initials
- Dates
- Custom text inputs (like names, addresses, or titles)
Perfect for contracts, disclosures, or legal agreements where formatting matters.
Online & Embedded Forms
Need people to sign a form directly from your website or app? Foxit eSign’s Online Forms feature lets you embed contracts that can be filled and signed by anyone, anytime.
- Great for repetitive processes like registrations or waivers
- Unlimited submissions and auto-capture of signed responses
- Seamless integration into your website’s look and feel
This is ideal for HR teams, legal departments, education, and SaaS providers who need to collect information and signatures at scale.
Kiosk Signing
Some industries still need in-person signatures – think event check-ins or point-of-sale contracts. With Foxit eSign, you can turn a tablet or touchscreen device into a secure signing station.
Use cases include:
- Insurance claim authorizations
- Consent forms at healthcare facilities
- NDAs at trade shows
- Release forms for fitness studios
Everything is captured digitally, synced to your account, and backed up with a timestamped audit trail.
Physical Forms to Digital
Still have paper-based forms? Foxit eSign lets you snap a photo of any physical form using your phone or tablet, then overlay it with digital signature and form fields.
It’s the fastest way to modernize legacy paperwork without starting from scratch.
Mobile Forms
With the Foxit eSign mobile app, you can complete and sign forms on the go. Whether you’re reviewing a contract from your phone or capturing a signature in the field, mobile access makes it seamless.
You can even:
- Create templates
- Take a photo of a document and digitize it
- Add fields and collect a signature, all from your device
It’s perfect for contractors, field sales reps, or anyone who needs a flexible signing solution on the move.
Benefits of Electronic Signature Forms
The benefits go far beyond convenience. When used strategically, electronic signature forms can improve compliance, streamline data collection, and enhance the customer or employee experience.
Here’s why teams across industries are making the switch:
- Faster Workflows: Get forms signed in minutes instead of hours or days. No printing, scanning, or mailing required.
- Fewer Errors: With required fields and validation rules, you won’t miss signatures or key info.
- Audit-Friendly: Every submission is time-stamped and tracked with a full history of actions.
- Centralized Access: All signed forms are stored securely in the cloud and can be easily searched or exported.
- Eco-Friendly: Say goodbye to paper waste and bulky file cabinets.
Whether you’re collecting vendor contracts, client waivers, or employment forms, electronic signature forms reduce hassle while increasing professionalism.
Why Choose Foxit eSign for Your Electronic Signature Forms?
Foxit eSign is more than just a tool to collect digital signatures—it’s a full-featured platform for managing every part of your document workflow. Its form creation tools are intuitive, flexible, and designed for speed.
What sets Foxit eSign apart?
- Drag-and-Drop Simplicity: Build forms with clicks, not code. Add fields exactly where you want them.
- Enterprise-Level Compliance: ESIGN, UETA, and GDPR-ready for global business use.
- Powerful Embedding Options: Generate public links or embed forms directly on your site.
- Template Management: Turn common documents into reusable templates and share them with your team.
- Integrated Workflows: Connect forms to existing business tools or platforms for automated follow-up and processing.
And if you’re managing multiple form types across departments—HR, finance, sales—you can keep everything organized with folders, access controls, and team-level permissions.
Try It Today with the FreeSign Tool
Need to send or sign a form immediately—without creating an account or setting up templates? The FreeSign tool from Foxit is your answer.
It offers:
- A no-login-required experience
- Quick upload and drag-and-drop field placement
- The ability to sign and download instantly
FreeSign is perfect for simple use cases like internal approvals, short agreements, or personal transactions.
Once launched on the Foxit eSign homepage, FreeSign will help users test drive the eSign experience and guide them into more advanced use cases as their needs grow. If you’re handling more complex workflows or higher volumes, upgrading to Foxit eSign is just a click away.
Frequently Asked Questions About Electronic Signature Forms
Q: What is an electronic signature form?
A: An electronic signature form is a digital document that includes interactive fields, like text inputs, checkboxes, and signature boxes, that can be completed and signed electronically. These forms are legally recognized and used in place of traditional paper documents.
Q: Are electronic signature forms legally binding?
A: Yes. Electronic signature forms are legally binding under laws like the U.S. ESIGN Act, UETA, and the EU’s eIDAS regulation, provided they include signer intent, consent, and a verifiable audit trail.
Q: How secure are electronic signature forms?
A: Extremely secure when managed through platforms like Foxit eSign. Documents are encrypted, backed by audit trails, and often include authentication tools like email verification or SMS codes to ensure secure delivery and signing.
Q: Can I convert a physical paper form into an electronic signature form?
A: Yes. With Foxit eSign, you can take a photo or scan of a paper form and overlay it with fillable fields and digital signature areas, effectively modernizing your paperwork in minutes.
Q: What types of documents work best with electronic signature forms?
A: Some common examples include:
- HR onboarding packets
- Client service agreements
- Medical consent forms
- Event registration waivers
- Legal NDAs and disclosures
- Vendor or partner applications
Q: Can I embed electronic signature forms into my website or app?
A: Absolutely. Foxit eSign’s Online Forms feature lets you embed fillable, signable forms into any web page. It’s ideal for self-service use cases like customer intake, event signups, or legal disclosures.
Q: Can I use electronic signature forms in person, like at an event or in-store?
A: Yes! With Kiosk Signing, you can turn any tablet or touchscreen device into a digital signing station. It’s perfect for trade shows, gyms, clinics, or any location requiring on-the-spot signatures.
Q: Do people need a Foxit eSign account to sign my form?
A: Not at all. Anyone can sign a form via email, a public link, or an embedded webpage – no login required. And with FreeSign, even senders can use the tool without creating an account.
Q: Can I reuse a form template for different recipients?
A: Yes. Foxit eSign lets you save commonly used forms as templates. You can reuse, modify, and share them across your team to maintain consistency and save time.
Q: What’s the difference between a PDF form and an online form in Foxit eSign?
A: A PDF form is a static document enhanced with fillable fields and uploaded for signing. An online form lives on the web, allows for unlimited submissions, and can be embedded on your site or shared via a link.
Q: How do mobile forms work?
A: Using the Foxit eSign mobile app, you can create, sign, send, or capture forms directly from your smartphone or tablet – ideal for remote work, sales reps in the field, or urgent contract reviews.
Q: Can I connect electronic signature forms to other software tools?
A: Yes. Foxit eSign offers powerful integrations and API access so you can connect your forms to CRMs, ERPs, HR platforms, or other systems for automated processing and workflow triggers.
Q: Is Foxit eSign compliant with global regulations?
A: Yes. Foxit eSign is compliant with major global standards including GDPR, ESIGN, UETA, and eIDAS. Select plans also support HIPAA compliance for healthcare-related use cases.
Q: Where are my completed forms stored?
A: All completed forms are securely stored in your Foxit eSign account, with cloud backup, time-stamped audit trails, and search functionality so you can easily find and manage documents anytime.