To sign a signature line in desktop Microsoft Word, double-click the line (or right-click it and choose Sign), choose how your name should appear, and select Sign. Word may ask you to select or obtain a digital ID. That certificate step is what makes this different from simply pasting a picture of your handwriting into a document.
To digitally sign a Word document without a visible line, use File > Info > Protect Document > Add a Digital Signature instead; that invisible method is covered below. Both methods need desktop Word for Windows and a digital certificate.
If the document has no line yet, add one before asking someone to sign. Finish all edits first: changes made after a digital signature can invalidate it. These instructions are for the desktop version of Word.
How to add a signature line
Skip to the next section if the document already has a line where you need to sign.
- Open the document in desktop Word and click where the signer’s name should appear. Leave enough space for the line and any surrounding text.
- Select Insert on the ribbon, then choose Signature Line. Depending on your Word version, you may choose Microsoft Office Signature Line from the menu.
- In Signature Setup, enter the suggested signer’s name. Add their title, email address, or signing instructions if the document needs them.
- Select OK. Word places a signature line in the document. Review its position and save the file before sending it to the signer.
The line marks where a signature belongs; it does not sign the document by itself. If you only need an empty line for a printed form, see the plain-line method below.
How to sign the line in Word
Open the file in desktop Word. If someone sent it to you, check that the text and signer details are correct before signing.
- Double-click the signature line. You can also right-click it and choose Sign. Word opens the signing dialog.
- Choose the visible signature you want to display. You can type your name, use an image of your handwritten signature, or draw one when your device and Word version offer inking.
- If Word asks for a digital ID or certificate, follow the prompt to select one. If you do not have an appropriate digital ID, pause and ask the document sender which signing method they require. A picture inserted elsewhere in the page will not complete this certificate-backed workflow.
- Select Sign. Word should show the signed line and a signature notice. Save the signed copy with a clear filename so you do not confuse it with the unsigned version.
Microsoft’s digital-signature instructions explain the certificate and signing process. The person receiving the document can inspect its signature information in Word. The visible name or handwriting is only one part of that process.
How to add an invisible digital signature
If you need to digitally sign the whole document but don’t want a signature line on the page, add an invisible signature. It confirms who signed the file and shows whether the content changed after signing. You need desktop Word for Windows and a digital certificate (digital ID) on your computer.
- Finish all edits and save the document. Signing makes the file read-only.
- Select File, then Info.
- Select Protect Document, then choose Add a Digital Signature.
- If Word shows a message about digital signatures, read it and select OK.
- In the Sign dialog, pick an option from the Commitment Type list.
- Type a reason in the Purpose for signing this document box.
- Select Sign. Word adds the signature, shows a Signatures button, and marks the file read-only.
To review or remove the signature later, select File > Info > View Signatures. In the Signatures pane, select the arrow next to the signer’s name, choose Remove Signature, and select Yes.
No certificate yet? Get one from a certificate authority or your organization’s IT team. You can also create a self-signed certificate, but other people can’t verify it unless they choose to trust it, so it’s mainly useful for your own testing. Microsoft explains both routes in how to obtain a digital certificate.
How to check or troubleshoot a signed document
After signing, open the signed copy and look for Word’s signature notice. If you need details about the signer or certificate, open the signature information from that notice or the signed line. A line that merely displays a typed name is not enough evidence that the digital signing process finished.
If Sign or Add a Digital Signature is missing, make sure you are in desktop Word rather than Word for the web, and that the document contains a Word signature-line object rather than underscores or a picture of a line. If the line is absent, add one using the steps above.
If a certificate prompt stops you, do not bypass it by pasting an image and assuming the result is equivalent. Confirm the required signing method with the person or organization that requested the signature. If the document was edited after signing and Word reports an invalid signature, return to an unsigned copy, complete the edits, and have the signer sign the final version again.
Add lines for several signers, or remove a line
To collect more than one signature, repeat the Insert > Signature Line steps for each person. Enter a different suggested signer for each line and place it next to that person’s role or name. Adding several lines does not enforce a signing order, so tell signers which order your organization requires.
To remove a line that no one has signed yet, click it once so a selection box appears, then press Delete. To reuse the same signature block in other documents, select it and choose Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
A signed line is different. Right-click it and choose Remove Signature, then confirm. This removes the digital signature from the file, so check with the person who requested it first.
A plain line for a printed form
If the page will be printed and signed with a pen, you don’t need the Signature Line feature. Click where the line belongs, press Ctrl+U to turn on underlining, press Tab one or more times to draw the line, and press Ctrl+U again to turn underlining off.
When a signature image is enough
For a letter or other document that only needs the appearance of your handwriting, you can insert a scanned signature image. That method is easier to reuse and does not need a Word signature line, but it does not add the same certificate-backed verification. Our overview of Word signature methods helps you choose among an image, a blank line, and a digital signature.
Source: Microsoft Support: Insert a digital signature line.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com