Google Introducing eSignature for Google Docs and Google Drive

Following the favourable results of the beta testing that began in June 2022, Google has enabled eSignatures for Google Docs. This functionality is now in open beta for Google Workspace Individual members, and it will be accessible in beta for particular Google Workspace customers as well.

Google Docs now has an eSignature function built in, allowing you to easily obtain and include signatures into official contracts straight within the document. This feature offers the following benefits:

• Users can conveniently request signatures, keep track of pending signatures, and access completed contracts—all from within Google Docs.
• The eSignature function streamlines the process of signing official contracts directly from Google Drive. This eliminates the need for users to switch between different applications or tabs.
• With the ability to generate a duplicate of the contract for each signature request, users can utilize documents as templates and initiate multiple eSignature requests.

Google’s upcoming plans include the introduction of various eSignature enhancements:

• An audit trail report will automatically accompany completed contracts, offering transparency and accountability.
• The ability to request signatures from multiple users, ideal for documents requiring multiple approvals.
• Enabling eSignature requests for non-Gmail users, broadening the scope of usability.
• Initiating eSignatures for PDF files stored in Drive, enhancing convenience.

Some Google Workspace editions will have the chance to take part in the beta testing phase for the eSignature feature. This beta includes access to new custom email layouts in Gmail as well. These layouts offer the ability to personalize existing templates, reuse layouts for multiple email campaigns, or create entirely new designs.

If you join the test, you might see the eSignature and other Gmail features in the following weeks. Over the following few weeks, Google aims to accept test applications and add customers to the whitelist for Workspace users.

The upcoming feature will be available to individual Google Workspace subscribers as well as Google Workspace customers with plans such as Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits for beta testing.