Sign and return a contract you received
"Please sign and return" means the other side wants your signature first and will countersign once your copy arrives. Here's what to check, how to sign the PDF without printing, what to write when you send it back, and what should happen next.
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Check these before you sign
- Your details: your full legal name as it appears on your ID, your address, and — if you're signing for a business — the company's exact registered name.
- The numbers: price or salary, deposit, payment dates, term, notice period and automatic renewal. Compare them with the email, quote or offer you agreed to, not with your memory of it.
- The whole document: the page count and every attachment it refers to, such as "Schedule A" or "the Statement of Work". If one is missing, ask for it — signing the main document usually means agreeing to those too.
- Blanks: don't sign with empty spaces for dates, amounts or names that someone will fill in later. Ask for them to be completed first, or strike them through.
- Where to sign: the block labelled with your side (Client, Tenant, Employee…), plus any initials the document asks for beside changes or on each page.
Updated 27 October 2026 · Written by Joe Farwick, who runs this site
What “sign and return” means
It's an instruction, not a legal term: sign the document where indicated and send it back to whoever sent it. In a two-party contract it usually makes you the first signer. The sender — an employer, landlord, client or supplier — adds their signature after yours, which is called countersigning, and then sends you the fully signed version.
Signing first isn't a formality. Depending on the wording, your signature may be your acceptance of their offer, or an offer they accept by countersigning. Some documents say they only become binding once both parties have signed; many say nothing. Treat the moment you sign as the moment you commit.
How to sign and send it back without printing
Open the PDF in the signer on this page, draw or type your signature, place it on your line, add the date and your printed name, and download the signed file. It works the same way on a phone, straight from the email attachment.
Reply to the original email rather than starting a new one, so the context stays together. Attach the PDF itself instead of a cloud link that may expire or ask for a login, and give it a name you'll recognise later, such as "Services Agreement – signed by Alex Smith – 2026-09-27.pdf".
A short covering note is enough: "Hi Sam, attached is the agreement signed on my side. Could you countersign it and send me the fully executed copy for my records? Thanks." Asking for the executed copy in writing gives you something to point to if it never comes.
If the sender used DocuSign or a similar service, you'll get a link rather than a PDF. Sign inside that service instead of downloading and re-signing the file, so their process — and any digital seal on the document — stays intact.
What happens next — and if they never countersign
Keep an untouched copy of exactly what you sent. When the countersigned version arrives, compare it with yours: same pages, same text, their signature in their block. The copy carrying both signatures is your record of the agreement.
If nothing arrives within a few days, ask again in writing. A missing countersignature doesn't automatically mean there is no contract — informal agreements can be binding when offer, acceptance and consideration are present, and both sides acting on the deal points that way — but it leaves room to argue about terms. Don't rely on anything the other side hasn't confirmed.
If you change your mind before they countersign, tell them in writing straight away. Whether you can still back out depends on whether your signature was an offer or an acceptance and on the document's wording; for anything significant, ask a lawyer.
Want something changed? Don't sign yet
Signing and adding "subject to changing clause 7" in the margin creates confusion about what you actually agreed. Send your requested changes instead — a marked-up copy or a short list — wait for a revised version, and sign that. For a small last-minute fix both sides agree on, a handwritten correction initialled by both parties is a common alternative.
Open the contract the other party signed, place your countersignature and the date in your own block, and download the fully executed copy for every party.
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Sign-and-return questions
What does “please sign and return at your earliest convenience” mean?+
It's a polite request to sign soon, not a legal deadline. Check the document itself, though: offers often lapse if they aren't signed by a stated date.
Do I sign every page?+
Only where the document asks. Some contracts want initials on every page so pages can't be swapped later; otherwise one signature in your block, plus the date, is enough.
Can I return a signed contract by email?+
For most business, employment and rental documents, yes — a signed PDF by email is standard practice. A few still need paper or a witness, such as deeds in England and Wales, which must be witnessed in person, and some property or court documents.
Should I sign and date it with today's date?+
Yes, date your signature with the day you sign, even if the contract has a different start date. The start or effective date is usually written into the contract text.
How much does it cost to sign and return a PDF here?+
Placing your signature is free. You only pay when you download the signed file to send back — €2.99 for a month or €24.99 for a year. For a one-off, cancel right after the download; access continues until the end of the month you paid for.
Sign your part
Open the contract above, sign and date your line, and send it back today.
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