{"id":73222,"date":"2026-04-28T15:04:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/?p=73222"},"modified":"2026-04-28T15:06:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:06:51","slug":"microsoft-esignature-does-it-replace-acrobat-co","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/microsoft-esignature-does-it-replace-acrobat-co\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft eSignature: Does it replace Acrobat &#038; co?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft quietly introduced <strong>native electronic signatures in Microsoft 365, called &#8220;Microsoft eSignature&#8221;<\/strong>. For many organizations, this raises a simple question:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can Microsoft eSignature replace Adobe Acrobat or DocuSign &#8211; or not? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73223\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-LinkedIn-Microsoft-eSignature.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-LinkedIn-Microsoft-eSignature.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-LinkedIn-Microsoft-eSignature-500x329.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-LinkedIn-Microsoft-eSignature-800x526.png 800w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-LinkedIn-Microsoft-eSignature-150x99.png 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-LinkedIn-Microsoft-eSignature-768x505.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft<strong> eSignature <\/strong>supports<strong> simple electronic signatures (SES) <\/strong>only<\/li>\n<li>It is <strong>not included in Microsoft 365 licenses<\/strong> and is billed <strong>pay\u2011as\u2011you\u2011go<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Adobe Acrobat and DocuSign remain required<\/strong> for advanced and qualified signatures<\/li>\n<li>All three options can be <strong>used side by side and integrated in SharePoint<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Microsoft eSignature is about workflow simplicity, instead of legal strength<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What Microsoft eSignature does<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73243\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-example.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"797\" height=\"470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-example.png 797w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-example-500x295.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-example-150x88.png 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-example-768x453.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Microsoft eSignature lets users <strong>request, sign, and store documents directly in Microsoft 365<\/strong>, mainly:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>PDFs in <strong>SharePoint (web)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Documents in <strong>Word (web)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Signatures can be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>typed<\/strong>, or<\/li>\n<li><strong>drawn<\/strong> (stylus, touch, mouse &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/techcommunity.microsoft.com\/blog\/microsoft_365blog\/sign-with-a-personal-touch-with-esignature-for-microsoft-365\/4500960\">rollout started March 2026<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-drawn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"940\" height=\"522\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-drawn.png 940w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-drawn-500x278.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-drawn-800x444.png 800w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-drawn-150x83.png 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-drawn-768x426.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>All documents remain:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>in SharePoint,<\/li>\n<li>under Microsoft identity (Microsoft Entra ID),<\/li>\n<li>logged in Microsoft Purview Audit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Licensing and pricing (important)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft eSignature is <strong>not bundled<\/strong> with any Microsoft 365 plan<\/li>\n<li>It requires:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pay\u2011as\u2011you\u2011go billing<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>a linked <strong>Azure subscription<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73239\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-payg.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"802\" height=\"458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-payg.png 802w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-payg-500x286.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-payg-800x457.png 800w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-payg-150x86.png 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-payg-768x439.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Price:<\/strong> <strong>USD 2 <\/strong>per<strong> signature request*<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Trial capacity (until June 2026):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5 signature requests per tenant per month<\/strong> included<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This makes Microsoft eSignature suitable for <strong>low to moderate volume<\/strong>, but not for mass signing.<\/p>\n<p>*Prices in this article are for educational purposes only and are non-binding.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With Microsoft eSignature, you are not paying for legal trust, but for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>identity binding (internal users and external guests),<\/li>\n<li>audit logging,<\/li>\n<li>workflow handling,<\/li>\n<li>SharePoint\u2011native storage,<\/li>\n<li>no separate platform or contracts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>USD\u202f2 per request makes sense when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>you send <strong>few signatures<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>you want <strong>zero new tools<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the document is <strong>low legal risk<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Legal validity in the EU<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73251\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1843\" height=\"1037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation.jpeg 1843w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation-500x281.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation-800x450.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation-150x84.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-28-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-Eidas-Regulation-1536x864.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1843px) 100vw, 1843px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Microsoft eSignature provides <strong>simple electronic signatures (SES)<\/strong> under EU eIDAS.<\/p>\n<p>It does <strong>not<\/strong> provide:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>advanced electronic signatures (AES)<\/li>\n<li>qualified electronic signatures (QES)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Legal suitability depends on the document type and is your responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s <strong>compare these three types of signatures<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Signature type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Simple Electronic Signature (SES)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Legal basis (EU eIDAS)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Article 3(10) eIDAS<\/td>\n<td>Article 26 eIDAS<\/td>\n<td>Articles 3(12) and 25 eIDAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Typical example<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Typed or drawn signature in Microsoft 365<\/td>\n<td>Certificate\u2011based signature <strong>via<\/strong> <strong>Adobe or DocuSign<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Signature issued by a <strong>qualified trust service provider<\/strong>; can be <strong>used in<\/strong> <strong>Adobe or DocuSign<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Identity assurance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Low to medium<\/td>\n<td>High<\/td>\n<td>Very high (verified identity)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Integrity protection<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Basic<\/td>\n<td>Strong cryptographic protection<\/td>\n<td>Strong cryptographic protection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Audit trail<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes (platform\u2011based)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (provider\u2011verified)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (legally regulated)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Accepted in regulated industries<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Rarely<\/td>\n<td>Often<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Typical use cases<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Internal approvals, low\u2011risk documents<\/td>\n<td>Contracts, business agreements<\/td>\n<td>Employment contracts, regulated agreements<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Use cases of types of signatures in the EU<\/h2>\n<p>When to use which type of signature:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Signature type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Simple Electronic Signature (SES)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Internal approvals<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Overkill<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Internal policies confirmation<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Overkill<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Customer signs a quote<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u26a0\ufe0f Risky<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Usually not required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Sales contracts (B2B)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u274c Often not<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Usually not required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Supplier contracts<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u274c Often not<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Usually not required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>NDAs<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u274c Often not<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Usually not required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Employment contracts<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u274c No<\/td>\n<td>\u26a0\ufe0f Sometimes<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Documents to authorities<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u274c No<\/td>\n<td>\u274c Often not<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Documents to banks<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u274c No<\/td>\n<td>\u26a0\ufe0f Sometimes<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 Often required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>This makes solutions like Adobe Acrobat Sign or DocuSign still very relevant, especially in regulated environments or industries that require higher signature standards.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison: Microsoft eSignature vs Adobe vs DocuSign<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 14.28%; text-align: left;\">Topic<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 14.28%; text-align: left;\" colspan=\"3\">Microsoft eSignature<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 14.28%; text-align: left;\" colspan=\"2\">Adobe Acrobat Pro<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 14.28%; text-align: left;\">DocuSign Standard<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Pricing model<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\">Pay as you go<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Subscription per user<\/td>\n<td>Subscription per user<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Typical entry price<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adoption.microsoft.com\/en-us\/document-processing\/esignature\/\">USD 2 per request<br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/acrobat\/business\/pricing-plans.html\">approximately USD 24 per user per month<br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/ecom.docusign.com\/plans-and-pricing\/esignature\">approximately USD 25 per user per month<br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>What you pay for<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\">Each signature request sent<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Named users with signature rights<\/td>\n<td>Named users with signature rights<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Volume limits<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\">None inherent, pay per use<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Yes, often capped per user<\/td>\n<td>Yes, 100 envelopes per user per year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Signature levels supported<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\">SES only<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>SES, AES, QES<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>SES, AES, QES<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Default signature strength<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\"><strong>SES<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>SES or AES, configurable<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>SES or AES, configurable<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Upgrade path to QES<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\"><strong>Not possible<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Possible via qualified trust services<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Possible via qualified trust services<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Suitable for regulated contracts<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\">No<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Best fit use case<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"3\">Low risk, internal, low volume<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Regulated documents, higher trust<\/td>\n<td>Regulated documents, large scale workflows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Microsoft eSignature does <strong>not replace<\/strong> Adobe or DocuSign. These solutions can, however, be used with Microsoft solutions, such as Microsoft Word, through integrations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>How integration works in practice<\/h2>\n<p>From <strong>Word for the web<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73227\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2552\" height=\"1371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature.png 2552w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-500x269.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-800x430.png 800w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-150x81.png 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-768x413.png 768w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-1536x825.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-2048x1100.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2552px) 100vw, 2552px\" \/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Tab: &#8220;Insert&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Click on &#8220;eSignature fields&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Follow the instructions<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>From <strong>SharePoint for the web<\/strong>, the user:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open a PDF<\/li>\n<li>Click on \u201cRequest signature\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73231\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-request-signature.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"63\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-request-signature.png 624w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-request-signature-500x50.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-request-signature-150x15.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Follow the instructions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73235\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-follow-instructions.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-follow-instructions.png 624w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-follow-instructions-500x334.png 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/04\/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-27-Update-Microsoft-eSignature-SharePoint-follow-instructions-150x100.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The signed document is written <strong>back to SharePoint automatically<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>FAQ<\/h2>\n<h3>Why not always use Adobe or DocuSign?<\/h3>\n<p>Because for many documents the legal effort is unnecessary and expensive.<\/p>\n<h3>Why would an external recipient accept a Microsoft eSignature?<\/h3>\n<p>They often do <strong>not have to \u201caccept\u201d<\/strong> anything. SES is legally valid \u2013 it just has weaker evidentiary value if challenged.<\/p>\n<h3>Is drawn signature more valid than typed?<\/h3>\n<p>No. It is only a visual difference.<\/p>\n<h3>Is Microsoft eSignature a replacement for LuxTrust?<\/h3>\n<p>No. LuxTrust provides QES. Microsoft does not.<\/p>\n<h3>Why does Microsoft even offer this?<\/h3>\n<p>To reduce basic friction inside Microsoft\u202f365 and cover the 60\u201370\u202f% of signature use cases that are <strong>not regulated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Bottom line<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Microsoft eSignature is a baseline tool<\/strong>, but not a universal replacement of Adobe or DocuSign signature solutions<\/li>\n<li>Many organizations already pay for third\u2011party tools <strong>where they are not legally needed<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The real value comes from <strong>separating simple from regulated use cases<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Recommendation<\/h2>\n<p>We typically recommend a <strong>hybrid approach<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft eSignature for simple, internal, low\u2011risk cases<\/li>\n<li>Adobe or DocuSign where legal certainty is required (which is often the case when communicating with external recipients)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-71824\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2975\" height=\"1983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085.webp 2975w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085-500x333.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/media\/2026\/03\/Office-People-DSCF8085-2048x1365.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2975px) 100vw, 2975px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/contact\/\">Contact our licensing experts<\/a> to optimize your licensing across publishers to sign with legal safety when required while saving costs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Sources<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><em>Product page: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/adoption.microsoft.com\/en-us\/document-processing\/esignature\/\"><em>https:\/\/adoption.microsoft.com\/en-us\/document-processing\/esignature\/<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Overview of eSignature: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/esignature-overview\"><em>https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/esignature-overview<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Included eSignature requests: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/promo-syntex\"><em>https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/promo-syntex<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Set up pay-as-you-go billing for document processing: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/syntex-azure-billing\"><em>https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/syntex-azure-billing<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>How to set up eSignature: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/esignature-setup\"><em>https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/documentprocessing\/esignature-setup<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>eSignature in Microsoft Word: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/1S8HDKYPIA4?si=HNPCAidwh3kZzZwI\"><em>https:\/\/youtu.be\/1S8HDKYPIA4?si=HNPCAidwh3kZzZwI<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft quietly introduced native electronic signatures in Microsoft 365, called &#8220;Microsoft eSignature&#8221;. For many organizations, this raises a simple question: Can Microsoft eSignature replace Adobe Acrobat or DocuSign &#8211; or not? &nbsp; Summary Microsoft eSignature supports simple electronic signatures (SES) only It is not included in Microsoft 365 licenses and is billed pay\u2011as\u2011you\u2011go Adobe Acrobat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":33016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[288,248],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-365","category-microsoft-azure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73222"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73257,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73222\/revisions\/73257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schneider.im\/lu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}