Google is testing a feature to digitally sign documents directly in Docs and Drive. The feature is initially limited to Gmail accounts.

After almost a year of internal testing, Google announces the beta feature. Digital signatures, also known as e-signatures, have long been possible in Dropbox or via Adobe Acrobat and are finally coming to Google Docs and Drive. No more printing out, signing, and scanning every sheet of paper, or drawing an awkward sketch with the word processor’s built-in pen.

In a blog, Google shows how everything works. You can specify in a document where it should be signed. You then give the document to the person who needs to sign it. You will see a menu where you enter your name, initials, signature and date, which will then be automatically entered into the highlighted field. The sender can check whether the signature has already been placed.

Sign here

This method makes handling digital documents such as contracts or order forms a better experience for everyone involved. The feature will have limited availability during the beta period. Individual Workspace subscriptions will soon be able to use it. Initially, the signing requests can only be sent to other Gmail users, but this will change in the future.

It will be even more difficult for professional Workspace customers to test the digital signatures in the beta. For this you have to fill out a form. Google wants to kill multiple birds with one stone while testing new Gmail templates with its paying subscribers who subscribe to them.