{"id":3043,"date":"2026-01-08T09:43:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T09:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/certera.com\/kb\/?p=3043"},"modified":"2026-01-08T09:43:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T09:43:31","slug":"how-to-sign-pdf-document-in-adobe-acrobat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/certera.com\/kb\/how-to-sign-pdf-document-in-adobe-acrobat\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sign a Document in Adobe Acrobat?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Digital signatures have become vital to secure document workflows, whether for contracts, compliance records, or business approvals. Adobe Acrobat makes it easy to digitally sign PDFs using trusted Document Signing Certificates from DigiCert<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is how to digitally sign a document in Adobe Acrobat, create a Digital ID, and add a trusted timestamp to ensure long-term validity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you begin the digital signing process in Adobe Acrobat, it’s important to ensure you are prepared with the right tools and credentials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparation with the right tools will help you avoid signing mistakes and ensure that your digital signature will be accepted and trusted, as well as compliant and verifiable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Verifiable Document Signing Certificate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A verifiable document signing certificate is the primary requirement, which allows for a valid and legal digital signing in Adobe Acrobat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The document signing certificate is your validated digital identity; it tells recipients that the document was either created by you or your organization and that it is unchanged after being signed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Document signing certificates follow worldwide standards, including Adobe’s Approved Trust List (AATL).\u00a0This means that when you sign a document with a document signing certificate, your signed document will be trusted automatically across Adobe products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hardware Token or USB Device with your certificate if using a Legacy Setup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a traditional signing setup, document signing certificates are held on a hardware token or USB device. The hardware token or USB device contains your private key to make your digital signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each time you sign a document, you have to plug the token into your computer and use your token password (PIN) to sign the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legacy method, while secure, may not be the most convenient method for work these days, especially if you sign documents remotely or automatically. That is one of the reasons organizations are shifting to cloud-based key management systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obtaining Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Pro Version)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To digitally sign documents, you must install Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro on your computer. These applications have a built-in “Use a certificate<\/strong>” signing tool to select, create, or import digital IDs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always upgrade your Adobe Acrobat software to the latest version in order to keep up with current certificate standards and timestamping services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are using Acrobat Reader, other than possibly integrating with a trusted certificate supplier or cloud signing service, your ability to sign documents will be somewhat limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steps to Digitally Sign a Document in Adobe Acrobat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may use the following steps to add your digital signature to a PDF:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Step 1. Open Your Document<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You must open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat. From the left navigation, go to: All Tools \u2192 View more \u2192 Use a certificate \u2192 Digitally sign<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This initiates a digital signing mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Step 2: Sketch the Signature Area<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Click and drag the mouse in the area where you want your signature to be displayed. A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to select, create, or import your Digital ID. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your certificate is installed on the system, Acrobat will automatically detect it. If that’s not the case, choose “Configure New Digital ID<\/strong>” to import a certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Step 3: Pick or Create Your Digital ID<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You have the following options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n