How to make a digital signature in Word [STEP BY STEP]

If you need to sign documents frequently and want to do so without the need to print or scan information, knowing how to digitally sign in Word can be a very useful skill.

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular software in the world when it comes to text editing. First launched in 1983 under a different name, Word celebrated three decades since its inception in 2023. In fact, estimations show that it's running on over a billion devices worldwide.

Used in various contexts, from school documents to corporate reports, it is a program that has become indispensable for many users and its function of signing digital document is one of the most interesting features of the program.

Source: Microsoft Support

Using the digital signature

Signing documents is a common task in many routines, whether corporate or academic. However, this activity can be time-consuming and costly, especially when it is necessary to print, sign, scan, and send the document.

In the case of Microsoft Word, one of the main advantages of digital signatures in Word is the agility and convenience of signing documents. With this feature, it is possible to sign a document in a few minutes, without having to go through all the red tape of the analog procedure.

In addition, with digitization of documents it is possible to save time and money, being a sustainable alternative to managing handwritten signatures, since it eliminates the need for printing and transporting documents.

For this reason, it is important that companies are aware of this trend and begin to adopt this technology in their processes, in order to become more efficient and competitive.

In this sense, electronic signature it is a technology that is increasingly present in the daily lives of people and companies. However, it is necessary to be aware to understand which types of electronic or digital signatures provide more security and legal validity.

Step by step to make a digital signature in Word

Creating a signature in Word may seem like a complicated process, but it's actually very simple. Before we begin, however, it is important to remember that it is necessary to have a digital certificate current (not expired). In addition, it is important to verify that you have the editing rights to the document in which you intend to insert the signature.

According to Microsoft Support, “digital certificates are issued by a certificate authority (CA), which is a trusted third-party entity that issues digital certificates to be used by other parties. There are many third-party commercial certificate authorities from which you can purchase a digital certificate or obtain a free digital certificate.”

In this case, to guarantee the authenticity of a signature made in Word, a digital certificate is required. This certificate contains a public key that is used to validate the private key associated with the digital signature - widely used in contracts, agreements, and other documents that require legal validity.

That said, let's see how simple the step by step is to enter your subscription and take advantage of all the benefits of this program.

Step 1) Launch Microsoft Word and open the document where you want to insert the signature.

Step 2) Click “Insert” on the top toolbar.

Step 3) Select “Add a signature line” from the drop-down menu.

Step 4) Set up the subscription and click “OK”.

Step 5) You will see a signature line that is added to the document. Right-click on it and choose the “Subscribe” option.

Step 6) Finally, select the Digital Certificate to be used (if there is more than one) and click “Sign”.

And voila, your signature is embedded in the document.

If you don't have and don't want to purchase a digital certificate from a third-party certificate authority (CA), Word allows you to create your own digital certificate. However, in this case, other people will not be able to verify the authenticity of your signature without manually choosing to trust your self-signed certificate (which can be a problem in potential litigation).

Do you want to go beyond the signature in Word? Check out other electronic signature solutions

Without a doubt, it is possible that an electronically signed document is even more secure than a physically signed document, provided that a reliable platform is used and that meets legal requirements.

With that in mind, if you want to go beyond Office and have an electronic signature platform with various types of authentication available (facial biometry, Token, PIX, digital certificate, email, and others) and extra layers of security to formalize deals, try Clicksign.

Thus, more than knowing how to make a digital signature in Word, it will be possible to operate like the main companies in the market, in an applicable and legally valid manner. Try our platform now for 14 days free, sending up to 30 documents for signature today and don't waste time.

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