Logo

Everyday essentials

How to sign a document you received

If someone sent you a document through Inkless, you don't need an account to sign it — just the link from your email.

Opening your signing link first shows a Consent to E-Sign screen explaining that clicking I Accept means you agree to sign electronically instead of on paper. You'll see this screen every time you open the link, even if you've already accepted it before.

If you don't want to sign electronically, click Decline — Inkless will show you instructions to contact the sender directly to arrange a paper copy. (Declining here is just informational; it doesn't notify the sender automatically, so you do need to reach out to them yourself.)

2. Fill in your fields

Once you accept, the document loads. Any field addressed to you is shown in color and is clickable; fields belonging to other signers appear grayed out. Click a field to fill it in:

  • Text fields (Name, Email, Address, Title, Initials, or any custom field) open a small box to type your answer.
  • Checkboxes toggle on and off with a single click.
  • Date fields fill in automatically with today's date as soon as you click them — there's no calendar to pick from.
  • Signature fields open a dedicated signing tool — see Adding your signature for the full walkthrough.

A progress indicator at the top shows how many fields you've completed, and a Next field → button jumps you straight to the next one that still needs your attention.

Tip: You only need to fill in your signature (or your name, or any other repeated field) once — Inkless automatically reuses it anywhere else on the document that asks for the same thing.

3. Submit

Once every required field is filled in, the Complete button at the top becomes clickable. Click it, confirm in the popup that appears, and your responses are submitted. See What happens after you sign for what to expect next.

  • "This document has been deleted by the sender" — the sender removed the document; contact them if you think this is a mistake.
  • "Not ready for you yet" — the document uses a signing order and it isn't your turn. You'll be emailed automatically the moment it is — no action needed.
  • A generic loading error usually means the link is broken, or the document was deleted or withdrawn — contact whoever sent it to you.