How to Sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat
Written and fact-checked by The EditPDF AI Team
Adobe Acrobat's online Fill & Sign tool can add a signature to a PDF for free. This walks through its actual steps, the Adobe account and cloud upload it requires to finish, and how the same visual signature can be placed entirely in your browser instead.
How do you sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat online?
Open Adobe's online Fill & Sign tool, select your PDF, sign in to your Adobe account when prompted, add a typed or drawn signature from the Sign panel, then download the signed file or copy a share link.
- 1Go to Adobe Acrobat's online "Fill & sign PDF" tool and click "Select a file" (or drag the PDF onto the drop zone).
- 2The file uploads to Acrobat on the web; sign in with an Adobe account when prompted — this is required to complete and download the signed form.
- 3Use the Sign panel to fill any form fields, then add your signature by typing it, drawing it, or inserting a signature image.
- 4Place and size the signature where you want it, then click Next.
- 5Download the completed PDF, or get a shareable link to it.
Do you need an Adobe account to sign a PDF?
Yes, for the online tool. Adobe's page states you must be signed in to complete the fillable form, so you can start without an account but cannot download the signed result without one. The tool itself is free, with no daily limit stated.
- ·Free to use, but an Adobe sign-in is required before you can download the signed PDF
- ·The free tool covers signing a document yourself — typed, drawn, or an uploaded signature image
- ·Requesting signatures from other people, and audit trails, belong to the paid Acrobat plans, not the free tool
- ·Neither the free tool nor our alternative below creates a certificate-based (cryptographic) digital signature — both place a visual signature
Is your PDF uploaded to Adobe's cloud?
Yes. The online Fill & Sign tool uploads your document to Acrobat on the web to process it, which is also why the sign-in is required.
A browser-based signer places the same kind of visual signature without uploading the file anywhere. The guide on what happens to files you upload shows how to confirm which kind of tool you're using.
How do you sign a PDF without an account or upload?
EditPDF AI's PDF Signer places a visual signature entirely in your browser — no Adobe account, no sign-in, and the PDF is not uploaded to a document-processing server.
- ·Draw a signature with a mouse or finger, type one in a script font, or upload a PNG or JPEG signature image
- ·Position, resize, or rotate it on the page, then export a PDF with the signature embedded
- ·No account required — creating, placing, and exporting the signature is a free core browser workflow
- ·Same scope as Adobe's free tool: this signs a document yourself; it does not send a document to other people to request their signatures
Related PDF tools and guides
PDF Signer
The core workflow is available without an account. Browser and tool-specific limits apply.
Sign a PDF free, no account →