What is a signature block in a document or form?

Signing electronic documents doesn’t have to be difficult when you add a signature block. Learn why signature blocks are important and beneficial to others.

If you’ve participated in any type of agreement with another person, you’ve been given a document or form that required your signature. But you may have wondered why the area that contains your signature, known as the signature block, may look differently across documents.

What is a signature block?

You may have wondered: What is a signature block? A signature block is text automatically added to the end of content like email messages, contracts, or other documents that collect personal information from the signer and add signatures to a form. Electronic signatures primarily reduce turnaround times for the signer and the signee, but let’s review other reasons why signature blocks are beneficial.

The signature block contains the signer’s identifiable information. Signature blocks help provide contact details and can be posted in any type of document. Knowing what signature block content is will help you identify them, as they are commonly found in contracts, financial agreements, legal documents, and other business communications. However, they are also used in healthcare, academics, and other fields that require document approvals.

You can create signature blocks for different documents and uses, containing whatever information you require. Consider adding descriptive fields for the signer to complete, including:

• Full name
• Title
• Company name
• Phone number
• Date

Depending on your industry, you can add other items. For some industries, you may need to add space for a notary stamp if the document requires validity. For business correspondence, add a line for the signer’s business address and email address.

The last line of the signature block should always include the field for the signee’s actual signature.

Benefits of using a signature block.

Here are a few benefits to creating and using a signature block:

1. Set a professional tone. Adding a signature block to emails and official documents shows time and effort and establishes you as a credible person.
2. Create a consistent brand. Signature blocks give you a chance to show off your company logo, fonts, and colors and maintain uniformity across company communications.
3. Access contact information. With your name, phone number, title, and email in your signature block, recipients can easily reach out to you. You can also include other links like your website or social media handles.

What’s the difference between a signature and a signature block?

A signature is a mark that identifies someone by name. Documents can be signed with a handwritten signature or an electronic signature to indicate a person’s agreement or approval for the document’s contents.

Signatures can be typed, but more commonly, they’re scanned from an image using an online signature generator to provide more authenticity. Moreover, handwritten cursive signatures are harder to copy than writing in print. Even if a handwritten signature is difficult to read, a signature acts as an identifier to authenticate a document.

A signature block, however, is a broader area that provides context for the signature — a helpful detail specifically when signatures are indecipherable. The signature block surrounds the signature and includes additional details, such as the signer’s name, title, and other personal information. It creates a professional, consistent look for the document.

A basic example of a signature block may look like this:

Signature ______________
[Full name]
[Company]
[Title]
[Date]

Additional examples of signature blocks include the following:

Contract
Signature ______________
[Name of representative in Company 1]
[Title of representative in Company 1]
[Name of Company 1]
[Date]

Signature ______________
[Name of representative in Company 2]
[Title of representative in Company 2]
[Name of Company 2]
[Date]

Healthcare form
Signature ______________
[Full name of patient]
[Date]

Healthcare Provider Signature ______________
[Full name of provider]
[Title or position]
[Date]

Legal form
Signature ______________
[Full name]
[Company name]
[Date]

Notary Signature ______________
Notary Public
[Notary seal]
[Date]