In more detail
Its legal weight varies by country and document type. In the United States the ESIGN Act and the UETA give electronic signatures the same effect as handwritten ones for most transactions. EU law (the eIDAS regulation) defines three levels: simple, advanced (uniquely linked to and able to identify the signer) and qualified, which is based on a qualified certificate and has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature in every member state.
Why it matters
Most contracts, leases and HR forms can be signed electronically, but some documents, such as wills or certain court and property papers, may still need a handwritten or notarised signature depending on the country. What makes a simple e-signature hold up in a dispute is the evidence around it: who signed, when, and that the document has not changed since.
Example
A signing service typically records an audit trail like this alongside the drawn signature:
Signer: [email protected] (email link verified)
Signed: 2026-10-09T14:32:07Z
Document: SHA-256 9f86d081884c7d65...
Common confusion
An e-signature can be just a typed name; a Digital signature uses Public-key cryptography to prove who signed and that the content was not changed afterwards.