Guide · Startups

E-signatures for startups

Ship signing features without building the infrastructure. GetSigned is a REST API — three calls to send a legally binding, PKCS#7-sealed document to any signer. Free tier, no sales call, integration in hours.

Start free — 25 envelopes/month →
1

Get API keys — free

Sign up and grab your OAuth2 client credentials. No credit card, no sales call. The free tier includes 25 envelopes per month with full API access.

curl
curl -X POST https://api.getsigned.app/oauth/token \
  -d grant_type=client_credentials \
  -d client_id=$GETSIGNED_CLIENT_ID \
  -d client_secret=$GETSIGNED_CLIENT_SECRET
# → { "access_token": "ey...", "expires_in": 3600 }
2

Send your first envelope

Upload your PDF, declare signers, place fields, and send — all in one or two requests. Your signer gets an email with a unique, tokenized signing link.

curl
# Create envelope + place a signature field
ENV_ID=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.getsigned.app/v1/envelopes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -F "document=@terms.pdf;type=application/pdf" \
  -F 'signers=[{"name":"Alex","email":"alex@user.com"}]' \
  -F 'fields=[{"type":"signature","page":1,"x":300,"y":580}]' \
  | jq -r .id)

# Send it — Alex gets an email with a signing link
curl -X POST https://api.getsigned.app/v1/envelopes/$ENV_ID/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
3

React to the webhook

When Alex signs, GetSigned fires an envelope.completed webhook to your endpoint. Download the sealed PDF and update your database — no polling required.

curl
// POST from GetSigned to your webhook URL
{
  "event": "envelope.completed",
  "envelopeId": "env_...",
  "documentHashFinal": "9f86d0818..."
}

// Download the sealed, tamper-evident PDF
GET /v1/envelopes/env_.../document
Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN

Why startups choose GetSigned

Ship in hours, not weeks

Three REST endpoints cover the full signing flow: create envelope, send, handle webhook. No SDKs to install, no UI to build. Your first integration is live the same day you start.

Free tier, no expiry

25 envelopes per month on the free plan — permanently, not as a trial. Enough to validate your product and start generating revenue before you pay anything.

Webhook-driven, not polling

GetSigned fires events when signers view, sign, or decline. Your backend reacts asynchronously — no cron jobs, no GET-every-minute status checks.

PKCS#7 seal on every document

Every completed document gets a CA-issued digital signature that any PDF reader can verify. Legal defensibility is built in — you don't need to build it.

Multi-signer from day one

Sequential and parallel signer routing with a single routing_order field. Wire up two-party contracts or team approval flows without re-architecting.

Scales with you

The free tier handles early traction. Growth tier is usage-based with no per-seat fees. Enterprise is available when you need SLAs, SSO, and dedicated support.

Frequently asked questions

Why should a startup use a signing API instead of building e-signatures internally?

Building a legally defensible e-signature system from scratch requires: PDF rendering and flattening, a digital signing certificate and sealing infrastructure, an append-only audit trail with hash chaining, OTP identity verification, signer authentication without accounts, and webhook delivery with retry logic. That's 3–6 months of engineering and ongoing maintenance. GetSigned exposes all of this as a REST API — you integrate it in a day and ship the feature, not the infrastructure.

Is GetSigned's free tier really free, or is it a trial?

It's a permanent free tier, not a time-limited trial. The free plan includes 25 envelopes per month, full API access (OAuth2, PKCS#7 sealing, audit trails, webhooks), and no credit card requirement. It stays free regardless of how long you use it. When you exceed 25 envelopes per month, you upgrade to the Growth tier which is usage-based.

How long does it take to integrate GetSigned into an existing product?

Most startups are sending their first signed document within 2–4 hours of signing up. The full production integration — including webhook handling, error handling, and retry logic — typically takes a day or two. There is no dedicated SDK to install; the API is standard REST with multipart form uploads and JSON responses.

Do signers need to create an account?

No. Signers receive a tokenized, single-use link via email. They verify identity with an email or SMS one-time passcode and sign on a hosted page — no account, no app install, no friction. This is especially important for B2C products where signer onboarding overhead kills conversion.

Can we customize the signing page with our startup's branding?

Yes. The signing page shows your brand name and can display your logo. Full white-labelling (removing the Powered-by attribution) is available on the Enterprise plan. For most early-stage startups, the default branded experience is sufficient.

Related: Integration guide · Pricing · Webhook guide · Best e-signature APIs

Ship signing today

Free forever to start. Full API access, PKCS#7 sealing, and webhooks — no credit card required.

Get free API keys →