A Feature Most Platforms Don't Have
Add witness signers to any document. GoodSign's dedicated witness signing workflow lets witnesses verify and co-sign documents electronically — no workarounds, no hacks.
No subscription required. Pay only when you send.
Witness signing is a process where a third party — the witness — observes the primary signer execute their signature and then adds their own signature to the document to verify they were present during signing. The witness attests that the signer is who they claim to be and signed voluntarily.
Witnessed signatures are commonly required for legal documents such as property transactions, wills, statutory declarations, powers of attorney, and affidavits. In many jurisdictions, a document without the required witness signature may not be legally enforceable.
Not sure whether your document needs a witness, who is allowed to be one, or what the witness block has to say? Start with our guide to what witness signing is, who can witness a signature and the rules. This page covers how to get it done electronically.
Primary Signer
The person entering into the agreement. They sign first and their identity and intent are verified by the witness.
Witness
An independent third party who observes the signing and adds their own signature to confirm they were present. Recorded in the audit trail.
A proper witness signing workflow built into the platform. Four steps, fully automated.
Upload your document, place signature fields, and add the primary signers — the people who are entering into the agreement.
Assign one or more witnesses to the document. Each witness is linked to the signer they are witnessing. Place witness signature fields where they need to appear on the document.
GoodSign automatically enforces the correct signing order. Primary signers complete their signatures before the witness is notified. No manual coordination needed.
After the primary signer completes, the witness receives their invitation. They review the document, confirm they witnessed the signing, and add their own signature. Everything is recorded in the audit trail.
Many legal and regulated documents require one or more witnesses. Here are the most common situations where witness signing is essential.
Property Transactions
Lease agreements, sale contracts, and title transfers often require witnessed signatures to be legally valid.
Statutory Declarations
Declarations made under oath or affirmation typically require an authorised witness or Justice of the Peace.
Powers of Attorney
Granting someone authority to act on your behalf usually requires independent witness verification.
Affidavits
Sworn written statements used as evidence require witnessed signatures to be admissible.
Wills & Estate Documents
Wills and testamentary documents require witnesses to confirm the testator signed voluntarily and with capacity.
Employment Contracts
Some employment agreements, restraint of trade clauses, and deed-based contracts require witness signatures.
Most e-signature platforms — including DocuSign, PandaDoc, and HelloSign — do not support witness signing natively. If you need a witnessed signature, you are left with clunky workarounds: adding witnesses as regular signers with no enforced order, asking signers to print and scan, or switching to a different tool entirely.
GoodSign built witness signing into the platform because real businesses need it. Lawyers, conveyancers, accountants, and HR teams told us they needed a proper witness workflow — not a workaround. So we built one.
GoodSign
Dedicated witness signer role. Automatic signing order enforcement. Witness details in audit trail. 1 credit per witness.
Most Competitors
No witness role. Witnesses added as regular signers. No enforced order. Manual coordination required. Often needs expensive plans.
DocuSign and Adobe both offer a witness role, but only on their upper tiers. If you witness a deed a few times a year, you are paying a subscription for a feature you rarely use. GoodSign charges for the witness only when you add one.
| GoodSign | DocuSign eWitness | Adobe e-Witness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available on | Every account | Business Pro and above, from about US$40 per user per month billed annually | Acrobat Sign Solutions, enterprise agreement, price on request |
| What a witnessed document costs | 2 credits: $1.50 for the document plus $1.50 for the witness | Included in the subscription, whether you witness one document a year or a hundred | Included in the enterprise agreement |
| Signer first, then witness | Enforced automatically | Yes | Yes |
| Remote witness signature | The witness signs from their own phone or computer after the signer completes | Yes | Yes |
| Witness authentication and audit trail | Emailed link, optional SMS code, IP address, timestamp and location on the certificate | Audit trail included | Audit trail included |
Tier availability from DocuSign and Adobe support documentation, September 2026. We have done our best to research each platform; check their pages before you buy.
Witness signing works seamlessly alongside GoodSign's other capabilities to give you a complete document workflow.
Sequential Signing
Witnesses are automatically placed in the signing order after the primary signer. No manual coordination — GoodSign handles the sequence for you.
Comprehensive Audit Trail
Every action is recorded with timestamps, IP addresses, and geolocation — for both the primary signer and the witness. The audit certificate is attached to the completed document.
In-Person Signing
For situations where the witness must be physically present, use in-person signing mode. Hand the device to each party in turn right from the same room.
Tamper-Proof PDFs
Once all parties — signers and witnesses — have completed, the document is permanently flattened and locked. Any modification is detectable.
See the full feature list or learn more about signing documents online with GoodSign.
Every witnessed document is protected by enterprise-grade security, giving your signatures the legal weight they need.
256-Bit Encryption
All documents encrypted in transit and at rest with bank-grade TLS/SSL encryption.
ISO 27001 & SOC Certified
Infrastructure backed by data centres meeting rigorous international compliance standards.
GDPR Compliant
Full compliance with European data protection regulations for handling personal data.
Legally Binding
Compliant with ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS (EU), and equivalent legislation in Australia, NZ, Canada, and UK.
Certificate of Completion
Every signed document generates a detailed certificate containing the full audit trail and signer details.
Lifetime Document Storage
Signed documents stored securely for life. Access, download, or delete whenever you need.
Visit the Security Center for full details on how GoodSign protects your documents.
Witness signing is a process where an independent third party observes someone sign a document and then adds their own signature to verify they were present. The witness does not need to be a party to the agreement — their role is to confirm the signer's identity and that the signing was voluntary.
Witness requirements vary by jurisdiction and document type. Common situations include property transactions, wills and estate documents, statutory declarations, affidavits, powers of attorney, deeds, and some employment contracts. If you are unsure whether your document requires a witness, consult your legal adviser.
Yes. GoodSign has a dedicated witness signing feature built into the platform. You can assign witness signers to any document, and GoodSign automatically enforces the correct signing order — primary signers complete first, then witnesses are notified. Everything is recorded in the audit trail.
In most jurisdictions, yes. Electronic signatures — including witnessed ones — are legally recognised under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS (EU), and equivalent legislation in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. GoodSign's audit trail records timestamps, IP addresses, and geolocation for both signers and witnesses, providing strong evidence of the signing event. Always consult local legal requirements for your specific document type.
You can add as many witnesses as your document requires. Each witness is linked to the signer they are witnessing and receives their own signing invitation after the primary signer completes. Each witness uses one credit.
Yes, DocuSign calls it eWitness, but it is only available on Business Pro and above, from about US$40 per user per month billed annually. Adobe's e-Witness role is limited to Acrobat Sign Solutions on an enterprise agreement. GoodSign includes witness signing on every account and charges one extra credit per witness, so a witnessed document costs 2 credits in total.
Add the witness when you send the document. Once the signer has signed, the witness receives their own emailed link and signs from wherever they are, on any device. GoodSign records the order, the timestamps and the witness's details on the audit certificate. Whether remote witnessing satisfies the rules for your document type depends on your jurisdiction, so check before you rely on it for deeds, wills or statutory declarations.
Every witness signs through a link sent to their own email address, and you can require an SMS code before they sign, for one extra credit. Their IP address, timestamp and approximate location are captured alongside the signer's on the completion certificate.
Set up in minutes. No subscription, no software to install. Proper witness signing that most platforms simply don't offer.
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