Prompt

What's the difference between an electronic signature and a digital signature?

Latest observation

Jul 15, 2026 · OpenAI APIWeb search: off

An electronic signature is a broad legal term for any electronic mark or action showing intent to sign a document.

An digital signature is a specific type of electronic signature that uses cryptography to protect the signature and verify who signed it.

Quick difference

  • Electronic signature: can be as simple as typing your name, checking a box, clicking “I agree,” or drawing a signature on a screen.
  • Digital signature: uses a technical process with encryption and certificates to ensure:
    • the signer’s identity,
    • the document hasn’t been altered,
    • the signature can be verified.

In short

  • All digital signatures are electronic signatures
  • Not all electronic signatures are digital signatures

Example

  • Clicking “Accept Terms” = electronic signature
  • Signing a PDF with a certificate-based cryptographic signature = digital signature

If you want, I can also explain how they differ in legal validity or security.

Observation history

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How did Obsurfable measure this prompt?

Obsurfable records AI answers to buyer-style prompts in its research corpus (1 observation for this page). Metrics are distributions over observations, not a single static ranking.

Which AI systems does Obsurfable collect answers from?

OpenAI, ChatGPT, Google, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Anthropic, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Copilot, and Meta AI.