Email signature vs electronic signature: what is the difference?
Short answer
An email signature is the block at the end of an email: name, job title, company, contact details and maybe a logo. You create it in a generator and paste it into your email app. An electronic signature under the EU eIDAS Regulation is used to sign a document or message; advanced and qualified signatures need a certificate, and a qualified one has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. ProSignify makes email signatures only.
We checked the menu paths against the official help pages in October 2026. Apps change their menus; if yours looks different, the linked official page is the reference.
What an email signature is
An email signature is text or HTML that your email app adds to the end of every message. It works like a business card: who is writing, for which company and how to reach them. It contains no certificate and no encryption; anyone can copy it.
What an electronic signature is under eIDAS
Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) defines three levels (Article 3):
- Electronic signature: “data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign”.
- Advanced electronic signature: an electronic signature that meets the requirements of Article 26 (uniquely linked to and identifying the signatory, and any later change of the data is detectable).
- Qualified electronic signature: an advanced signature created by a qualified signature creation device and based on a qualified certificate for electronic signatures.
Under Article 25, an electronic signature shall not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, and a qualified electronic signature has the equivalent legal effect of a handwritten signature.
Side by side
| Email signature | Qualified electronic signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Introduces the sender and their contact details | Signs a document or message with the effect of a handwritten signature |
| What it looks like | Text, links and images at the end of an email | Cryptographic data attached to a document or email |
| What you need | Nothing but your email app | A qualified certificate and a signature creation device |
| Where to get it | Signature generator | A trust service provider (certificate authority) |
How to digitally sign an email
An email is signed with a certificate, not with a sign-off block. Microsoft puts it this way: “A digital signature attached to an email message offers another layer of security by providing assurance to the recipient that you—not an imposter—signed the contents of the email message.” You need a digital ID issued by an independent certification authority; the steps for Outlook are in Secure messages with a digital ID in Outlook.
Looking for a sign-off block?
Create an email signature with your name, contact details and logo. Free, no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Is an email signature an electronic signature?
How do I add an electronic signature to an email?
Is an image of my handwritten signature in the footer an electronic signature?
Does ProSignify create electronic or qualified signatures?
Sources
Official pages this guide relies on (checked 10/2026).