Add Digital Signatures to Microsoft Office 365 Documents using eSigner CKA

Experience seamless and secure document signing with the eSigner Cloud Key Adapter (CKA), a powerful Windows application designed to integrate effortlessly with Microsoft-based programs. eSigner CKA simplifies the digital signing process, acting as a virtual USB token that loads certificates directly into the Windows certificate store. 

Once installed, users can easily access their chosen SSL.com certificate from their preferred application and sign Microsoft Office 365 documents  with confidence and ease. eSigner CKA integrates with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. 

Digitally signing electronic documents through the eSigner Cloud Key Adapter (CKA) provides significant benefits for persons and organizations handling sensitive or critical information, ensuring security, compliance, and operational efficiency. 

Requirements 

1. A SSL.com document signing certificate that has been successfully-issued. All validation types of SSL.com document signing certificates can be used. 
2. An eSigner cloud signing subscription.
3. eSigner CKA installed on the computer. 

Applying Visible Digital Signatures to Microsoft Word and Excel

Note: The screenshots in this section are from Word, but the procedure in Excel is identical.

Signing a signature line in a Microsoft Word or Excel document creates a visible illustration of your signature as well as a digital signature. A signature line functions like a conventional signature space found on a printed document, but it operates distinctly. Upon adding a signature line to a Microsoft 365 document, the creator can detail the specifics about who should sign it and provide relevant instructions. This is a viable option for persons or organizations who want a visible representation of their signature in the document. 

Create a Signature Line

1. Open your Microsoft 365 document. Click the part of the document where you want to set the signature line. 
2. Click Insert from the top menu. Next, scroll to the Text group and click the icon for Signature Line followed by the option for Microsoft Office Signature Line…
   
   
3. In the Signature Setup window, enter the details that will be displayed below the signature line.
   1. Suggested signer: The full name of the signer.
   2. Suggested signer’s title: The signer’s role or title, if applicable.
   3. Suggested signer’s email address: The signer’s email address, if required.
   4. Instructions to the signer: Provide any necessary guidance, such as “Please confirm the document’s accuracy before signing.”
      
      
4. Choose one or both of the following options:
   
   1. Allow the signer to add comments in the Sign dialog box. This allows the signer to specify the reason for signing. 
   2. Display the signing date on the signature line. The date the document was signed will be shown next to the signature.

Sign the signature line in Word or Excel

1. In the document, right-click the signature line and select Sign. You can also double-click the signature line to sign it. If the file opens in Protected View, click on Edit Anyway, provided the file is from a trusted source. 
   
   
2. If the name of the desired document signing certificate is not automatically displayed, click the Change… button to select among signing certificates available.
   
   
3. Click the More choices button.
   
   
4. If you have multiple document signing certificates issued on your SSL.com account, they will all be displayed. Click on the certificate that you want to use to highlight it and then click the OK button.
   
   
5. Upon selection of the desired document signing certificate, type your name on the signature box or click Select Image… to use an image of an inked signature. Click the Sign button to proceed.
   
   
6. Success! A confirmation message will appear, stating that your digital signature has been successfully applied to the Microsoft 365 document. 
   
   
7. Double click your signature line to view the details of the digital signature. Microsoft will explicitly state that the signature is valid. Click the View… button to check the digital certificate that was used in signing. Here you will be able to confirm that your SSL.com document signing certificate was used to digitally sign the word document.
    
   
8. Open the signed file to further confirm that it is now protected from alterations. Upon opening, Microsoft Word will display this message: An author has marked this document as final to discourage editing. Clicking the View Signatures… button will display all the digital signatures that were applied to the document. 
9. Click the signature line to confirm the name of the signer and the date when the document was signed. When you click the View… button followed by the Details tab, you can further confirm the validity of the digital certificate by checking its unique serial number, thumbprint, and the Certificate Authority that issued it. 
   
   

How to Apply Multiple Visible Digital Signatures in Word and Excel

Multiple signers can be assigned signature lines in the same document and use any type of SSL.com eSigner document signing certificate to sign. This feature is useful in cases where an electronic document needs to be digitally-signed by various persons and/or organizations. The document can be passed on through email and each individual whose digital signature is requested to be placed in the document, can readily sign it if eSigner CKA is installed in their computer. Detailed instructions can be found below.

1. Create a signature line by following the instructions in this previous section: Create a Signature Line.
   Note: All signatures lines first have to be created before the signing operation proceeds. If a signature line is digitally-signed without first preparing others, the document will be marked as final and no additional signature lines can be added as a result. If the document is sent through email with signature lines set out but no one has signed any of it yet, the document will not be marked as final. Therefore, edits can be made to the document and signature lines can be added or removed.  
2. This step is for signers who downloaded the document from the internet. Otherwise, please proceed to the next step.
   Once all the signature lines are set in the document, it can be emailed or downloaded by all persons/organizations that need to digitally sign it. If the document is sent through email, each signer who downloads and opens the document will see a PROTECTED VIEW message. Each signer will have to press the Enable Editing button to view the signature lines. 
   
3. To start signing, click the View Signatures… button.
   
   
   1. On the Signatures section under Requested signatures, click your name to highlight the signature line where you are being requested to sign.
      
   2. Alternatively, if you can immediately see your assigned signature line in the document, you can simply double click it to begin signing.
      
      Note: When any requested signer digitally signs the document, it will be marked as final and no edits can be made. The subsequent signers will be able to digitally sign the document but they cannot edit it. 
4. You can now sign. Instructions for signing each signature line can be found in this previous section: Sign the signature line in Word or Excel.
5. All the digital signatures applied to the document can be viewed by clicking the View Signatures… button. On the Signatures section under Valid signatures, the name of all signers will appear in a list. Right clicking each name and choosing Signature Details will display the digital certificate that was used to sign the document.  A unique digital signature can be used for each signature line, corresponding to a unique digital certificate. In the image below, for instance, an IV+OV document signing certificate was used for the first signature line and an OV certificate was used for the other signature line. In other words, the name of the person/organization in the signature line can be matched to a digital certificate having the same name. 
   

Applying Invisible Digital Signatures to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

An invisible digital signature, similar to a visible signature line, verifies the authenticity, integrity, and origin of a document but without a visual mark like the name of a person or an organization printed out in the document. Invisible digital signatures can be applied to Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.

1. Go to the File tab.
2. Click Info, followed by  the icon for Protect Document. Choose Add a Digital Signature.
   
   
3. Under Commitment Type, confirm whether you are the creator and/or approver of the document.
   
4. In the signing options section, confirm the digital certificate to be used for signing. If the name of your document signing certificate is not automatically displayed, click the Change… button to view other options for signing certificates that were installed by eSigner CKA to the Windows certificate store.
   
5. Click the Sign button.
   
   
6. Success! Microsoft Word will display a message confirming the successful application of an invisible signature.
   
   
7. On the Info tab, the status of your doc will now change to Signed Document and is marked as final to detect alterations. Any modifications that will be done to the signed document will invalidate the invisible digital signature previously applied. 
   
   
8.  Optional step: If you want to apply multiple invisible digital signatures to a document, you can do so by repeating the previous steps. You can also send the document through email and request other individuals to apply their own invisible digital signature. Viewing the multiple invisible signatures can be done through the following steps: 
   
   1. Click the File tab, followed by Info. Next click the View Signatures button. 
      
   2. When the Signatures section appears, you will be able to see all the signers who applied invisible digital signatures to the document. Right-click the signer’s name and choose Signature details  to display detailed information about the signing process.