Create and Manage Digital Contracts and Forms with Interactive PDFs.

Digital contracts and forms are now used across a wide range of sectors — sales, legal, health, marketing, procurement, and human resources — just to name a few.

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Creating digital agreements and forms in PDF format is a secure way to share and obtain information remotely via email and online, and, of course, within your IT system.

What you’ll learn.

What digital contracts and forms are.

Digital contracts and forms are simply electronic versions of paper documents. They are interactive documents used to record, collate, and collect the same information as paper copies. They are electronic or digitized so they can be shared and stored online, via email, and/or internal computer networks.

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Photo of the hands of a person signing a digital document on a smartphone.

Benefits of using digital forms and contracts.

The benefits of using PDF digital contracts and forms instead of pen-and-paper contracts include –

Tips for creating and managing digital contracts and forms.

It’s relatively straightforward to digitize contracts and forms. Here are some tips to get you started:

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Streamline your organization with digital documents.

Digital contracts and forms are increasingly used by many industries to legally create and capture information and agreements between parties. They help you ensure uniformity in contract management and data collection processes and cut down on physical paperwork and manual tasks. PDF contracts and forms can be easily stored, organized, and shared. They provide security and data protection – essential to not only follow laws and regulations, but also build and maintain trust with your customers, employees, and people you partner with in business.

Frequently asked questions.

How do I make sure my digital contracts and forms are secure?

There are a few steps to take to ensure your digital contracts and forms are secure. Use reputable apps to create your content and PDFs. Acrobat products have enhanced security feature options for you to protect your contracts and forms, data, system, and unauthorised access and editing. Use digital signatures and identity authentication features. Encrypt your digital contracts and forms to keep them secure. Always keep your electronic systems current with updates and security patches on all devices.

Are digital contracts legally binding?

Digital agreements and contracts are legally binding if they meet the minimum standards under any electronic signature legislation in your country. This includes ensuring that the document appropriately includes things such as the signatory’s name, the terms of the agreement, the date, and a valid digital signature. There are exceptions around certain types of documents, such as wills and trusts, so be sure to check that you use digital contracts properly. In Australia, the relevant laws are the Electronic Transactions (ET) Act 1999, the Electronic Transaction Regulations, as well as any local State or Territory laws.

Are there any potential risks with using digital contracts and forms?

As outlined above, be sure to use secure and encrypted documents and systems at all times to prevent fraud and manipulation. Seek legal advice if you want to be sure that the information you want to agree on in a contract or collect in a form can be obtained electronically legally in your State or Territory. If you’re using forms to collect sensitive data, make sure you delete the form data form after you have extracted it for analysis or integration into another system.