Digital Signature & Document Execution

Part of the worlds-biggest-software-project initiative.

An open-source, AI-native platform for preparing, signing, and archiving legally binding documents -- eliminating per-envelope pricing and vendor lock-in.

Digital Signature & Document Execution is an electronic signature and document workflow platform aimed at developers, SaaS integrators, and organisations that need legally compliant signing without the cost unpredictability of incumbents. It addresses the core problem that no credible open-source or self-hostable signing platform with enterprise-grade audit trails exists today, leaving buyers dependent on proprietary vendors with opaque pricing.

Why Digital Signature & Document Execution?

No open-source alternative exists. Every credible eSignature platform identified in the competitive landscape (DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign, PandaDoc, Dropbox Sign, OneSpan, and others) is proprietary SaaS. There is no self-hostable option with a comparable feature set.
Per-envelope pricing creates cost anxiety. DocuSign and Adobe Sign charge per envelope or per user with tiered overages, making costs unpredictable at scale. BoldSign and SignWell offer unlimited envelopes but lack enterprise features.
Document creation is disconnected from signing. Most platforms require users to draft in Word or Google Docs and then upload for signing. Only PandaDoc and Juro attempt to unify creation and execution, but at premium price points.
Developer APIs are an afterthought or paywalled. While Dropbox Sign and BoldSign offer developer-friendly APIs, the market leaders gate API access behind enterprise tiers. No platform offers a generous free-tier API with embeddable white-label components as a first-class citizen.
Post-signature lifecycle is ignored. Obligation tracking, renewal automation, and compliance reporting typically require purchasing a separate CLM tool, adding cost and integration complexity.

Key Features

Signing Workflows

Multi-party signing with sequential, parallel, and conditional routing
Email-based signing invitations with unique signer links
In-person signing mode for face-to-face execution on shared devices
Bulk send from CSV for high-volume dispatch

Templates & Document Preparation

Reusable template library with drag-and-drop field placement
Pre-mapped signature, initials, date, and data-capture fields
Document generation via data merge from CRM or structured input
AI-assisted field auto-placement on uploaded documents

Identity Verification & Security

SMS OTP, email link, and knowledge-based authentication (KBA)
Government ID verification with liveness check integration
Tamper-evident audit trail with IP address, timestamp, and action log
Certificate of completion attached to every signed document
Multi-jurisdiction compliance mode (SES / AES / QES routing based on document type and signer location)

Developer Platform

REST API with OpenAPI specification
Embeddable signing component for white-label SaaS integration
Webhook notifications for document lifecycle events
SDKs targeting Node.js, Python, and additional languages
Sandbox test mode for end-to-end testing without live accounts

Integrations & Payments

CRM connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics
SAML 2.0 SSO and SCIM provisioning for enterprise identity management
Payment collection at point of signature via Stripe integration
Storage integrations for document archival

AI-Native Advantage

AI capabilities differentiate this platform from incumbents across multiple dimensions. Field auto-placement uses AI to detect where signature, initials, date, and text fields should appear in uploaded documents, eliminating manual drag-and-drop setup. Document type classification automatically routes documents to the correct template and workflow. Signer identity risk scoring combines behavioural signals, device fingerprint, and document context to flag anomalous signing behaviour before execution. Natural language workflow configuration lets users describe signing processes in plain language and have AI configure the routing rules, following the pattern pioneered by airSlate SignNow's ChatGPT integration but built into the platform natively.

Tech Stack & Deployment

The platform targets self-hosted, cloud, and hybrid deployment modes -- addressing the gap left by the near-total absence of on-premises options (only OneSpan offers this, at enterprise pricing). Cryptographic signature formats follow ETSI standards (PAdES, CAdES, XAdES) which are freely implementable. The REST API will ship with an OpenAPI specification, and SDKs will be provided for major languages. The platform is designed to comply with the ESIGN Act (US), UETA, and eIDAS (EU) regulatory frameworks.

Market Context

The global digital signature market was valued at approximately USD 13.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 70.2 billion by 2030 at a 39.2% CAGR. The US eSignature segment alone is projected to reach USD 5 billion by 2026, with DocuSign holding an estimated 35-40% share and Adobe Sign 25-30%. Primary buyers span from SMBs seeking affordable signing workflows to enterprise procurement teams frustrated by per-envelope overage fees, and SaaS platforms needing embeddable white-label signing components.

Project Status

This project is in the research and specification phase.
Contributions, feedback, and domain expertise are welcome.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from developers, domain experts, and potential users. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Important: All contributions must be your own original work or clearly attributed open-source material with a compatible licence. Copyright infringement and licence violations will not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal of the offending contribution. If you are unsure whether a piece of code, text, or other material is safe to contribute, open an issue and ask before submitting.

Licence

Licence to be determined. See discussion for context.