You are about to share something sensitive. Maybe it is a product roadmap for a contractor, financials for an investor, or client data for a new vendor. Before that conversation happens, you need a signed non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The good news is that getting one signed no longer takes days of printing and posting. Instead, you can send an NDA for electronic signature and have it back in minutes. This guide walks you through the whole process with QuickSigner, and it includes a free NDA template you can adapt.

What Is an NDA, in Plain English?

A non-disclosure agreement is a simple contract. In essence, it says one thing: “I am sharing confidential information with you, and you agree not to pass it on.” Lawyers also call it a confidentiality agreement. Either way, the two terms mean exactly the same thing. Businesses use NDAs whenever sensitive information changes hands — during hiring, partnerships, fundraising, or vendor work.

There are two common types, and the right one depends on who is sharing what:

• Unilateral NDA. Only one side discloses confidential information. For example, you hire a freelance developer and give them access to your code, but they share nothing sensitive in return.
• Mutual NDA. By contrast, both sides share confidential information. This fits partnership talks or joint ventures, where each company opens its books to the other.

What Every NDA Should Include

A good NDA does not need to be complicated. Still, it should cover six core elements. Make sure yours addresses each one before you send it:

• The parties. Name the disclosing party and the receiving party, with full legal names and addresses.
• Definition of confidential information. Spell out exactly what is protected — trade secrets, financials, customer lists, designs, or source code.
• Obligations of the recipient. State how the receiving party must protect the information and who may see it.
• Exclusions. Carve out anything already public, independently developed, or legally required to be disclosed.
• Term. Set how long the obligation lasts, such as two or three years after the agreement ends.
• Consequences of a breach. Note that a breach may lead to injunctive relief and damages.

For most standard situations, a clean template covers all six. However, for high-stakes deals involving large sums or complex intellectual property, it is wise to have a lawyer review your draft first. If your situation also calls for restricting where someone can work afterward, that is a different document with its own rules, separate from an NDA.

Free NDA Template You Can Copy

Below is a simple unilateral NDA you can adapt. First, replace the bracketed fields with your own details. Then upload it to QuickSigner for signing. For a mutual NDA, simply change the confidentiality obligations so they apply to both parties rather than one.

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NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

This Non-Disclosure Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of [Date] by and between [Disclosing Party Name], located at [Address] (the “Disclosing Party”), and [Receiving Party Name], located at [Address] (the “Receiving Party”).

1. Confidential Information. “Confidential Information” means any non-public information the Disclosing Party shares with the Receiving Party, in any form, including [describe: business plans, financials, designs, source code, customer data].

2. Obligations. The Receiving Party shall keep the Confidential Information strictly confidential, use it only for [stated purpose], and disclose it only to people who need to know it and are bound by similar obligations.

3. Exclusions. This Agreement does not cover information that is public, already known to the Receiving Party, independently developed, or required to be disclosed by law.

4. Term. The obligations in this Agreement remain in effect for [number] years from the date above.

5. Remedies. The Receiving Party agrees that a breach may cause irreparable harm, and the Disclosing Party may seek injunctive relief in addition to any other remedy available at law.

Signed:

Disclosing Party: ______________________  Date: __________

Receiving Party: ______________________  Date: __________

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This sample suits standard business use. For anything unusual, though, adjust the wording or ask a legal professional to review it. Once it reflects your deal, you are then ready to send it for signature.

How to Send an NDA for Signature with QuickSigner

Here is the part that used to take days and now takes about a minute. After you create your free account, follow these steps:

1. Start a new request. From the dashboard, click New Sign Request.
2. Upload your NDA. Under Document, click Upload file and select your NDA. QuickSigner supports PDF and Word, and it converts Word files to PDF automatically so the text cannot change after signing.
3. Add your signers. In the Signers panel, enter each recipient’s email address and click Add signer for additional parties. If you need to sign too, toggle “I am also signing.” For a specific sequence, switch on “Sign in order.”
4. Place the fields. Open Signatures and other fields, then drag signature, date, or text fields onto the document exactly where each party needs to act. The Extract option can detect field spots for you.
5. Add a subject and message. Optionally, expand Email subject and Message to give recipients context — a short note like “Please sign our mutual NDA before our call” works well.
6. Send it. Finally, click Send. Each recipient gets a secure link and signs from any device, with no account or installation required.

After that, you can track progress under Sent Documents and receive the completed, legally binding NDA the moment everyone signs. If you only need a signature image to drop in first, you can also create one with the free signature generator.

Send the Same NDA Again in One Click

Do you send NDAs regularly — to every new contractor or interview candidate? If so, set up a template once and reuse it forever. In the dashboard, open Templates and click Create template. Upload your NDA, add the signer roles (use “Role, name, etc.” rather than a fixed email), place the fields, and Save. After that, each new NDA takes seconds: pick the template, drop in the recipient’s email, and send. For high volume, Bulk Requests lets you send the same NDA to many recipients at once.

Are eSigned NDAs Legally Binding?

Yes. An NDA signed through QuickSigner is legally binding across the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EU. Specifically, it complies with the US ESIGN Act and UETA, the UK’s Electronic Communications Act, and the EU’s eIDAS regulation. Moreover, every signature carries Adobe-certified PAdES technology and a full audit trail. As a result, you hold verifiable proof of who signed and when. The complete guide to secure PDF signing explains the cryptography behind that, and the Adobe-verified signing walkthrough shows what recipients see when they open your signed NDA.

That audit trail matters most if an NDA is ever questioned. In particular, because QuickSigner records each signer’s email, IP address, and timestamp, you can demonstrate exactly how the agreement was executed. In practice, that evidence is far stronger than a scanned paper copy.

Send Your First NDA Today

Protecting confidential information should not slow your business down. With a solid template and the right tool, you can send an NDA for signature in about a minute. Better still, you get it back the same day. So when you are ready, create your QuickSigner account free and send your first NDA — no credit card required. If you would like to compare options first, the best eSignature platforms for SMBs and the 2026 DocuSign alternatives guide show how QuickSigner stacks up, and developers can automate the whole flow with the QuickSigner REST API.