Can I just type my name for an electronic signature?

You can type your name as an electronic signature, and US law accepts it. Under the federal E-SIGN Act and state UETA laws, any sound, symbol, or process attached to a record with intent to sign counts. A typed name, initials, or even clicking I agree qualifies.

It does not need to be a full legal name either; intent is the test, not penmanship. What matters is evidence of that intent: the document, the typed name, and something tying you to the act, like the email thread or platform log.

For higher-stakes documents, use a signing tool that records timestamps and signer identity, since a bare typed name in a Word file is valid but easier to dispute. Match the evidence to the stakes.

Signing an online contract through a proper flow gives you that evidence automatically.