Verify a document
Check that a completed PDF is the genuine, unchanged document, and learn what the signing certificate records.
The signing certificate
When an envelope is completed, eSignStack adds Signing Certificate pages to the end of the completed PDF. The certificate records:
- The envelope's name and ID, when it was created and completed, and a fingerprint (SHA-256) of each document
- Each recipient's role and status, when they signed, their IP address and browser, and how they were verified
- Recipients who got a copy
- The audit trail of events
Approvers are listed with their role and the result, such as Approved. Nothing is printed on the document pages for an approver.
The last page has a verification code, a link and a QR code that open the verify page for this document. Test mode envelopes get a Test Signing Certificate.
Download the certificate and evidence
Open a completed envelope. Under Evidence and certificate, you can download:
{envelope name}-certificate.pdf: the certificate as a separate PDF{envelope name}-evidence.json: a machine-readable record of the envelope, its recipients, fields and audit events
The same files are on the envelope's Audit trail tab. Recipients who sign in to eSignStack can also download them from their Signing inbox, if they can see every document in the envelope.
Verify a PDF
Anyone can check a completed PDF at https://esignstack.app/verify, without an account. The page compares the file with eSignStack's records. It doesn't judge what the document says.
- Go to the verify page. You can scan the QR code on the certificate or follow its link.
- Click Choose a PDF or drop it here and pick the PDF, or drag it onto the page.
- Read the result.
To look up a document without the file, enter the 32-character code from the certificate under Have a verification code? and click Look it up. A code lookup confirms that the document exists. To check a copy, upload it.
What the results mean
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Verified | The file is the completed document and hasn't been changed since it was completed. |
| We couldn't verify this copy | The file doesn't exactly match a completed document. It may have been edited, saved again by another app, or come from somewhere else. Ask the sender for the completed PDF. |
| This document was voided | The file matches an envelope the sender voided. Don't rely on it as a completed agreement. |
| We couldn't read this file | The file may be damaged, password-protected or not a PDF. Try the original file. |
| We have a record of this document | The code matches a completed document. Upload a copy to check it. |
| No record with this code | Check the code for typos, or upload the PDF instead. |
A copy only verifies if it's byte-for-byte the same as the completed PDF. Printing to PDF, re-saving, or editing it in another app, even without visible changes, gives a We couldn't verify this copy result. Always share the PDF you downloaded or received from eSignStack.
What a verified result shows
For a match, the page shows the document names, when it was completed and the signers. To protect privacy, signer names are shortened to initials, such as J*** D***, and email addresses are never shown.
Open Details for the list of checks and the file's SHA-256 fingerprint. The check confirms the file is unchanged. It doesn't confirm who the signers really are.