Consigne
What you are left with as evidence when it finishes
The signed PDF, the timestamp, the evidence chain and how a third party checks it.
Signing is half the job. The other half is being able to prove it three years later, when nobody remembers and you may not even be using this platform any more. Here is what remains.
The signed document
A PDF with the signatures drawn where you placed them, plus an invisible cryptographic signature which is what actually certifies the file has not been touched since. It opens in any PDF reader, and readers that can validate signatures will tell you whether the document is intact.
The timestamp
It certifies when it was signed, and an independent third party certifies it, not us. That is what stops the date being arguable: without a timestamp, a file's date is whatever the computer opening it says.
The evidence chain
This is the full account of what happened: when each notice went out and on which channel, when the link was opened, from what device the signing took place, whether there was an SMS code and when it was validated. It is what you produce when someone disputes a signature, and it is the difference between "I think they signed" and "they signed on 12 August at 10:14 from a mobile, after validating the code sent to their number".
How an outsider checks it
There is a public verification page: anyone holding the document can confirm it corresponds to a registered signature, without an account and without asking your permission. That is what you hand a lawyer, a bank or a court when they want to confirm it themselves.
Worth knowing
Being independently verifiable is precisely the point. Evidence only its issuer can confirm is worth considerably less.
Frequently asked questions
›Do I have to stay a customer for the signature to hold?
No. The signed PDF carries the signature and seal inside: it validates in any reader without depending on us. Download it and keep it wherever you like.
›What if someone modifies the PDF afterwards?
Validation fails and it is immediately obvious: the signature no longer matches the content. That is exactly what it is for.
›Can I download just the certificate, without the contract?
Yes. The signature certificate is a separate, readable document summarising who signed and when. Handy for attaching to a file without sending the whole contract.
›How long is it kept?
The document and its evidence are kept according to your organisation's retention policy. If you need it longer on your own terms, download it: the file is self-contained.
›Does it work outside Spain?
The electronic signature framework is European, so the same reasoning applies across the EU. Outside it, it depends on each country's law.
A real case
The situation
Two years after signing, a former employee claims they never accepted the confidentiality clause.
What you do
- Downloads the signed PDF and its evidence chain
- Confirms on the public verification page that the document is intact
- Hands the lawyer the signature certificate with date, time and code validation
What you get
Evidence the other side's lawyer can verify independently, without having to take your word for it or ours.
The situation
Only the PDF is kept and the context is lost.
What you do
- Keeps the document with its evidence chain
What you get
The proof travels with the document.
The situation
A third party wants to verify the signature themselves.
What you do
- Points them to the verification page
What you get
They check without depending on your word.
The situation
The PDF is re-saved with another program and stops validating.
What you do
- Keeps the file exactly as it was signed
What you get
Validation still works years later.
The situation
The proof is needed for a procedure.
What you do
- Provides the signed document and its evidence
What you get
A complete item is submitted.
The situation
Nobody knows exactly what the proof contains.
What you do
- Reviews the fields in the evidence chain
What you get
You know what can be asserted and what cannot.
This article answers
- how do I prove someone signed a document
- what evidence remains from an electronic signature
- verify a signed document
- does the signature hold if I stop being a customer