Traceability and compliance
Someone sent me a document and I want to check it
How to verify a document you received, with no account, in a minute.
If you have received a document claiming to be verifiable, you can check it yourself. No account, no permission from the sender, no need to trust anyone: that is precisely the point.
How to do it
| What you have | What to do |
|---|---|
| The file | Upload it to the public verification page |
| A QR code on the document | Scan it with your phone camera |
| Only a paper printout | Ask for the original file: a photocopy cannot be verified |
What each answer means
Watch out
"Does not match" does not necessarily mean someone is deceiving you. Reprinting a PDF, re-saving it from another program or converting it changes the file. Ask for the original before drawing conclusions.
Important
Verification checks that the document has not changed and when it existed. It does not check that what it says is true, nor that the sender is who they claim. If it arrived from someone you were not expecting, that still deserves a phone call.
Worth knowing
The check works the same years later, as long as you keep the file. It does not depend on any relationship with the sender.
›Do I need to register?
No, and that is deliberate: whoever verifies is usually an outsider.
›Does the sender find out?
Verifications are logged.
›Can I verify from a phone?
Yes, including scanning the code.
A real case
The situation
A client receives a certificate from their supplier and wants to check it is genuine.
What you do
- Scans the code on the document
What you get
Confirms in twenty seconds that it is the one that was sealed, without phoning anyone.
The situation
A document arrives and there is doubt whether it is the right one.
What you do
- Checks its fingerprint on the verification page
What you get
The doubt is settled in seconds.
The situation
The file was opened and no longer matches.
What you do
- Requests the unopened original
What you get
The check comes out correct.
The situation
The document arrived through a channel that recompresses it.
What you do
- Requests it again uncompressed
What you get
The fingerprint matches again.
The situation
It does not match and there is no explanation.
What you do
- Documents the check and consults the issuer
What you get
The case is handled with the trail in view.
The situation
Nobody knows what the check actually asserts.
What you do
- Checks what the result says
What you get
The proof is not credited with more than it says.
This article answers
- how do i verify a document sent to me
- check whether a certificate is genuine
- verify a pdf with a qr code
- is this document fake