Glossary
What is a certificate of completion?
Short answer
A certificate of completion is the evidence page an e-signature service adds once everyone has signed, listing each signer's name, email, IP address and the times they opened and signed the document. It turns the audit trail into something you can print, file and show a court. Sign PDF adds one to the end of every completed PDF, with a QR code that links to our public verify page.
Updated 25 October 2026
- Certificate of completion
- A certificate of completion is a summary page attached to an electronically signed document that lists each signer, how they were verified, and when they viewed and signed, together with a fingerprint of the original file.
What a certificate of completion shows
The details vary between services. Sign PDF's certificate shows, for each signer:
- Name and email address
- IP address and approximate location
- Browser and device
- UTC time they confirmed their six-digit email code
- UTC time they agreed to sign electronically
- UTC times they opened and signed the document
The fingerprint and the chain
Below the signer details, the certificate records the SHA-256 fingerprint of the original document, taken when it was sent. If someone later produces a different version, its fingerprint will not match.
It also prints the audit trail, with each entry chained by hash to the one before. The certificate itself is then sealed into the PDF with the rest of the file, so it cannot be swapped out without breaking the digital signature.
Why it sits inside the PDF
Some services offer the certificate as a separate download, which tends to get lost. Putting it at the end of the signed file means anyone who has the contract also has the evidence. A landlord sending a tenancy agreement to a letting agent, or an HR team filing an offer letter, does not need to remember a second file.
How it relates to similar documents
DocuSign calls its version a Certificate of Completion; Dropbox Sign calls it an audit trail. The names differ but the job is the same. It is not a notarial certificate: no notary has checked anyone's identity, and Sign PDF does not offer notarisation.
Questions people ask
Does the certificate of completion make the contract legally binding?
No. The signatures and the parties' agreement do that. The certificate is evidence that the signing happened as described, which helps if the contract is ever disputed.
Can I get the certificate without the document?
In Sign PDF the certificate is part of the signed PDF rather than a separate file. That keeps the evidence and the contract together.
What is the QR code on the certificate for?
It opens signpdf.ai/verify, where anyone can drop in a copy of the file. The file is fingerprinted in their browser and compared with the sealed original, and it never leaves their computer.
Does it include ID verification?
No. Sign PDF verifies signers by a code sent to their email. We do not check passports or other government ID.
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