Every signed PDF from a serious signing platform comes with a certificate of completion. It's the legal receipt — the document that proves who signed what, when and from where. If you don't keep it, you lose half the evidence.
What the certificate contains
Typical sections:
- Document details: title, hash, number of pages. - Signer roster: name, email, role for each signer. - Event log: sent, viewed, signed for each signer with timestamps and IPs. - Authentication evidence: how each signer was verified. - Platform attestation: signed by the platform's own key, proving the certificate itself hasn't been altered.
It's a one-page or short-document summary, often the last thing the signing platform produces.
Why you need to keep it
If a signature is challenged years later, the certificate is the evidence. It anchors:
- The document hash (to prove the contract hasn't been altered). - The signer's identity (to prove who signed). - The time and IP (to prove when and roughly where).
Store the certificate alongside the signed PDF. Many platforms attach it as the final page of the file or as a separate PDF in the download bundle.
Verifying a certificate
Reputable platforms cryptographically sign the certificate itself. To verify, check the platform's public key against the certificate's signature — most platforms publish verification steps in their trust centre.
For Flint, the certificate of completion is verifiable via the trust centre. For most disputes, comparing the document hash to the file's current hash is the key check.
FAQ
Is the certificate of completion legally required?
Not by name. But it's how platforms evidence ESIGN/UETA/eIDAS attribution requirements. Without it, defending a challenged signature is much harder.
Can I lose the certificate?
You can, but you shouldn't. Most platforms keep a copy for the contract's lifetime and can re-issue on request. Don't rely on this — store your own copy.
Should the certificate be on the signed PDF or separate?
Either works. Attached as a final page keeps everything together. Separate PDF keeps the main contract clean — store both together.
Does the certificate update if I edit the signed PDF?
No — the certificate is frozen at signing. If you edit the PDF afterwards, the certificate still references the original hash, which now no longer matches. The mismatch flags the alteration.
The certificate is your insurance policy. Sign in Flint and archive the certificate alongside the contract.