Pactivo
Free tool

Verify a signed document

Received a document signed with Pactivo? Check the signing record and confirm your copy is exactly what was signed. Free, no account, and your file stays on your device.

By the Pactivo team · Updated

1. Check the signing record

Paste the verification code from the evidence certificate, or the “Verify this document” link from the completion email.

2. Check your copy of the original PDF

Choose the file. Its SHA-256 checksum is calculated in your browser; the file is not uploaded anywhere. Then paste the checksum shown for that document on its verification page.

What the verification page shows

  • whether the audit trail’s hash chain verifies, and how many events it covers;
  • who signed and when;
  • the SHA-256 checksum of each document as it was sent for signature;
  • the RFC 3161 timestamp authority and time on the sealed PDF.

The signed PDF itself carries a PAdES digital seal. Open it in a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and look at the signature panel to see whether it has been modified since it was sealed. Our guide on proving a document has not been changed explains each check.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is this tool free?

Yes. Anyone can check a document signed with Pactivo, without an account and without paying.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The checksum of your file is calculated by your own browser. The file never leaves your device.

Why does my signed PDF not match the checksum?

The checksum on the verification page is of the original document as it was sent for signature. The signed PDF has the signatures, the evidence and the digital seal added, so it is a different file. Check the original document here, and open the signed PDF in a PDF reader to see its digital signature.

Related

How to prove an e-signed document has not been changed

Checksums, hash-chained audit trails, PAdES seals and RFC 3161 timestamps: how each shows that a signed document is exactly what was signed, and how to check them yourself.

Are electronic signatures legal in the UK?

What UK law says about e-signatures: the Electronic Communications Act 2000, UK eIDAS, the Law Commission's 2019 report, and the documents with special rules.

E-signature glossary

Plain-English definitions of e-signature terms: SES, AES, QES, UK eIDAS, PAdES, RFC 3161 timestamps, SHA-256 checksums, hash chains, audit trails and more.

Signatures you can prove were not touched.

Every envelope is sealed with a hash-chained audit trail and a digitally signed PDF.

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