What is a tamper-evident PDF seal?
It's a cryptographic fingerprint (a SHA-256 hash) of a finished document's exact bytes, registered the moment it's completed or certified. Change a single character afterward and the fingerprint no longer matches — so checking it proves whether a copy is the genuine, unaltered original.
How do I verify a PDF certificate online?
Go to /seal, upload the PDF you want to check, and click Verify File Authenticity. It's free, takes seconds, and needs no account — you'll see whether it matches a sealed original on record, plus who signed it and when.
Is this an Adobe Acrobat or DocuSign alternative?
Yes. EZ PDF Editor edits, fills, signs, seals and publicly verifies documents in one browser tab, with no per-envelope fees and no per-seat pricing. The tamper-evident seal and free public verification come with every plan, and identity verification is part of the flat-priced Pro Signing plan rather than billed per check. Adobe and DocuSign have deeper enterprise integrations, and their plans and add-ons change often, so compare their current terms.
Can I certify a document I'm not sending for signature?
Yes. Seal & Certify Document (in the app's Extras menu) registers a fingerprint of any document exactly as it stands right now and gives you back a copy with a certificate page — no signing or signers required. It's for proving a file hasn't changed, not for collecting a signature.
What is a PDF audit trail?
The record behind a signature: who signed, their email, the timestamp, the IP address and device they signed from, and — for Video Signing Room sessions — the identity-check result. Every completed signature request carries this trail on its Certificate of Signing page, shows it as a timeline in the Audit Trail window (with the certificate and the signed document as separate downloads), and exports it as an Audit Report in PDF or CSV.
Does verifying a document cost anything?
No. Public verification at /seal is free, unlimited, and needs no account — for anyone, not just EZ PDF Editor users. Certifying or signing a document does require a free account.
Can I still edit a document after certifying it?
Yes. Certifying builds a snapshot of the document and gives you back a separate, certified copy — it doesn’t lock or replace what’s open in your editor. Keep editing freely; if you want a certified copy reflecting your latest changes, just certify again to get a new one. Your earlier certified copy stays valid and verifiable forever.
Is an electronic signature legally valid in Canada?
Electronic signatures are recognized across Canada under PIPEDA and the provincial e-commerce acts. What matters in a dispute is the evidence behind the signature — who signed, when, from where, and whether the document changed afterward. Every signing and certification captures that record and seals the result. This is general information, not legal advice.
What's the difference between signing and certifying?
Signing collects one or more people's electronic signatures on a document and seals the completed result. Certifying skips the signing step entirely — it registers a tamper-evident fingerprint of a document exactly as it already exists, signed by anyone or by no one, so you can later prove it hasn't changed.
