Verify a Sealed PDF — Free Document Authenticity Check

Q: Is my file stored when I verify it?

No. The file's SHA-256 fingerprint is computed and compared against the seal record, then the upload is discarded. The document is never saved, never read and never shared.

Q: What does 'not verified' actually mean?

It means the exact bytes of this file do not match any seal on record. Either the document was modified after it was sealed — even by one pixel or one space — or it was never sealed by EZ PDF Editor in the first place.

Q: How do I get a sealed PDF of my own?

Every completed signature request is sealed automatically, including on the free plan. Send a document for signature and the sealed copy comes back to everyone when the last signer is done.

How verification works

A fingerprint, not a judgement call

There is no scoring, no AI, no opinion. Either the bytes match what was sealed, or they do not.

The seal is taken

When the last signer finishes, the completed PDF is fixed and a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact file is recorded, along with who signed and when. A Certificate of Signing & Seal page is added to the document itself.

Automatic on every signing

You bring a copy

Anyone holding a copy — years later, forwarded through five inboxes — drops it on this page. The same fingerprint is computed from the bytes in front of them.

No account, no permission needed

The answer is binary

Match: this is the sealed original, and you see the document, the sealing time and every signer. No match: this file differs from what was sealed, or was never sealed here.

Verified or not verified

What a sealed PDF carries

The evidence travels inside the file

The point of sealing is that the proof does not live in a portal somebody could close, rebrand or lose. It is attached to the document and checkable by anyone.

1Your document, unchangedEvery original page exactly as it was signed — nothing re-rendered, nothing flattened into an image.
2The signatures in placeEach signature and set of initials where it was placed, drawn or typed by the signer themselves.
3Certificate of Signing & SealAn appended page listing every signer with the evidence captured at signing — who, when, and from where.
4The fingerprintA SHA-256 hash of the finished file, recorded at the moment of sealing — the value this page checks against.

A sealed PDF showing the appended Certificate of Signing and Seal page — ▶ Video

Why public verification matters

Proof only the issuer can check is not proof

Most e-signature platforms keep the audit trail behind their own login. To confirm a document you have to have an account with the vendor the other party chose — and hope that company still exists when the dispute happens.

Here the check is a public page. A lawyer, a registrar, a judge or a suspicious buyer can confirm the file without an account, without asking us, and without asking you.

No loginNo rate limitWorks for anyone

Try it above →

Anyone verifying a sealed document without an account — ▶ Video

Tamper detection

One changed character and the check fails

The fingerprint covers every byte of the file. Edit an amount, delete a page, swap a signature image, or simply re-save the PDF through another program — all of them produce a different fingerprint, and all of them come back not verified.

That is the useful property: you do not have to spot the alteration. You only have to notice that the file no longer matches.

SHA-256Byte-exactNo false "close enough"

How sealing works →

An altered copy of a document failing verification — ▶ Video

Your privacy, verifying

We never see the document you check

Verification computes the fingerprint of the file you send and compares it to the seal record. The upload is discarded immediately — not stored, not indexed, not opened, not added to anything.

That is deliberate. People verify documents precisely when they are sensitive: a contract in a dispute, a lease before a hearing, an agreement they were not party to. Handing that file to a stranger's server for keeps would be a strange price to pay for a yes-or-no answer.

Fingerprint onlyDiscarded after checkNo account trail

Read the privacy policy →

A document being fingerprinted and discarded rather than stored — ▶ Video

Reading the result

What each answer actually tells you

Verification is precise about a narrow thing. Knowing exactly what it does and does not prove is what makes it useful.

✅

"Seal verified" means

These exact bytes match a completed signing on record. The copy you hold is the sealed original and has not been modified since.

⚠️

"Not verified" means

This file does not match any seal on record. It was altered after sealing, re-saved by another program, or never sealed here at all.

👥

You also see the signers

A verified result lists each signer, their status and when they signed — so you can check the names match the agreement in front of you.

🕓

And when it was sealed

The sealing timestamp, plus the session it belonged to if it was signed live in the Video Signing Room.

🧮

The fingerprint itself

The SHA-256 value is shown so you can record it, quote it in correspondence, or compare it independently.

🚫

What it does not prove

It proves integrity and who the signing was recorded against — not that a signer was who they claimed. For that, add identity verification at signing time.

Questions

Good to know

Do I need an account to verify a document?

No. Verification is free and open to anyone holding the file — no login, no email, no limit. Proof that only the issuer can check is not proof.

Is my file stored when I verify it?

No. The fingerprint is computed and compared against the seal record, then the upload is discarded. The document is never saved, never read and never shared.

What does "not verified" actually mean?

The exact bytes of this file do not match any seal on record. Either the document was modified after sealing — even by one character — or it was never sealed by EZ PDF Editor. It does not mean the signature was forged; it means this copy is not the sealed one.

Can a document be altered without breaking the seal?

Not in any practical sense. The fingerprint covers every byte, so editing a value, deleting a page, or re-saving through another PDF program all produce a different fingerprint and fail the check.

Someone sent me a printed copy — can I verify it?

No. Verification needs the digital file, because it compares the exact bytes. A scan of a printout is a new file with a new fingerprint. Ask the sender for the original PDF they received when the signing completed.

What is the Certificate of Signing & Seal?

A page appended to every completed signing listing each signer with the evidence behind their signature, plus the fingerprint of the finished file. Read more about tamper-sealed PDFs.

How do I get a sealed PDF of my own?

Every completed signature request is sealed automatically — including on the free plan. Send a document for signature and the sealed copy comes back to everyone when the last signer finishes.

Does a seal make the signature legally binding?

Electronic signatures are recognised across Canada under PIPEDA and the provincial e-commerce acts. A seal does not create validity — it preserves evidence, which is what disputes actually turn on. See our note on PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25. General information, not legal advice.

Is this signed PDF the real one?

Verify Sealed and Certified Documents