Tutorial · Acrobat Sign · Beginner

Reading an Acrobat Sign audit report as evidence

What the audit report records, how to verify a signed PDF, and what to keep for disputes.

LevelBeginner
Time10 minutes
TopicAcrobat Sign

You'll need

  • A completed Acrobat Sign agreement

What's in the report

Each event (created, sent, viewed, signed, completed) with timestamp, participant email, IP address and, where enabled, the authentication method used. A transaction ID links the report to the signed document.

Verify the signed PDF

  1. Open the signed PDF in Acrobat and open the Signature panel.
  2. Check the certificate seal is valid and the document hasn't been modified after signing.

What to keep

Store the signed PDF and audit report together, unmodified, in a restricted library with retention set to your contract retention period.

Stronger identity

For higher-risk agreements, use additional signer authentication (e.g. phone/SMS, knowledge-based or government ID where available) or certificate-based digital signatures from a licensed certification authority under the Digital Signature Act 1997.

Tips

  • Don't print-and-scan signed agreements — that destroys the digital evidence.