# Certificate of completion

A certificate of completion is a summary, usually a page added to or sent with a signed document, that lists the signers, the key events and the times.

## In plain words

When a document is fully signed, most e-signature tools produce a short record for humans to read. It names each signer, the address the request went to, when they viewed and signed, and often an IP address and a document ID. Different vendors use different names for it: certificate of completion, signing certificate, audit certificate.

It is a convenient summary. It is not the evidence itself. The evidence is the full [audit trail](/glossary/audit-trail) behind it.

## An example

An HR team keeps signed offer letters in a shared drive. Each PDF ends with a certificate page. A year later, a manager wants to know when a new hire signed. The page answers it in ten seconds, with no need to log in to the signing tool.

## How it shows up in docuinked

Every sealed docuinked PDF includes a certificate page. It summarises the signers and events, and the whole file, certificate page included, sits under the [PAdES](/glossary/pades) seal. So the summary can't be changed without breaking the seal.

For the full record, call `get_evidence` or export it from the web app. It holds every event, the hash chain and a plain description of the process. Anyone can check whether a PDF matches one we sealed with the [free checker](/tools/verify-pdf).

When a platform uses [white-label](/glossary/white-label) branding, the certificate still names docuinked as the party that sealed the document and holds the evidence.

## Common confusions

**A certificate is not a digital certificate.** The word means two things in this field. A certificate of completion is a readable page. A certificate in cryptography is a file that binds a public key to an owner. They are unrelated.

**An ID code proves little alone.** A certificate with a long reference number and "ID verified" can still lose a dispute if nobody can explain the steps behind it. Courts have said so. Keep the full record.

## Related terms

- [Audit trail](/glossary/audit-trail)
- [Tamper-evident](/glossary/tamper-evident)
- [Digital signature](/glossary/digital-signature)

## Sources

Checked 2026-11-07.

- [Hudson Cook on Fabian v. Renovate America](https://www.hudsoncook.com/article/california-court-finds-business-could-not-verify-consumers-electronic-signature-despite-docusign-markers/)
- [Fenwick on audit trails in court](https://www.fenwick.com/insights/publications/using-e-signatures-in-court-the-value-of-an-audit-trail)

This page is general information, not legal advice.

## Common questions

### Is the certificate page part of the signed PDF?

Yes, in docuinked. It is added before the seal, so it is covered by the same integrity check as the document.

### Does a test document get a certificate page too?

Yes, but the file is marked as a test and the public checker won't match it. Never use a test file as a real record.

### What should I do if a signer disputes the certificate?

Pull the full evidence for that document and keep the sealed PDF unchanged. Then have someone in your business explain the steps in plain words, and talk to your lawyer.