How do I verify a signed PDF and check that it was not changed?
Scan the tamper-evident QR code in the signature block, or type the verification ID, to see who signed and whether the PAdES digital signature is intact.
Every PDF sealed with Sealique carries a verification ID in every signature block and, where the block is large enough, a QR code. Anyone who receives the file, on paper or as a download, can check it on the public verification page without creating an account. The check confirms that the sealed copy kept for that ID is intact, validates each PAdES digital signature and shows the sealed copy so you can compare it with yours.
Key facts
- Verification is public and needs no account: scan the QR code, type the verification ID or upload the PDF.
- The result shows every signer's name, title and organization, the exact signing time and whether the file changed.
- The check validates each PAdES digital signature and compares the file's fingerprint with the sealed copy.
- A printed page can be checked on its own when it carries a signer's page mark.
- The sealed PDF and the certificate of completion open only for the people who hold the document.
Verify a signed PDF, step by step
Find the verification ID or QR code
Look at any signature block in the PDF or on the printout. It shows a verification ID in the form VF-XXXXXX-XXXXXX and, where the block is large enough, a small QR code.
Scan the QR code with your phone
Point the phone camera at the tamper-evident QR code. It opens the verification page for that exact document, so there is nothing to type.
Or type the ID or upload the file
Without a camera, open the verification page, type the verification ID in the box, or upload the PDF itself. Files up to 50 MB are accepted.
Read the result
When you scan the QR code or type the ID, the page lists each signer with name, title, organization and exact signing time, the issuer of each PAdES digital signature, and whether the sealed copy kept for that ID is intact.
Compare with the sealed copy
For a QR code or ID check, the sealed copy is shown on the page: compare it with the copy you received. An uploaded file is checked against its embedded PAdES signatures and reports whether it was modified after signing.
Verify a signed PDF needs no account; nothing is shared with third parties.
What Verify a signed PDF includes
- Public verification page, no account needed
- Scan the QR code, type the verification ID or upload the PDF
- Name, title, organization and exact signing time of every signer on a QR code or ID check
- Tamper status: the sealed copy is intact and its PAdES signatures validate
- Issuer of every PAdES digital signature
- Optional per-page marks so a printed page can be checked on its own
- Masked e-mail addresses on the public page
Questions people ask
Do I need an account to verify a signed PDF?
No. The verification page is public: scan the QR code, type the verification ID or upload the PDF, and the result appears without signing in.
Signing or sending a document requires an account (no card needed); invited signers and anyone verifying need none. Verification is open to anyone who receives the document, including people outside your organization.
How do I know the PDF was not changed after signing?
The result shows the tamper status: whether the sealed copy kept for that ID is intact and whether every PAdES digital signature in it is still valid.
Compare your copy with the sealed copy shown on the page: it is the authoritative version. If you upload a file instead, it is judged by its embedded signatures alone: when the signed content was altered after sealing, the check fails and the status badge turns red: Invalid · modified after signing.
Can I verify a printed copy of a signed PDF?
Yes. Scan the tamper-evident QR code in the signature block or, if a signer added page marks, scan the mark on a marked page to check that page individually.
The page mark proves that the code belongs to that page of the sealed document and opens the sealed copy at the same page, so you can compare the printout with it; a page whose mark does not match the sealed document is flagged.
Do I need any software to verify a signed PDF?
No. Verification is done online: scan the tamper-evident QR code, type the verification ID or upload the file, and the result appears in seconds.
Nothing needs to be installed: the verification page checks the PAdES digital signature, the file fingerprint and every page mark for you.
What does the verification result show about the signers?
On a QR code or ID check: each signer's name, title and organization, the exact signing time, and the issuer of each PAdES digital signature.
E-mail addresses are masked on the public page, and public verification pages are not indexed by search engines, so the document stays private to the people who hold it.
What is the verification ID and where do I find it?
The verification ID is a code in the form VF-XXXXXX-XXXXXX, printed under the date in every signature block of the sealed PDF.
Type it on the verification page when the QR code cannot be scanned, for example from a photocopy or a screenshot of the document.