Check whether a document is genuine
See how to check whether a document signed with NextSign is genuine and unchanged, and who signed it.
A document signed with NextSign gets a digital seal. The seal makes it possible to see whether the document is genuine and whether it has changed since it was signed.
Anyone can check a document on NextSign's document check page, with no login. The video shows how it works. Below, the steps are described.
How to do it
- Open the document check page. The page is public, so the sender, the recipients and anyone else who has received the document can use it.
- Upload the document. Drag the signed document onto the page, or click to choose the file. The page accepts PDF, XML and iXBRL up to 30 MB.
- See the result. NextSign verifies the signature cryptographically and looks up the document's fingerprint in NextSign's register. If the signature is valid, the document is genuine and unchanged since it was signed.
- See the details. You see the certificate behind the seal, who issued it, when the document was signed and, when the document is in the register, who signed it.
- Check another document. Click "Validate another document" to start over with a new file.
Good to know
- Always check the file you received from NextSign. A printout, a scan or a file saved again in another program no longer carries the seal.
- If even one character in the file has changed after signing, the signature is not approved.
- You can also check the seal independently of NextSign, for example in the European Commission's validation tool or in Adobe Acrobat Reader. They're listed at the bottom of the page.
Questions and answers
Do I need an account to check a document?
No. The page needs no login, and it's free to use.
What does it mean if no signature is found?
Then the file isn't sealed by NextSign. It may be a copy without the seal, such as a printout or a file that was saved again. Ask the sender for the signed file.
What exactly does the page check?
It checks that the digital signature in the file is valid and covers the whole file, and it looks up the file's fingerprint in NextSign's register of signed documents.
