Document Validity & Trust
When you use Propper to sign an agreement, capture consent, or store a document, two things are automatically created alongside it: a tamper-proof record embedded in the file itself, and a separate audit record of every action that took place.
If a federal agency, court, regulator, or counterparty ever asks you to prove that a document is authentic — that it came from Propper, that it hasn't been altered, and that the right people signed or accepted it — these are what you share.
What Propper Gives You
Every completed document on Propper comes with two pieces of proof:
1. The finalized document The PDF itself contains a digital seal — a built-in record confirming the document came from Propper and has not been changed since it was finalized. You can check this in any standard PDF reader: open the document in Adobe Acrobat, look for the Signatures panel, and it will confirm whether the document is intact or has been modified.
2. An audit record A separate report that captures the full history of the document: who it was sent to, when each person viewed and signed or accepted it, what authentication method was used, and the IP address at each step. This record cannot be edited or deleted.
Screenshot: completion-certificate-sample — cropped top section of a Sign Completion Certificate showing Propper logo, document title, timestamps, and signer list
Together, these two documents satisfy the evidentiary requirements for federal contracts, regulatory audits, court filings, and any situation where you need to prove when a document was completed and who completed it.
This page describes how Propper's records work. For guidance on whether they satisfy the specific requirements of your jurisdiction or regulatory body, consult qualified legal counsel.
When Someone Questions the Document
If a recipient, reviewer, or third party questions whether a document is genuine:
- Share the finalized PDF — ask them to open it in Adobe Acrobat and check the Signatures panel. A valid signature confirms the document was issued by Propper and has not been altered. If anyone changed the document after it was finalized, the signature panel will flag it.
- Share the audit record — this gives them the full transaction history as a separate, standalone PDF.
Screenshot: acrobat-signatures-panel-valid — Adobe Acrobat Signatures panel showing green checkmark and "Signed by Propper — document has not been modified since this signature was applied"
For federal procurement specifically, this combination meets the same standard used by DocuSign and other platforms widely accepted in government contracting.
By Product
Each Propper product generates its own form of proof. Follow the links below for instructions on how to download and share these records.
Sign — When an agreement is completed, Propper generates a Completion Certificate: a PDF that bundles the audit history, per-signer timeline, and document integrity record. → Completion Certificate
Screenshot: sign-completion-certificate-thumbnail — thumbnail preview of a completed Sign Completion Certificate PDF
Click — When a user accepts or declines a Click agreement, an Evidence Bundle is automatically created: a record of what the user saw, when they accepted, and proof the record hasn't been altered. → Evidence Bundle
Screenshot: click-evidence-bundle-thumbnail — thumbnail preview of a Click Evidence Bundle PDF
Locker — Documents that arrive from a completed Sign agreement carry their certificate and audit history automatically. Documents uploaded directly are stored with full access logging. → Sign & Locker Integration
Screenshot: locker-audit-log-thumbnail — thumbnail of the Locker audit log showing document access events
Legal Standards
Propper's digital certificates and audit records are designed to comply with the following legal frameworks:
| Standard | Region | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| ESIGN Act | United States | Legal recognition of electronic signatures |
| UETA | United States (most states) | Electronic records and transactions |
| eIDAS | European Union | Electronic signatures and trust services |
| GDPR | European Union | Data processing records and erasure requests |