A certificate of completion is the evidence package issued when an envelope finishes signing. It binds together the final document's cryptographic hash, each signer's identity verification, their recorded consent, and the full audit trail. Two years later, anyone can check that this exact file was signed by these exact people in this exact order.
What exactly gets sealed?
Document integrity: a SHA-256 hash of the signed PDF. Change one byte and the hash no longer matches.
Audit integrity: a root hash over the event log, so the history cannot be quietly edited either.
Identity: the verification each signer passed before signing, such as a one-time email code.
Consent: the recorded agreement to sign electronically, with legal name and timestamp.
A verification code: a short code anyone can use to confirm the certificate is real.
Why does consent get its own record?
Electronic signature law cares that the signer agreed to do business electronically, not just that they clicked. Docshark records that consent with the signer's legal name and time. Where consumer disclosure rules apply, it shows the required electronic-records disclosure before signing and records the acceptance.
How does public verification work?
Every completed envelope can be checked on a public verification page, no Docshark account needed. The page shows the envelope's status, its audit timeline, and whether the certificate matches. Hand the verification link to opposing counsel and let them check it themselves. That is the point of evidence.
What does the audit trail actually log?
The envelope records its whole life: created, sent, opened, each page viewed, consent given, identity verified, fields filled, signed, and completed. It also records the awkward ones: declined, delegated, corrected, or voided. Every event carries its actor and timestamp. The export is included on every plan.
