eSignature glossary

An advanced electronic signature is uniquely linked to and identifies the signer, is under their sole control and detects later changes to the data.

An audit trail is a chronological record of events in a document's signing process, such as sending, viewing and signing, with timestamps.

Bulk send lets you send one document or template to many recipients at once, with each person receiving and signing their own individual copy.

A certificate of completion is a summary document issued when all parties have signed, listing signers, timestamps and document integrity data.

Counterparts are identical copies of an agreement signed separately by different parties that together form one binding contract.

A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism that uses public key infrastructure to prove who signed a document and that it has not changed.

A document hash is a fixed-length fingerprint computed from a file's contents; any change to the file produces a different hash.

An e-signature API lets software create, send, track and download signature requests programmatically instead of through the web app.

eIDAS is the EU regulation (No 910/2014) on electronic identification and trust services, including electronic signatures.

An electronic signature is any electronic sound, symbol or process attached to a record and adopted by a person with the intent to sign it.

Embedded signing lets people sign documents inside your own website or app, instead of following an email link to the e-signature provider's site.

An envelope is a container for one or more documents sent to one or more recipients for signature in a single transaction.

The ESIGN Act is a 2000 US federal law giving electronic signatures and records the same legal validity as paper and ink in interstate commerce.

Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) verifies a signer's identity by asking questions drawn from public and credit records that only they should know.

Notarization is the process in which a commissioned notary public verifies a signer's identity and willingness, then certifies the signature with a seal.

A one-time passcode (OTP) is a short code sent to a signer by text or email that must be entered before a document can be opened or signed.

PKI is the system of certificate authorities, digital certificates and key pairs that binds public keys to identities.

A qualified electronic signature is an advanced signature created with a qualified device and backed by a qualified certificate from a QTSP.

A QTSP is a provider granted qualified status by an EU supervisory body to issue qualified certificates and other qualified trust services.

Remote online notarization (RON) lets a commissioned notary notarize a document over a live audio-video session using electronic signatures and seals.

SHA-256 is a cryptographic hash function from the SHA-2 family that produces a 256-bit fingerprint of any data.

Signer authentication is how an e-signature platform confirms that the person signing a document is the person it was sent to.

Signing order (routing order) sets whether signers receive a document one after another or all at once.

A simple electronic signature is the basic eIDAS level: data in electronic form used by a signer to sign, such as a typed or drawn signature.

A tamper-evident seal is a cryptographic seal on a PDF that shows whether the document has been changed after signing.

An e-signature template is a reusable document with preset signer roles and fields, so you can send the same agreement repeatedly without setting it up again.

UETA, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, is a US model law adopted by 49 states that validates electronic records and signatures.

A web form in e-signing is a hosted, fill-and-sign page with a public link, letting anyone complete and sign a document without being invited first.

A wet signature is a handwritten signature made with ink on paper.

A witness signature is made by a third party confirming they saw the signer sign a document.