How do I validate a digital signature in Adobe Acrobat?

Open the PDF with the signature. Click on the digital signature field. A message bar will appear showing the validation status. Click 'Signature Properties' for more details, including trust information.

If my digital signature shows as 'unknown' or 'untrusted', what should I do?

Check the 'Signature Properties' to see the certificate details. Go to 'Manage Trusted Identities' in Acrobat. Add the signer's certificate to your list of trusted identities. Re-validate the signature after adding the trust.

Approval And Audit Trail Design in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”I’m running an approval session for a major process change next week and compliance demands a…+

I’m running an approval session for a major process change next week and compliance demands a clean audit trail showing who changed what and when. I’ve never designed this end-to-end. Tell me the minimal audit trail requirements I must include, how to capture and present the evidence so [auditor=Compliance] signs off quickly, and one final gate not to skip before I call the session approved.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open Adobe Acrobat and sign in with your administrator account.
2
Go to the application preferences by selecting Edit > Preferences.
3
Select Signatures from the list on the left.
4
In the Identities & Trusted Certificates section, click More.
5
In the Digital ID and Trusted Certificate Settings dialog, add or import your organization's trusted root certificates under Trusted Certificates.
CautionOnly import certificates from verified and authorized sources to avoid trust issues.
6
Set trust levels for each imported certificate by selecting it and configuring the appropriate trust options for your organization's requirements.
7
Close the dialog and return to the Signatures preferences pane.
8
Under Verification, configure the signature validation settings to enable certificate revocation checking and signature validation policies.
9
Configure signature validation policies by selecting options such as requiring certificate revocation checking, verifying signatures using OCSP or CRL, and validating all signatures in the document when certifying.
RecommendationEnable revocation checking to ensure signatures are still valid at the time of verification.
10
Click OK to save your validation policy settings.
11
Deploy these settings organization-wide using the Acrobat Customization Wizard or via Group Policy Objects (GPO) for managed environments.
Best practiceBLOGS suggest exporting your configured registry settings and distributing them via GPO for consistent enforcement across all user devices.

In the appWith the API

You can centrally manage trusted certificates and validation policies to ensure all users in your organization validate signatures according to your security requirements.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

Digital SignatureAn electronic mark on a document that proves who signed it and that the document has not changed.ExampleA digital signature on your tax return confirms you submitted it and that its contents are unchanged.

CertificateAn electronic file that proves a person's or organization's identity online, like a digital ID card.ExampleYour certificate confirms your identity when you access secure online government services.

Trusted IdentitySomeone whose digital signature certificate you have chosen to trust in your software.ExampleYou add your manager's digital signature certificate as a trusted identity in your document software.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Design an approval and audit trail for a major process change before the review

FAQ

about this task

Open the PDF with the signature.
Click on the digital signature field.
A message bar will appear showing the validation status.
Click 'Signature Properties' for more details, including trust information.

A trusted identity is a certificate you have manually added to your Acrobat settings as reliable. It matters because Acrobat uses this list to decide if a digital signature is truly valid and from someone you trust. Without it, even a technically valid signature might show as untrusted, making it hard to confirm the signer's authenticity.

Check the 'Signature Properties' to see the certificate details.
Go to 'Manage Trusted Identities' in Acrobat.
Add the signer's certificate to your list of trusted identities.
Re-validate the signature after adding the trust.

Verifying certificate information is crucial because it confirms the identity of the person or organization who signed the document. It shows details like the signer's name, the issuing authority, and the certificate's validity period. This helps you ensure that the signature is not only technically sound but also comes from a legitimate and expected source, preventing fraud or impersonation.

A 'valid' digital signature means the signature itself is technically correct, has not been tampered with, and the signer's certificate was valid at the time of signing. However, a 'trusted' signature adds another layer: it means that your Acrobat settings recognize and accept the signer's certificate as coming from a reliable source. You can have a valid signature that is not trusted by your system if you haven't explicitly added the signer's certificate to your list of trusted identities. Both are important for full assurance.

Approval And Audit Trail Design

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help