Audit trail
An audit trail is a time-stamped log of every action taken on a document, from the moment it's sent to the moment the last person signs.
Updated October 13, 2026 · 1 min read
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Why it matters
An electronic signature is only as convincing as the evidence around it. UETA says a signature can be attributed to a person in any manner, including by showing the security procedure that was used. An audit trail is that showing: it ties each step to an email address, an IP address and a time, so you can show who signed and when.
What SignMaster records
- Each event, such as created, sent, viewed, consented, signed and completed, with the time in UTC, who did it and their IP address.
- For each signer: email, device, approximate location, and when they viewed, consented and signed.
- Whether they signed in person on the sender's device, and when they entered an access code, if you set one.
The log is printed on the certificate of completion attached to every signed PDF, and it's included on every plan.
Questions? Answers.
Can a SignMaster audit trail be edited?
No. Events are append-only: new events are added, and existing ones aren't changed or removed. Sent envelopes can't be deleted one by one, so their evidence stays with your records.