Audit Trail for Every Electronic Signature
BoldSign records who signed, when, from which device, and how each signer was verified. You get it as one PDF with the signed document.
- Created for every document
- Sent to every party at completion
Trusted by 50,000+ businesses worldwide
Why e-signed documents get questioned
BoldSign’s Audit Trail feature answers the questions people ask when a signature is challenged.
Who actually signed?
An emailed PDF shows a name. It does not show the person behind it or how they got in.
With BoldSign: each signer’s email, IP address, device, and check are on record. See what it records
Can you show it to an auditor?
Dates and approvals spread across inboxes are hard to piece together later.
With BoldSign: one PDF lists each step in order, with timestamps. See how to get it
Why audit trails matter
A BoldSign audit trail builds trust and accountability, and helps you defend an agreement if it is challenged.
Proof of signer intent
Shows who signed a document and how their identity was verified.
Ready for disputes
Gives clear evidence of each signer’s actions if a signed document is questioned.
Regulatory compliance
Helps you meet legal and industry record-keeping requirements.
Process transparency
Creates accountability across every document and signing workflow.
Key information recorded in an audit trail
The BoldSign audit trail includes document, identity, activity, and consent details for verification and compliance. The PDF is titled Certificate of Completion.
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Document details
Document ID, type, title, status, signing order, page count, and sent and completed times.
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Sender and recipient details
Names, email addresses, IP addresses, and devices for everyone involved.
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User activity history
Every view, signature, reassignment, and completion, with timestamps.
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Signer authentication and verification
The method used to verify each signer, such as ID verification, before access or signing.
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Signature method details
Whether each signature was typed, drawn, or uploaded as an image.
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Branding details
The brand logo applied during signing.
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Electronic consent acknowledgement
Whether electronic consent was turned on, and when each signer accepted it.
How do you get the audit trail for a signed document?
BoldSign builds the audit trail as people act, then sends it to everyone once the last person signs.
1. Everyone signs
Each view, check, and signature is logged the moment it happens.
2. Everyone gets a copy
The sender, signers, and CC recipients get the signed document with the audit trail. Signers need no BoldSign account.
3. Download it any time
Your documents list keeps the audit trail ready to download.
4. Back it up
Send signed documents and audit trails to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox with automatic backups.
Why choose BoldSign for audit-ready e-signatures
BoldSign makes the audit trail part of every document, so your proof is ready before anyone asks.
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Nothing to turn on
Every document you send gets its audit trail automatically.
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Same record for API and embedded signing
Documents sent through the API or signed inside your app get the same trail.
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Two languages in one trail
Signers read the trail in their language, with the English original beside it.
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The same layout on every trail
Every audit trail follows one fixed format, with timestamps in your chosen time zone.
Security, compliance, and control
BoldSign audit trails help keep signed documents secure, compliant, and verifiable.
Tamper protection
A cryptographic hash and a tamper-evident seal show any change made after signing.
Legal validity
Signatures you collect with BoldSign are legally binding under the ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS. The audit trail serves as supporting evidence.
Custom legal terms
Add your own legal terms directly to the audit trail document.
Download options
Download the audit trail on its own, or combined with the signed document in one PDF.
BoldSign encrypts every document twice with AES-256. Its security controls are independently audited for SOC 2 Type 2. Each standard is listed in your account’s Compliance page, shown below.
Compliance
BoldSign meets global security and compliance standards to protect your documents and data. Manage the settings below to align with your organization’s requirements.
Data Residency
Active (US - Global)Your documents and signer data are securely stored in your selected region to meet data sovereignty and local regulatory requirements.
HIPAA Compliance
EnabledEnable HIPAA mode to protect PHI using administrative, technical, and physical safeguards aligned with HIPAA regulations.
PCI DSS
CompliantPayments are securely processed through Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1-certified provider, ensuring the safe handling and encryption of all payment data.
CCPA & CPRA
CompliantEnsures compliance with California privacy laws, giving residents transparency and control over their personal data, including rights to access, delete, and opt out.
SOC 2 Type II
CompliantBoldSign has successfully completed a SOC 2 Type II audit, validating our controls for security, availability, confidentiality, and data integrity.
UETA & ESIGN
CompliantBoldSign ensures that all e-signatures are legally binding and compliant with the U.S. ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA).
eIDAS (SES)
CompliantBoldSign complies with the EU eIDAS Regulation (910/2014) and supports Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) by default.
eIDAS (QES)
EnabledEnable Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) for contracts requiring the highest legal assurance under eIDAS.
Limits to know before you rely on BoldSign audit trails
BoldSign ties each audit trail to its document, so the trail is kept, sent, and deleted with it.
- 30 days of recipient access after the sender deletesA permanently deleted document loses its audit trail. It cannot be recovered.
- 5MB email attachment limitLarger completion emails carry a link, not the files.
Before your first audit trail
- The audit trail cannot be downloaded until every signer has finished.
How do you download an audit trail with the API?
The BoldSign API returns the audit trail PDF for a completed document from one GET request. Add onBehalfOf for documents sent for another sender.
curl -X GET 'https://api.boldsign.com/v1/document/downloadAuditLog?documentId=949ebf20-45a8-4a3e-91a9-68e9540e0020' \
-H 'accept: application/json' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: {your-api-key}'ApiClient apiClient = new ApiClient("https://api.boldsign.com", "Your_API_Key");
DocumentClient documentClient = new DocumentClient(apiClient);
var documentStream = documentClient.DownloadAuditLog("YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID");import boldsign
configuration = boldsign.Configuration(host = "https://api.boldsign.com", api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
with boldsign.ApiClient(configuration) as api_client:
document_api = boldsign.DocumentApi(api_client)
document_stream = document_api.download_audit_log(document_id="YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID")<?php require_once "vendor/autoload.php";
use BoldSign\Configuration;
use BoldSign\Api\DocumentApi;
$config = new Configuration();
$config->setHost('https://api.boldsign.com');
$config->setApiKey('YOUR_API_KEY');
$document_api = new DocumentApi($config);
$document_stream = $document_api->downloadAuditLog($document_id = 'YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID');ApiClient client = Configuration.getDefaultApiClient();
client.setBasePath("https://api.boldsign.com");
client.setApiKey("YOUR_API_KEY");
DocumentApi documentApi = new DocumentApi(client);
File documentStream = documentApi.downloadAuditLog("YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID", null);import { DocumentApi } from "boldsign";
const documentApi = new DocumentApi("https://api.boldsign.com");
documentApi.setApiKey("YOUR_API_KEY");
const documentStream = documentApi.downloadAuditLog("YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID");More guides on e-signature audit trails
- Developers
Audit trails through the API
Endpoints, on-behalf documents, and samples in six languages.
Read the API guide - Feature
Verify signers with an ID
Add a photo ID and selfie check that lands in the audit trail.
See ID verification - AI
BoldSign in Claude
Send documents and check their status from a chat with Claude.
See BoldSign in Claude
Questions about e-signature audit trails
What is an e-signature audit trail?
An e-signature audit trail is a dated record of every action on a signed document. BoldSign creates one for each document you send, from sending to the last signature. See every field it holds.
How do businesses keep an audit trail for signed contracts?
Businesses use an e-signature tool that logs each step. In BoldSign, every contract gets its audit trail automatically. Store it with the signed copy in one PDF.
Does the BoldSign audit trail cost extra?
No. The audit trail is built into BoldSign, with no extra cost.
Can signers without a BoldSign account get the audit trail?
Yes. When everyone has signed, each signer gets an email with the signed document and audit trail.
How long does BoldSign keep audit trails?
BoldSign keeps each audit trail for as long as its document stays in your account. If your records policy needs a second copy, back it up to cloud storage.
Are API and embedded signing events in the audit trail?
Yes. Sending, viewing, reassigning, verification, and embedded signing all appear with time, IP address, and device. The API reference shows how to download it.
What is the difference between an audit trail and a digital signature?
The audit trail is the dated story of who did what. The digital signature on the completed PDF shows the file has not changed since. BoldSign gives you both.
What should I do if the audit trail shows activity I do not recognize?
Contact BoldSign support by chat or ticket. Then void the document and resend it with signer verification turned on.
Have proof ready for every signed document
Send your next document with BoldSign and get its audit trail when the last person signs.
Last updated: October 19, 2026