{"schemaVersion":1,"kind":"article","path":"/help/en-us/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/","htmlLang":"en-US","localeRoute":"en-us","slug":"save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate","title":"Save your completed PDF and audit certificate | Sign For Free Help Center","description":"Download and preserve the completed PDF and audit certificate before a Sign For Free Envelope is deleted.","chrome":{"brandLabel":"Sign For Free","helpCenterLabel":"Help Center","skipLabel":"Skip to main content","publicNavigationLabel":"Sign For Free navigation","publicNavigation":[{"href":"/#features","label":"Features"},{"href":"/#pricing","label":"Pricing"},{"href":"/verify","label":"Verify"},{"href":"/blog","label":"Blog"},{"href":"/help/en-us/","label":"Help Center"}],"loginAction":{"href":"/envelopes","label":"Log in"},"createAction":{"href":"/envelopes/new","label":"Get started"},"languageLabel":"Help language","themeLabel":"Theme","themeModes":{"system":"System theme","light":"Light theme","dark":"Dark theme"},"localeOptions":[{"route":"en-us","htmlLang":"en-US","label":"English","href":"/help/en-us/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"ko-kr","htmlLang":"ko-KR","label":"한국어","href":"/help/ko-kr/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"ja-jp","htmlLang":"ja-JP","label":"日本語","href":"/help/ja-jp/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"ru-ru","htmlLang":"ru-RU","label":"Русский","href":"/help/ru-ru/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"de-de","htmlLang":"de-DE","label":"Deutsch","href":"/help/de-de/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"fr-fr","htmlLang":"fr-FR","label":"Français","href":"/help/fr-fr/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"zh-tw","htmlLang":"zh-TW","label":"繁體中文","href":"/help/zh-tw/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"zh-cn","htmlLang":"zh-CN","label":"简体中文","href":"/help/zh-cn/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"},{"route":"es-es","htmlLang":"es-ES","label":"Español","href":"/help/es-es/articles/save-your-completed-pdf-and-audit-certificate/"}],"footerGroups":[{"title":"Product","links":[{"href":"/verify","label":"Verify"},{"href":"/#pricing","label":"Pricing"},{"href":"/licenses","label":"Open-source licenses"}]},{"title":"Resources","links":[{"href":"/blog","label":"Blog"},{"href":"/help/en-us/","label":"Help Center"}]},{"title":"Compare","links":[{"href":"/blog/free-docusign-alternative","label":"Sign For Free vs DocuSign"}]},{"title":"Legal","links":[{"href":"/legality","label":"E-signature legality"},{"href":"/legal-docs/terms","label":"Terms of Service"},{"href":"/legal-docs/privacy","label":"Privacy Policy"},{"href":"/legal-docs/cookie-policy","label":"Cookie Policy"},{"href":"/cookie-settings","label":"Privacy choices"},{"href":"/legal-docs/account-deletion","label":"Delete your account"}]}],"footerTagline":"Sign simply. Keep the proof.","verifyLabel":"Verify"},"breadcrumbsLabel":"Breadcrumb","breadcrumbs":[{"href":"/help/en-us/","label":"Help Center"},{"label":"Save your completed PDF and audit certificate"}],"eyebrow":"Completed documents","headline":"Save your completed PDF and audit certificate","summary":[{"kind":"text","value":"Preserve both completion attachments in storage you control before the Envelope reaches the end of its short lifecycle."}],"role":"sender recipient signer","plan":"free basic","platform":"email","categoryId":"verify-keep-evidence","metadata":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dl","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Role"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Sender and Recipient"}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Plan"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Free and Basic"}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Platform"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Email and your chosen file storage"}]}]}]}],"sections":[{"sectionId":"before-you-start","title":"Before you start","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"ul","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Wait for the completion email sent after every required party has signed and final document processing succeeds."}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Locate both attachments: the completed PDF and "},{"kind":"element","tag":"code","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"audit_trail.pdf"}]},{"kind":"text","value":"."}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Choose durable storage you control, such as a company document management system or an approved cloud-storage folder."}]}]}]},{"sectionId":"steps","title":"Save the completion files","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"ol","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"h3","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Open the completion email"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Confirm that the message refers to the correct Envelope and includes both PDF attachments."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"h3","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Download the completed PDF"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Save the signed document without opening it in an editor or exporting a new copy."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"h3","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Download the audit certificate"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Save "},{"kind":"element","tag":"code","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"audit_trail.pdf"}]},{"kind":"text","value":" from the same message. Keep it with the completed PDF because the files are verified as a pair."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"h3","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Store both original files together"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Move the unchanged attachments into the same protected folder in your approved storage system."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"h3","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Record useful context"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"In the folder name or your records system, note the Envelope purpose, parties, and completion date without modifying the PDF contents."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"h3","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Test your saved copies"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Use the Sign For Free verifier to confirm that the stored completed PDF still matches its audit certificate."}]}]}]}]},{"sectionId":"what-happens-next","title":"What happens next","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"You can retain the two files according to your legal, contractual, and organizational recordkeeping requirements. The audit certificate helps a later reviewer check the completed PDF's recorded evidence with the browser-based verifier."}]}]},{"sectionId":"warnings-and-limitations","title":"Warnings and limitations","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"ul","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"An Envelope expires 72 hours after it is created. Completing an Envelope does not restart the 72-hour clock."}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Each uploaded file becomes eligible for automatic deletion when its provider-recorded object age reaches 3 days. Processing is asynchronous. Save both files as soon as you receive them."}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"The dashboard is not a long-term completed-document archive and does not promise downloads at any time."}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Keep the original file bytes unchanged. Editing, optimizing, printing to PDF, or re-exporting a file may cause verification to fail."}]}]}]},{"sectionId":"troubleshooting","title":"Troubleshooting","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dl","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"The completion email is missing"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Check spam and filtered folders. Ask the Sender to confirm that the Envelope reached "},{"kind":"element","tag":"strong","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Completed"}]},{"kind":"text","value":" and to use the completed-document resend option promptly if it is available."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Only one attachment is present"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Do not rely on an incomplete pair for verification. Ask the Sender for a fresh completion email containing both PDFs."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Your stored copy fails verification"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Return to the original email attachment and compare it with your stored file. Save a fresh unchanged copy and run verification again."}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"div","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"dt","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"The Envelope has already been deleted"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"dd","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Sign For Free may no longer be able to provide a server copy. Check the original completion emails received by the Sender and all Recipients."}]}]}]}]},{"sectionId":"related-articles","title":"Related articles","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"ul","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"a","attributes":{"href":"/help/en-us/articles/verify-a-completed-document/"},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Verify a completed document"}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"a","attributes":{"href":"/help/en-us/articles/troubleshoot-a-failed-verification/"},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Troubleshoot a failed verification"}]}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"li","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"a","attributes":{"href":"/help/en-us/articles/understand-envelopes-senders-recipients-signers-and-audit-trails/"},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Understand Envelopes, Senders, Recipients, Signers, and audit trails"}]}]}]}]},{"sectionId":"support","title":"Still need help?","content":[{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Ask the Sender and other Recipients to check their completion emails for the original attachments before the Envelope lifecycle ends."}]}]}],"footerMeta":[{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"strong","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Last reviewed:"}]},{"kind":"text","value":" July 22, 2026"}]},{"kind":"element","tag":"p","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"element","tag":"strong","attributes":{},"children":[{"kind":"text","value":"Product version:"}]},{"kind":"text","value":" Web open beta, July 2026"}]}]}