Digital signature
Cryptographically sign a PDF with your P12/PFX certificate (PAdES) — the certificate never leaves your browser. Optional visible signature.
A picture of a signature proves nothing: anyone can copy it from one document onto another. A digital signature is a different kind of object — a cryptographic operation with your private key that binds your identity to these exact bytes, so any later change to the document breaks it visibly. This tool signs a PDF in the PAdES form readers expect, using a certificate you already hold as a .p12 or .pfx file.
The certificate and its password are read inside your browser and never leave it, which is not a small claim for a private key. You can add a visible signature block on a page you choose, but the visible part is decoration: what carries the weight is the cryptography underneath. Only RSA keys are supported, and a certificate has to come from an authority somebody trusts — this signs with the identity you already have, it does not issue one.
How it works
- Drop in the PDF, and your .p12 or .pfx certificate.
- Unlock the certificate with its password — it is read locally.
- Optionally place a visible signature block on a page.
- Sign and download the signed PDF.
What people use it for
- Signing a contract in a form the other party's software can verify.
- Submitting a document to an administration that requires a digital signature.
- Making a published document tamper-evident so alterations are detectable.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my file uploaded to a server?
- No. The file is opened by JavaScript and WebAssembly running inside your own browser tab. It is never uploaded, there is no server-side processing and nothing is stored — closing the tab discards everything.
- Does my certificate leave the browser?
- No. The .p12 and its password are read locally and used to sign in the page itself. Nothing about the certificate or the key is uploaded — which is the whole reason to sign here rather than on somebody's server.
- Where do I get a certificate?
- From a certification authority, often through your government, your chamber of commerce or a qualified provider. This tool signs with an identity you already hold; it cannot create or vouch for one.
- It says my key type is not supported.
- Only RSA keys are handled. Certificates issued with elliptic-curve keys will not sign here — check what your provider issued, or ask them for an RSA certificate.
- Is a visible signature required?
- No. The signature is valid whether or not anything is drawn on the page; readers show it in their signature panel either way. A visible block is useful when a human will look at a printout, since the cryptography is invisible on paper.
Related tools
- 088088Protect PDFAdd a password (AES-256), remove a known password, or repair a damaged PDF — with optional fast web view.
- 089089Unlock PDFRemove the password from a PDF you can already open — you must know the current one. It doesn't crack protected files.
- 090090Redact PDFBlack out sensitive content with permanent rectangles you draw on the page.
- 091091Redact by searchType words or patterns and redact every match across the entire PDF.