How to list every digital signature in a multi-party signed pdf
- Step 1Open the viewer — Load the multi-party PDF into the PDF Digital Signature Viewer. Parsing is browser-local.
- Step 2Drop the executed contract — The tool scans the AcroForm
/Fieldsarray for every signature field. - Step 3Read the full signer list — Each signature becomes a row with index, signer, signing time, reason, location and isCertified — in document order.
- Step 4Reconcile against required parties — Cross-check the declared signers against your list of counterparties to confirm everyone has signed.
- Step 5Verify each signature — To confirm each signature is intact and to see which ones cover the whole document, run the PDF Signature Verifier — it reports coverage per signature.
- Step 6Archive both records — Keep this signer roster alongside the verifier's per-signature verdicts as the executed-document audit trail.
Per-signature row in a multi-party document
One row per /Sig field, in the order they appear.
| Field | Source | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
index | (position) | 1-based order of the signature field. |
field | /T | Field name, e.g. 'PartyA_Sig'. |
signer | /Name | Declared signer for that field. |
signingTime | /M | Declared signing time (ISO-normalised). |
reason / location | /Reason, /Location | Optional declared context. |
isCertified | /Reference | True for a certifying signature. |
Reading the roster vs. trusting the chain
Counting signers is one job; proving each signature is a different one.
| Goal | This viewer | PDF Signature Verifier |
|---|---|---|
| Count how many parties signed | Yes — one row each | Yes — one verdict each |
| See each declared signer & time | Yes | Reads signer CN from certificate |
| Confirm each signature is intact | No | Yes — digest + CMS per signature |
| See which signatures cover the whole file | No | Yes — coversWholeDoc per signature |
| Spot a signature broken by a later edit | No | Yes — non-intact signatures are flagged |
Tier limits for the input PDF
Apply to the signed document you load into the viewer.
| Tier | Max file size | Max pages | Files per run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 2 MB | 50 | 1 |
| Pro | 50 MB | 500 | 5 |
| Pro Media | 500 MB | 2,000 | 50 |
| Developer | 2 GB | 10,000 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Cookbook
Typical multi-party situations and exactly what the viewer lists for each.
A fully executed two-party contract
Both parties signed; two rows in document order.
index: 1 signer: "Party A — Jane Doe" signingTime: 2026-03-01T10:00:00 index: 2 signer: "Party B — Sam Lee" signingTime: 2026-03-02T15:20:00
A contract still awaiting a counterparty
Only one declared signer — a second was expected.
index: 1 signer: "Party A — Jane Doe" signingTime: 2026-03-01T10:00:00 (only 1 signature found — Party B has not signed yet)
Author certification plus two approvals
A certifying signature followed by approval signatures.
index: 1 signer: "Legal (certify)" isCertified: true index: 2 signer: "CFO" isCertified: false index: 3 signer: "CEO" isCertified: false
Confirming each signature in the chain holds
Hand the roster to the verifier to check coverage per signature.
viewer: 3 signers listed
verifier: sig1 intact, coversWholeDoc:false (signed before sig2/3)
sig2 intact, coversWholeDoc:false
sig3 intact, coversWholeDoc:true ← final signature
→ normal for a sequential signing chainNo signatures at all
An unsigned draft mistaken for executed.
hasSignatures: false message: "No digital signatures detected."
Edge cases and what actually happens
Earlier signatures don't cover the whole file
ExpectedIn a sequential chain, each party signs before the next, so earlier signatures legitimately do not cover the bytes later signers add. The viewer can't show this, but the verifier reports coversWholeDoc: false for non-final signatures — which is normal, not tampering.
A signature broken by a mid-cycle edit
Not detected hereIf the document was modified between signings, an earlier signature is no longer intact. This viewer still lists it as declared; only the verifier flags it as not intact.
Fewer signers than required
InformationalThe viewer lists exactly the /Sig fields present. If a counterparty hasn't signed, their row simply won't appear — reconcile the list against your required-party roster.
A signature field exists but is empty
ReportedAn unsigned signature field can appear with a blank signer and time. That means the field was placed but not yet signed; verify completion before treating the document as executed.
AcroForm tree missing
ReportedWhen the field tree is absent, the tool falls back to scanning raw bytes for /Type /Sig and lists each as '(unparseable)'. It confirms the count of signatures but not their declared metadata.
Encrypted multi-party PDF
SupportedParsing loads the document with encryption ignored, so the signer list is usually readable. If a strongly encrypted file fails, unlock it with PDF Unlock first.
Mixed certifying and approval signatures
ExpectedA certifying author signature plus approval signatures is common. The isCertified flag distinguishes them; it asserts the field type, not validity.
Large executed contract over tier limit
RejectedFree is capped at 2 MB / 50 pages. A large multi-party PDF is rejected before parsing — upgrade your tier or split the document.
Image signatures mistaken for the chain
Not a signatureVisual signature marks added with PDF Sign are images, not /Sig fields, and won't appear in the chain. Only cryptographic signature fields are listed.
Frequently asked questions
Does this show every signature in a multi-party PDF?
Yes — it lists every /Sig field in the AcroForm tree as its own numbered row, in document order, with the declared signer, signing time, reason, location, and certifying flag. It tells you how many parties signed and what each declared. To confirm each signature is cryptographically intact, run the PDF Signature Verifier.
Will it tell me if a later signature invalidated an earlier one?
No — this is a parse-only viewer. It lists declared signatures but doesn't recompute digests, so it can't show which signatures a mid-cycle edit may have broken. The verifier checks each signature's integrity and coverage independently and flags any that aren't intact.
Why does the verifier show earlier signatures as not covering the whole document?
That's normal for a sequential signing chain. Each party signs before the next adds their signature, so earlier signatures legitimately don't cover the bytes later signers append. A non-final signature with coversWholeDoc: false is expected — not evidence of tampering.
How do I confirm all required parties have signed?
Read the full row list this viewer produces and cross-check the declared signers against your list of required counterparties. If a party's row is missing, they haven't signed yet.
Can I verify signatures added by DocuSign or Adobe Sign?
The viewer lists whatever declared metadata those signatures expose. Both DocuSign and Adobe Sign use X.509 certificates, so to cryptographically verify them run the PDF Signature Verifier.
What does isCertified distinguish in a chain?
It marks a certifying (author) signature — one carrying a /Reference entry — versus an ordinary approval signature. In a multi-party document the author certification typically comes first, with approval signatures after. It identifies the type, not the validity.
What if a signature field is empty?
A placed-but-unsigned field can show a blank signer and time. That means the field exists but no one has signed it yet — treat the document as incomplete until that party signs.
Does it work on encrypted contracts?
Usually yes — parsing loads the document with encryption ignored, so the signer roster stays readable. If a strongly encrypted file refuses to parse, remove protection first with PDF Unlock.
How do I export the signature chain as a record?
The viewer returns the per-signature rows as JSON. Save those together with the verifier's per-signature report so your archive shows both the declared roster and the cryptographic verdicts.
Is my contract uploaded anywhere?
No. All parsing runs in your browser and the file never leaves your device. Only anonymous usage counters are recorded when you're signed in.
Can I see the signing timestamps' authenticity here?
No — the times shown are the declared /M values, not verified RFC 3161 timestamps. For how trusted timestamps are handled, see the timestamp audit guide.
What if I need to redact a signed multi-party contract?
Use the PDF PII Redactor for page content or the PDF Metadata Scrubber for hidden metadata — but note that any edit changes the document bytes and will break the existing signatures, so redact a copy and re-sign if needed.
Privacy first
All PDF processing runs locally in your browser using PDF-lib and pdf.js. No file is ever uploaded — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.