← Features Document signing

Have your documents signed in the app, without paper

Internal rules, charters, agreements: your organisation signs first, then each learner in the class signs in the app, and the legal guardian too if you ask for it. It is a simple electronic signature (Article 25 of the EU eIDAS Regulation), and every signed copy comes with an evidence file.

How it works

From sending to the signed copy, in three steps

Each signer confirms with the password of their own account. Nobody needs to print, scan or chase a sheet of paper.

1Step 1

Your organisation signs and sends

In the console, an administrator or coordinator creates the document and attaches a PDF or an image. The document is locked and receives a SHA-256 fingerprint. They review it, choose the class, tick the consent box, sign and confirm with their password.

2Step 2

Learners read and sign

Learners receive a notification in the app, never an email. They read the document, tick the consent box, draw their signature or type their name, and confirm with their account password. The legal guardian does the same if you asked for it.

3Step 3

You follow and download

You follow signatures learner by learner, send reminders (a notification in the app, never an email) and export the status as a spreadsheet. Once all parties have signed, each signed copy can be downloaded as a PDF.

The signed copy

The document, its signatures and what supports them

The server produces one signed copy per learner. The signature block sits at the end of the document: in the free bottom margin of the last page or, if there is no room, on an added page, never over the content.

  • Signature block: each party, their capacity, their signature or typed name, the server time and a verification ID
  • Evidence file: which SHA-256 fingerprint corresponds to what, the signatories, the identification used, IP address and browser, and the exact consent wording accepted
  • Chained log: each event carries the fingerprint of the previous one, so a deletion, insertion or alteration breaks the chain
  • Verify a copy: your staff can check whether a PDF is identical to a copy produced by ScolaSign

The signature block and the evidence file are in the default language of your space; each signer’s consent is recorded in the language of their screen.

What it is, and what it is not

A simple electronic signature, described as such

The evidence file states the nature of the signature in plain words. So does this page.

What it is

A simple electronic signature within the meaning of Article 25(1) of the eIDAS Regulation. That article provides that an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or admissibility as evidence solely because it is electronic.

What it is not

Neither an advanced nor a qualified signature. It does not have the effect of a handwritten signature and its reliability is not presumed. The time is the ScolaSign server time, not a qualified timestamp.

What the evidence file establishes

Which account signed, at what server time, after what identification, with what consent and on what exact content. It does not establish that the person at the screen was the account holder if a third party knew the password, nor a date certified by a trusted third party.

Frequently asked questions

Document signing: frequently asked questions

Which documents can be signed?

Documents your organisation presents to a class, such as internal rules, a charter or an agreement. You attach a PDF or an image (PNG, JPEG), 6 MB at most; a Word file must first be saved as a PDF. Without a file, the title and description form the document.

Who signs, and in what order?

Your organisation signs first, when it sends the document: an administrator or coordinator reviews it and signs on its behalf. Each learner in the class then signs in the app. You can also ask the legal guardian linked to each learner to sign. A learner with no linked guardian stays incomplete until one is linked.

Is it an advanced or qualified signature?

No. It is a simple electronic signature within the meaning of Article 25(1) of the eIDAS Regulation, neither advanced nor qualified. It does not have the effect of a handwritten signature and its reliability is not presumed. The time shown is the ScolaSign server time, not a qualified timestamp. If a document requires a higher level of signature, ScolaSign does not provide it.

What legal effect does it have?

Article 25(1) provides that an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or admissibility as evidence in legal proceedings solely because it is in electronic form or does not meet the requirements for qualified electronic signatures. If a signature is challenged, it is assessed on the basis of the evidence file. This page is not legal advice: check the rules that apply to your document and your country.

Can a signed document be changed or deleted?

No. Once it has been locked for signing, the document can no longer be changed. Once a learner or a legal guardian has signed, it can no longer be deleted. The server also refuses a signature if the file no longer matches the fingerprint recorded when the document was locked.

In what language are the signed copies?

The console and app screens are available in English and French. The consent wording is shown, accepted and recorded in the language of the signer’s screen. The signed copy, its signature block and its evidence file are produced once, in the default language of your space; a copy already produced no longer changes.

Does this also apply to attendance signatures?

No. Attendance sign-ins are a separate process, also based on a simple electronic signature time-stamped by the server. The evidence file and the chained log described on this page concern signed documents only.

Is it included in every plan?

Yes. Document signing is included in the Essential, Pro and Institution plans: plans differ only in the number of learners.

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