Understanding Audit Trails
Every Tenrion envelope automatically generates a tamper-proof audit trail — a complete record of every action taken on the document. This is what makes e-signatures legally binding and court-admissible.
What Is Recorded
For every envelope, Tenrion records:
| Event | Details captured |
|---|---|
| Envelope created | Creator name, timestamp, IP address |
| Document uploaded | File name, SHA-256 hash |
| Invite sent | Recipient email, timestamp |
| Email opened | Timestamp, IP address, device type |
| Document viewed | Timestamp, duration, page views |
| Field completed | Timestamp, IP address, field type |
| Signature applied | Timestamp, IP, geolocation, device fingerprint, signature image |
| Envelope completed | Timestamp, final document hash |
All timestamps come from a certified third-party timestamp authority — they cannot be altered by Tenrion or by you.
The Certificate of Completion
When all signers complete their signing, Tenrion generates a Certificate of Completion — a separate PDF that summarises the entire audit trail. This certificate is:
- Attached to the final signed PDF
- Digitally signed using Tenrion’s certificate
- Independently verifiable using any PDF reader
The signed PDF plus the certificate together form your legal record.
Accessing the Audit Trail
From the Sent tab:
- Open any envelope
- Click Audit trail in the right sidebar
- View the full event log inline, or download as PDF
From the completed document: Open the final signed PDF and scroll to the last page — the Certificate of Completion is automatically appended.
Downloading Records
To download your audit records:
- Open the envelope
- Click Download → Signed document + certificate
This downloads a ZIP containing:
- The final signed PDF
- The Certificate of Completion PDF
- A JSON file of the raw audit events (useful for integrations)
How Long Are Records Kept?
Tenrion retains all envelope records — including audit trails and signed documents — for 10 years from the date of completion. Deleted envelopes are retained in our archive for 90 days before permanent removal.
If you need records for a specific retention period or format, contact our enterprise team.
Verifying a Tenrion Document
If you receive a Tenrion-signed document and want to verify it independently:
- Go to tenrion.com/verify (available without an account)
- Upload the signed PDF
- Tenrion checks the document hash against its records and returns a verification result
The embedded certificate can also be verified using Adobe Acrobat’s signature panel without using Tenrion at all.
Related: Are E-Signatures Legally Binding? · How Electronic Signatures Work