PAdES vs simple e-signatures

Not all electronic signatures are equal. A simple e-signature can be as little as a typed name or a drawn squiggle recorded next to the document. It works, and it is legally meaningful in many contexts — but the proof that the document was not altered afterward lives in the vendor's records, not in the document itself.

What PAdES adds

PAdES — PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures — embeds a cryptographic signature directly into the PDF. The signature is bound to the document's contents through a certificate chain. If anyone changes a single byte after signing, the seal breaks and the tampering is detectable by anyone, independently.

That means a signed AppliFlo document carries its own evidence. You do not have to trust a dashboard to believe the document is intact — the math says so.

Why we made it the default

For contracts, offer letters, and intake forms, tamper-evidence is not a luxury. We built AppliFlo on PAdES so the stronger guarantee is what you get by default, paired with a complete audit trail of every action — IP address, timestamp, and geolocation.

We are careful about compliance language: PAdES signing is real and built, and our external claims around specific legal regimes are gated on counsel review. You can read how we frame all of this on our Trust & Security page.