What is an audit trail and why does it make a signature valid?

When someone signs electronically, what gives the document legal strength isn't just the drawn signature, but being able to prove who signed, when, and that the document wasn't altered afterward. That's exactly what the audit trail provides.

A good audit trail records, at the moment of signing, data such as the exact date and time, the signer's IP address, the device and browser used, an approximate location, and a verification method such as a code sent to the signer.

Most electronic-signature laws require two things to give a document validity: that the signature be attributable to a person and that the document be kept intact. The audit trail is precisely the evidence that backs both points if someone challenges the signature.

Firmiu generates an audit trail on every signature: IP, device, location, timestamp and a four-digit verification code. All of that information travels with the signed PDF, so the document is backed without you having to do anything extra.