Signature request · Encrypted sending
Get a PDF signed online by a recipient
Guide verified on 8 August 2026 · One recipient per request
Parapheo lets you send a PDF to another person for signature without making them create an account. The document is encrypted in your browser before it is transferred. Each request currently concerns a single recipient and is not a group workflow of chained signatures.
How to send a signature request
- Open the PDF. Check the document and, if needed, add your own signature, a date or text.
- Choose “Get someone to sign”. Enter the recipient's email address, their name and an optional message. The sender is asked for a confirmed address to prevent anonymous sending.
- Send the link. You can copy it and send it yourself. In that case, the decryption key does not pass through the server. If Parapheo composes the email, the key passes through only for the time it takes to send, without being stored with the file.
- The recipient verifies their address. They receive a temporary code, open the document in their browser, then accept or decline the request.
- Get the result. After signing, you receive the link to the signed PDF and the link to a technical certificate describing the recorded events.
One recipient per request
The current form records one recipient address per request. If three people need to receive three separate documents, you need to create three requests. Parapheo does not yet offer multi-signer collection with a signing order, automatic reminders, roles or a shared approval dashboard.
This limit avoids implying that the tool handles a workflow it does not have. For a single person, the workflow covers sending, verifying the address, signing or declining, then retrieving the PDF.
What is stored for the remote request
The server receives the encrypted document, the requester's and recipient's addresses, the file name, the dates of the operation and the cryptographic fingerprints used by the technical certificate. It does not keep the key with the PDF. Encrypted files are deleted no later than 30 days after the request, or sooner in certain closure workflows.
This works differently from local mode, in which the PDF's content is not uploaded. See the privacy policy to tell the two uses apart.
Signature received and technical certificate
The certificate lists items recorded by Parapheo, including the address verification, timestamps and the document's fingerprints. On its own, it does not guarantee an advanced or qualified signature. The eIDAS Regulation on EUR-Lex distinguishes several levels of electronic signature and their requirements. For a document subject to a specific requirement, check the applicable procedure before using a service.
Frequently asked questions
Does the signer need to create an account?
No. They verify the recipient email address with a temporary code.
Can I collect signatures online?
Parapheo currently handles one request and one recipient at a time. It does not yet manage a multi-signer file or sequential collection on the same document.
Can I send a contract or a quote?
The workflow accepts a standard PDF. For a high-stakes document, a special formality or a required signature level, check the recipient's requirements or seek appropriate advice.
Can Parapheo read the PDF that is sent?
The file received by the server is encrypted in the browser. The key is not stored with it. When you share the link yourself, the key does not pass through Parapheo.