Local mode - Your device

Sign a PDF locally

Q: Is my PDF sent to Parapheo?

Not in local mode. The content is read, edited and exported in the browser.

Q: Can I check that it works offline?

After the resources have loaded once, turn off the network and use local mode. The account and certain checks remain online features.

Checked on 24 September 2026 · No upload of the PDF content

In local mode, the PDF is read, edited and exported by the browser: its content is not sent to Parapheo. Separate technical exchanges may be used for the account, the quota and an aggregated measurement. They contain neither the file, nor its name, nor the text of the document.

Sign my PDF locally See the steps

Not to be confused with remote sending: if someone else needs to sign, Parapheo uses a separate process in which the document is encrypted before transfer. That is not the mode described here.

Add a signature to a PDF in four steps

Open your PDF file. Select it from your device or drag it into the tool.
Create or choose your signature. Draw it with your mouse, finger or a stylus, or import an image of your signature.
Place the elements you need. Add a signature, initials, the date, text or a stamp, then position them on the relevant page.
Export the PDF. Download the new file and check it before sending it on.

What local mode lets you do

Local mode is designed for completing a document that you sign yourself. It lets you add a drawn or imported signature, initials, today's date, free text and a stamp. The final PDF remains a standard PDF file, with no watermark added by Parapheo.

What local mode doesn't do

It does not verify your identity, does not collect another person's consent and does not, on its own, turn the document into an advanced or qualified electronic signature. If a formality requires a particular level, first check what your recipient or a qualified professional expects.

Why choose this mode

It is suitable when a document contains information you would rather keep on your device: a personal file, a contractual document, a supporting document or a business document. You can also reuse the tool offline after your first visit, depending on your browser's capabilities.

What data actually leaves the device?

Action	PDF content sent?	Technical data
Open, display and edit the PDF locally	No	Processing in the browser's memory
Export with anonymous access	No	Quota check; no PDF, name or text
Aggregated measurement after export	No	Tool, success or failure, pages and volume
Create or verify an account	No	Email address and technical tokens described in the privacy policy
Get someone else to sign	Yes, deliberately, in encrypted form	Separate process with recipient, status and dates

This distinction avoids a misleading absolute promise: “local” describes how the document is processed in the tools concerned, not the absence of any network request from the site.

How to check local mode

Open the signing tool once while you are online, so that the browser loads its resources.
Then turn off Wi-Fi or mobile data and reopen the tool.
Import a test PDF, add some text or a signature and export it.
Turn the network back on for account features or to deliberately send a remote request.

The result may depend on the browser's storage rules. This test demonstrates local processing of the file; it is not a full security audit.

Sign, initial or request a signature?

To add your signature to a page, stay in local mode.
To place the same initials in a matching position on several pages, see the multi-page initials guide.
To ask someone else to take action, see how encrypted sending works.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF sent to Parapheo?

Not in local signing mode: the document is processed in your browser. Remote sending is a separate mode, presented before you use it.

What data can leave the device?

The account and the quota use technical exchanges. After an export, an aggregated signal may indicate the tool, the result, the number of pages and the volume. It does not contain the PDF, its name or its text.

Can I check that it works offline?

Yes, after the resources have fully loaded once, subject to your browser's storage capabilities. Account creation and the remote process remain online features.

Can I sign on my phone?

Yes, a touchscreen lets you draw a signature with your finger or a stylus. Review the exported PDF before sending it.

Is the signature I place a qualified signature?

No. The visual appearance of a signature and the level of electronic signature are two different matters. The page Signing a PDF or electronic signature? explains this distinction.