Preparing Documents for Signature Using Adobe Acrobat — Legacy

Before sending a document for signature in Sertifi, you must add Sertifi Data Tags to indicate where signatures, initials, dates, and other fields should appear. This guide covers how to do that in Adobe Acrobat.

Step-by-Step Guide

50. Open your document in Adobe Acrobat.
51. Review the document layout and confirm it is fully ready before adding tags.
52. Add Sertifi Data Fields where needed. Refer to the Sertifi Data Fields Quick Reference Guide to choose the correct tag for each field type (signature, initials, date, text input, etc.).
53. If your PDF editor autogenerated form fields in the same location as your Sertifi tags, delete those autogenerated fields first to avoid conflicts.
54. To add a form field: add a regular form field in the desired position, right-click it, select Rename Field, and paste the correct Sertifi data tag. Press Enter to apply.
55. Adjust the size, font, and position of each field as needed.
56. If your document has multiple signers, differentiate tags for each signer by changing the number at the end (e.g., SertifiSignature_1 for the first signer, SertifiSignature_2 for the second).
57. Save the document.
58. Upload it to your Sertifi portal and test it in a test send before distributing to real signers.
59. Review all fields to ensure nothing is covering existing text, and that everything appears correctly.

Common Tagging Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

File Naming

Use simple file names. Avoid special characters, spaces, or complex naming conventions that may cause upload errors.

Only one SertifiSStamp_1 per document

Ensure only one instance of SertifiSStamp_1 is used. For multiple signatures, use SertifiSignature_1, SertifiSignature_2, etc.

No JavaScript in your PDF

Sertifi does not support JavaScript. If your form contains dropdown menus or other interactive elements powered by JavaScript, remove or replace them before uploading.

Set textboxes to auto-size

Ensure all text input fields are set to auto-size so signers can enter information without the field cutting off their text.

All field names must be unique

If two fields share the same name, data entered in one may overwrite the other. Give every field a distinct name.

Look for hidden tags

Tags can sometimes be hidden using white text on a white background. Use Ctrl+F to search your document for the terms Sertifi, [[, ]], or SFLD to locate any broken or incomplete tags.