Add verification information

Last updated on Aug 16, 2025

Learn how to add verification information to a digital signature in Adobe Acrobat.

You can add verification information to ensure long-term validity and compliance of digital signatures in your PDF. This information can be added either at the time of signing or after the document is signed.

Add verification information at signing

Open the PDF that you want to sign and add verification information.

Select Menu (Windows) or File (macOS) > Preferences.

In the Preferences dialog box, select Signatures > Creation & AppearancesMore.

Select the Include signature’s revocation status checkbox and then select OK.

The Creation and Appearance dialog box shows multiple options under which you the While Signing section offers options to Show reasons, Include signature's revocation status, and more.
To verify information while signing, select Include signature's revocation status.

Sign the PDF.

If all the elements of the certificate chain are available, the information is added to the PDF automatically. If a timestamp server has been configured, the timestamp is also added.

Add verification information after signing

If signing offline, validation details like timestamps and revocation data may be unavailable but can be added later when the PDF is validated online. Future checks will then use this information.

Open the signed PDF document in Acrobat.

Locate the signature you want to add verification information to.

Right-click on the signature and select Add Verification Information.

Note

The Add Verification Information option is available only if the signature is trusted through a certificate chain (not self-signed or manually trusted), the verification time is not set to “Always use current time,” the signature is valid, and it is not a PKCS#1 object.

If prompted, allow Acrobat to connect to the internet to retrieve the verification information.

Verify the verification information added to the signature, which may include:

  • Revocation status of the signing certificate
  • Timestamp from a trusted timestamp server (if configured)

Save the PDF to retain the added verification information.