Select Menu > Preferences > Signatures.
Last updated on
Sep 23, 2025
Learn how to manage certificate trust level for signed documents in Adobe Acrobat.
In Acrobat, the signature of a certified or signed document is valid if you and the signer have a trust relationship. The trust level of the certificate indicates the actions for which you trust the signer.
You can change the trust settings of certificates to allow specific actions. For example, you can change the settings to enable dynamic content and embedded JavaScript within the certified document.
Windows
Select More from the Identities & Trusted Certificates option.
Select Trusted Certificates, choose a certificate from the list, and select Edit Trust.
In the Edit Certificate Trust dialog box that opens, select any of the following options to trust the certificate:
- Use this certificate as a trusted root: Trusts all certificates issued by the certificate authority.
- Signed documents or data: Acknowledges the identity of the signer.
- Certified documents: Trusts documents in which the author has certified the document with a signature
- Certified documents has the following options:
- Dynamic content: Allow movies, sound, and other dynamic elements to play in a certified document.
- Embedded high privilege JavaScript: Allow privileged JavaScript embedded in PDF files to run.
- Privileged system operations (networking, printing, file access, etc.): Allow Internet connections, cross-domain scripting, silent printing, external-object references, and import and export methodology operations on certified documents.
Note
Allow Embedded high privilege JavaScript and Privileged system operations (networking, printing, file access, etc.) only for sources that you trust and work closely with.
Select OK.
macOS
Select Acrobat > Preferences > Signatures.
Select More from the Identities & Trusted Certificates option.
Select Trusted Certificates, choose a certificate from the list, and select Edit Trust.
In the Edit Certificate Trust dialog box that opens, select any of the following options to trust the certificate:
- Use this certificate as a trusted root: Trusts all certificates issued by the certificate authority.
- Signed documents or data: Acknowledges the identity of the signer.
- Certified documents: Trusts documents in which the author has certified the document with a signature
- Certified documents has the following options:
- Dynamic content: Allow movies, sound, and other dynamic elements to play in a certified document.
- Embedded high privilege JavaScript: Allow privileged JavaScript embedded in PDF files to run.
- Privileged system operations (networking, printing, file access, etc.): Allow Internet connections, cross-domain scripting, silent printing, external-object references, and import and export methodology operations on certified documents.
Note
Allow Embedded high privilege JavaScript and Privileged system operations (networking, printing, file access, etc.) only for sources that you trust and work closely with.
Select OK.
Check the Adobe Digital Signature Guide to learn more about trusted certificates.
