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Participant
October 23, 2024
Question

Custom validation to allow only typed input / disallow digital signatures

  • October 23, 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 624 views

I have a form that some people are not following our instructions and instead of typing their name, they're inserting digital signatures. Since this can lock up the form and prevent others from using others parts of it later, we need to find a way to prevent people from inserting their digital signatures. I figure there might be a way to do this with the validation rules or with a javascript that kicks out digital signatures.

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4 replies

MikelKlink
Participating Frequently
October 24, 2024

As the author of that PDF you should consider applying an author signature (aka certification signature) allowing form fill-ins. This makes filling-in of existing fields allowed but changing the form structure (e.g. by adding additional signature field) disallowed.

 

That should currently prevent that people using Acrobat Reader and similar software can add their own signature fields.

 

Technically it still is possible to add new fields to the PDF (and consequentially there is software to do so) but doing so will break the author signature and cause messages pointing out disallowed changes to the document in Acrobat. 

 

Of course people with some knowledge or tools can still strip your form from author signature and any test JavaScript and add their locking digital signatures nonetheless.

ejcarter9Author
Participant
October 24, 2024

I don't think people were adding their own fields, I think people were putting signature files into the existing text fields.

 

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 24, 2024

That's not possible. Text fields only accept text.

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 23, 2024

The digital signatures are not a part of the text field, so nothing in it can prevent them from being added.

Assuming they are comments you could add a script to the file that deletes them before it is saved. I would notify the users of such an action, though, or they'll be quite annoyed with you for deleting their input without notifying them...

Thom Parker
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 23, 2024

Is there a digital signature field on the form?  If there is, then remove it. 

 

Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
ejcarter9Author
Participant
October 24, 2024

There aren't any digital signature fields, just normal text fields. Can people drag-and-drop signatures into them?

 

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 24, 2024

No, but they can use the Fill & Sign tools to place them over the fields. Again, if you could share an example of such a "signed" file it will be much easier to help you.

PDF Automation Station
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 23, 2024

How are they inserting digital signatures?

ejcarter9Author
Participant
October 23, 2024

I don't know. I'm not in direct communication with the people who are misusing the form. I'm getting this feedback from the people who asked me to create this and then reported back on the problems they're having. I assume it's possible to drag-and-drop a signature???