You receive a document via email, marked with an image of a signature, a person’s name, and a date.
It might look like it’s genuine, but how can you be sure?
The answer lies in the metadata – the detailed information that can be found under the surface of the document.
What is Metadata?
Metadata, often described as “data about data”, is the overarching term for the detailed information attached to digital files.
In the case of signed documents, that might include metadata such as IP addresses, timestamps, device details, and identity records – information that can make the difference between a legally defensible contract and one that falls apart under scrutiny.
People tend to focus on the visible part of the process – the signature on the screen. But in high-assurance online signing, the real power lies beneath the surface.
For organisations operating in regulated sectors or handling sensitive agreements, understanding this invisible layer is essential.
How does Metadata help to make a contract safer?
The metadata held in your documents helps to build up a picture of the circumstances around the signing of the document.
IP addresses, for example, provide geographic and network information about the signer’s location. While not foolproof on their own, they help establish whether the signing took place in a predictable or suspicious environment. Combined with device fingerprints and identity checks, IP metadata becomes a useful component in verifying authenticity.
Timestamps are equally important. A precise, tamperproof timestamp links the signature to an exact moment, ensuring the chronology of events is clear. In industries where timing is legally significant – such as financial services, property transactions, or compliance-heavy agreements – accurate timestamps can prevent serious disputes.
What about electronic signatures?
When a document is signed electronically, the signature itself isn’t enough to prove who signed it, when they signed it, or under what circumstances.
Traditional e-signature systems often capture only the basic events, such as “User X signed Document Y.” This may be adequate for low-risk transactions, but will not stand up well in a dispute or regulatory audit.
This is where enhanced metadata becomes critical. Videosign generates a richer, more reliable evidential trail by recording not only the signature but the entire context in which it occurred.
We do this by completing identity checks (carried out via an integration partner), recording video evidence of the signature taking place, and using eIDAS-compliant digital signatures meeting the highest European security standards.
How does using Videosign protect your organisation?
In the event of a dispute, access to a comprehensive evidence bundle will give you the best chance of protecting yourself from claims.
Contracting via Videosign means every document comes as part of a package bringing together metadata, audit trails, video recordings, ID verification results, and the final signed document into a single, unified record.
If a signature is ever challenged, the evidence bundle provides a multi-layered defence.
Instead of relying on the signer’s typed name or drawn squiggle, the organisation has a robust combination of video proof, identity data, system logs, and signatures – all time-stamped and sealed.
In short, metadata is the backbone of trustworthy online signing. As digital transactions accelerate and fraud becomes more sophisticated, organisations that rely on richer evidential trails can gain a clear advantage in security, compliance, and client confidence by using Videosign.
