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Add a password to protect viewing of the PDF

 

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Senders can require a password to restrict access to an agreement PDF, ensuring only authorized viewers can open it.

When enabled, senders can set a password on the compose page, requiring it for every PDF view. This added security helps protect sensitive content.

Senders must define the PDF viewing password in Agreement Settings before sending the agreement. It cannot be added or changed later.

This feature must be allowed (or required) by the sender’s group. If the option isn’t available, it hasn’t been enabled for your group.

Availability:

This feature is available to the Acrobat Sign Solutions tier of service.

Configuration:

Only an Acrobat Sign administrator can configure this feature.

The configurable options for this feature can be found here >

Configure a view-protected agreement

When composing a new agreement, the sender can set a password to restrict viewing access.

This is configured in the Agreement Settings section of the compose page:

A view of the Request Signature page highlighting the password control.

Required protection

Some groups or documents may require a viewing password for all agreements. In these cases, the group administrator can enforce view protection.

When this is required, the compose page highlights the Password field to ensure visibility. The agreement cannot be sent without setting this password.

A view of the Request Signature page highlighting the required password control.

Note:

 

Two things to keep in mind:

  • Every time someone views the agreement—online or as a downloaded PDF—they access the password-protected PDF and must enter the password.
  • Adobe cannot recover embedded passwords such as these. Before you enable the feature, ensure you have a secure storage and retrieval method.

Password requirements

The requirements for password strength are defined by the administrator of the group from which the agreement is sent.

  • Password requirements appear as you type in the password field.
  • The system displays a red alert icon until the password meets all requirements.
  • Unsatisfied password elements appear in red; acceptable ones turn green:
Two views of the "add password" section, one with missing elements and the red text highlighted, the other with all elements included and all text green.

Note:

Symbols include "special characters" such as ` ~  ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + - = [ ] \    ;  '  ,  . / { }  |  : " < >?   

Spaces count as characters in terms of the total character count but are not counted as a letter, number, or symbol.

Identify and access view-protected agreements on the Manage page

Users who have access to the agreement in Acrobat Sign will see an icon indicating it's view-protected. Every time someone tries to open the agreement, they must enter the password before viewing it.

A view of the Manage page with the view-protected icon highlighted on an agreement record.

Attempting to open the agreement presents a challenge to enter the password.

Failure to provide a password results in an on-screen notification that the file is password protected:

An example of the password challenge panel, and the resulting error if a password is not included.

Things to consider

  • Store passwords securely. Since passwords cannot be recovered, establish a method for storage and retrieval.
  • Create a standardized pattern. Use a method that allows authorized users to reconstruct passwords without relying on the original sender (e.g., a combination of the recipient’s email and customer number).
  • Communicate passwords securely. Never include the password in the Message or Private Message fields. Instead, share it verbally or through a separate secure channel.

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