Document privacy
Filosign encrypts documents before they leave your browser. Filosign stores locked copies and the keys that let invited people unlock them. Filosign does not hold the master key that reveals document text in normal operation.
That is a meaningful difference from many traditional e-sign tools, where the provider often holds readable copies on their servers.
When to use this guide
Section titled “When to use this guide”- You are evaluating Filosign against other e-sign tools and need to understand who can read your files
- Your compliance team asks whether Filosign staff can access contract text
- You are onboarding recipients who worry about document confidentiality
- You want to understand how drafts, sent envelopes, and recovery phrases differ
How it works
Section titled “How it works”- You upload or compose a document in the browser.
- Filosign encrypts the file before it leaves your device.
- Encrypted copies are stored; invited recipients receive keys to decrypt.
- Only people on the envelope roster (plus teammates on shared workspaces) can open the document.
- Sending turns a draft into a tracked envelope with signing records and exportable proof.
| Draft | Sent envelope | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before you hit Send | After Send |
| Purpose | Work in progress | Completed workflow with proof |
| Who sees it | You and people you share the draft with | Sender, signers, viewers on the roster |
Example workflow
Section titled “Example workflow”A legal team sends a sensitive acquisition term sheet to three board members. Each signer opens the document through their invite. Filosign staff cannot read the term sheet text from storage; only the sender, signers, and viewers on the roster can decrypt it in the app.
What to watch out for
Section titled “What to watch out for”- If someone is not invited, they cannot read the file, even if they work at Filosign.
- Guard your recovery phrase like a password. Filosign cannot reset it for you.
- Some recipients get a one-time phrase with their invite if they do not have an account yet.
- Encryption protects document text; you still share workflow metadata (recipient emails, status) needed to run signing.
How privacy works in the app
Section titled “How privacy works in the app”Who can open a document?
Section titled “Who can open a document?”Only people you put on the envelope:
- The sender
- Signers and viewers you listed
- Teammates in a shared workspace (when the envelope belongs to a team)
- Draft reviewers if you shared a draft link before send
Passwords and recovery
Section titled “Passwords and recovery”You sign in and confirm actions in the app (including with a linked wallet). That unlocks your personal keys for the session.