How to archive an electronically signed document

Why archive correctly

An electronically signed document only has value if the evidence remains accessible and verifiable for the whole legal retention period — sometimes 10, 20, even 30 years. Sloppy archiving means weakened evidence in the event of a dispute.

The retention periods to observe

• Commercial contracts: 10 years (French Commercial Code)
• Employment contracts: 5 years after the end
• Invoices: 10 years (accounting), 6 years (tax)
• Leases: term + 5 years
• Notarial deeds: 30 years
• Insurance: 2 to 10 years depending on the type

Keep the signed PDF and the audit trail for the longest applicable period.

Archive formats

• PAdES-B-B: basic, simple signature
• PAdES-B-T: + qualified timestamp
• PAdES-B-LT: + certificate chain
• PAdES-B-LTA: + periodic timestamps (multi-decade)

For long-term archiving, prefer PAdES-B-LTA.

The 3 archiving options

1. Outsourced archiving (platform)

The signature platform keeps your documents for X years. Included in most plans.

Advantages: no effort, compliant with eIDAS Disadvantages: dependence on the provider, reversibility to be checked

2. Internal archiving

Your documents are kept on your own servers or in a dedicated electronic archiving system.

Advantages: full control Disadvantages: cost, in-house skills required

3. Electronic archiving system with probative value

An Electronic Archiving System certified NF Z42-013. The highest level of compliance.

Advantages: presumption of legal reliability Disadvantages: high cost, oversized for an SME

Best practices

• Keep the PDF and the audit trail, never one without the other
• Redundancy: multi-site, multi-medium
• Periodic verification: every 6 to 12 months, confirm that the documents are readable
• Documentation: written procedures
• Restoration tests, annually

Common mistakes

• Keeping only the PDF, not the audit trail
• Storing on a single medium (an internal hard drive)
• Using a cloud service with no retention clause
• Forgetting the retention periods specific to certain sectors
• Never testing the restore

Migrating archives

If you change signature provider:

1. Export all signed documents and their audit trails
2. Import them into the new system or a dedicated archiving system
3. Check integrity (SHA-256 hash)
4. Keep access to the old system for a while

A concrete case: an SME changing provider

An SME with 50 employees and 3,000 signed documents accumulated over 5 years. The migration:

• automated export through the API
• import into the new provider plus an external archiving system as backup
• sample verification (50 documents checked)
• old provider terminated after 3 months

Total time: 4 weeks. Zero loss.

How Certyneo helps you

Certyneo includes 10-year archiving in every plan, with geographic redundancy inside the EU, versioning, and a full export at any time (complete reversibility). PAdES-B-T format by default, PAdES-B-LTA optional for critical documents.

Discover the Certyneo electronic signature solution

FAQ

Do I need to print my signed documents?

No — pointless and counterproductive (it destroys the probative value).

Is a standard cloud service (Google Drive, Dropbox) enough?

For the PDF, yes; for the probative value, no. Prefer dedicated archiving.

What should I do if my signature platform shuts down?

PAdES PDFs remain verifiable offline. Export the audit trails regularly.

Should archives be encrypted?

Recommended for sensitive documents. Be careful to keep the keys for as long as the archive itself.

When does the 10-year period start?

For a commercial contract: at the end of performance. For an employment contract: at the end of the contract.

Conclusion

Good archiving is the life insurance of your electronic signatures. Choose the option that matches your stakes (outsourced for most SMEs, an NF Z42-013 archiving system for critical cases) and test it regularly.

Try Certyneo to send, sign and track your documents online simply, quickly and securely.