# Introduction to eSignatures

## What Are eSignatures?

**eSignatures**, or electronic signatures, allow individuals to sign documents digitally, eliminating the need for physical paperwork. They are legally recognized and secure.

Docupilot supports *Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES)*, which comply with legal standards and include added verification, audit trails, and signer authentication to ensure trust and validity.

## What Is an Envelope?

An *envelope* refers to a document or group of documents sent out for signing. It includes:

* the document(s) to be signed
* signer details
* signature fields
* reminder and expiry settings

Each envelope in Docupilot gets a unique identifier, which is used to track its progress from start to finish. This envelope ID appears on all pages of the document(s) sent for signing.

## What is an Audit Trail?

Audit Trail is a Document that shows the activity log of all the actions happened on an Envelope. For example, sent-viewed-signed-completed/declined, etc. This Audit log document bears the Envelope ID and acts as a proof of what stages Envelope has gone through.

## Type of Users for an Envelope

* **Sender**: The user who initiates and sends the document for signing.
* **Recipient**: The individual(s) who are required to sign or fill fields in the document.
* **CC (Carbon Copy)**: Individuals who receive a copy of the envelope for visibility, but do not participate in signing.


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