Add PDF passwords and sign certificates
- 5 min.
Document Output includes some options for adding security features to PDF files that you send by email.
- Customer cards can have a set password for all documents sent as PDFs with Document Output.
- Email templates can include a PDF password for all documents sent when this email template is used.
- Email templates can alternatively use a PDF sign certificate purchased separately from a third-party.
Important
Document Output does not handle password notifications to customers and vendors, so you will need to administer this separately.
Passwords on customer cards
PDF passwords set on customer cards will apply to all PDFs sent with Document Output to the individual customer. To set a PDF password on a customer card, open the Output Profile settings in the Document Output FactBox.
The PDF Password field is in the General FastTab of each Document Output Customer Card. Click the three dots (. . .) to show the current password.
Passwords on email templates
If you set a password on an email template, for example sales quotes, each PDF sent using this email template would need the same password to open the file. Once again, Document Output does not send password notifications to customers and vendors, so you will need to administer this separately. The PDF Password field is in the Email attachments FastTab of the email template card.
Note
If you have set both an email template PDF password and a customer PDF password, only the customer PDF password will apply.
Third-party PDF sign certificates
Document Output can apply PDF sign certificates with the PKCS#12 format (with filename extensions .PFX or .P12). This is also handled through the email template settings.
First, import the certificate through the Sign PDF option in the action bar. If you have set up a PDF password on the same email template, you need to remove this before importing the PDF sign certificate.
Then in the General FastTab, make sure that you have selected Show more to see all available settings. Under Sign PDF, the imported certificate shows at PDF Sign File Name. The fields at PDF Sign Reason and PDF Sign Location are optional, but will show to the PDF recipient as part of the PDF sign certificate when viewed in a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat.
Note
If you have set both a customer PDF password and a PDF sign certificate, only the customer PDF password will apply.
Scenario
In this scenario video, Ester, the bookkeeper at Cronus, is setting up extra security for sending PDFs.
She needs to work on these tasks:
- For the customer, Relecloud, set a PDF password for all reports sent
- For the statement email template, set a PDF password
- For the sales invoice email template, apply a third-party PDF sign certificate
Other resources
More learning resources for this topic include:
- Password Protecting PDF Files (Continia Docs article)
- Signing PDF Files (Continia Docs article)
- Template Elements (Solution Demo video)
- Setting up the Customer Card (Solution Demo video)