Digital Sign PDF in Make
What this module does
PDF4me — Digital Sign PDF embeds an X.509 certificate-based digital signature into a PDF directly from a Make scenario. You supply the PDF, a .pfx or .p12 certificate file, and the password — the module signs the document and returns the result. Configure visible or invisible signing mode, page placement, signer name, location, and reason metadata without writing a single line of code.
Authenticating Your API Request
Every PDF4me module in Make requires a valid Connection. Create or select one that holds your PDF4me API key so the scenario can call the digital signing service securely.
Important Facts You Should Not Miss
Store the .pfx file in a secure location (Make data store, Google Drive with restricted access) and keep the Certificate Password in an encrypted Make variable — never type it as plain text in the module field.
Visible mode adds a graphical signature field readers can see. Invisible mode embeds the cryptographic proof in file metadata only — both are equally verifiable but the choice affects how the document looks to recipients.
Digital signatures bind to the exact byte state of the document at signing time. If the file is changed — including metadata — PDF viewers will flag the signature as invalid. Sign last in your workflow.
Map the PDF and certificate from prior steps, enter the certificate password securely, then configure Visible, page placement, and signer metadata.
Parameters
Required always: Connection, PDF File Name, PDF File, Certificate File, Certificate Password, Visible. Horizontal Margin and Vertical Margin are also required when Visible is set to Yes.
| Parameter | Required | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connection | Yes | PDF4me API connection used by the scenario to authenticate signing requests. | Your PDF4me connection |
| File | Yes | Determines how the PDF is supplied. Choose Map to wire filename and binary content from a prior module. | Map |
| PDF File Name | Yes | Filename with .pdf extension from the source module. Used to name the signed output file. | 1. File Name |
| PDF File / public file URL | Yes | Binary PDF content from the download step that produced the document to sign. | 1. Data |
| Certificate File | Yes | Binary content of the .pfx or .p12 certificate file containing the private key and X.509 certificate. | 2. Data |
| Certificate Password | Yes | Password that unlocks the private key in the certificate file. Store in an encrypted Make variable. | CertPass2024 |
| Signer Name | No | Human-readable name of the signer, embedded in the signature properties visible in PDF viewers. | John Smith, CFO |
| Page Number | No | Page on which to render the visible signature field. First page is 1. Only relevant when Visible = Yes. | 1 |
| Horizontal Margin in MM | If visible | Distance from the left edge of the page in millimeters. Controls the horizontal position of the signature field. | 20 |
| Vertical Margin in MM | If visible | Distance from the bottom edge of the page in millimeters. Controls the vertical position of the signature field. | 20 |
| Width | No | Width of the visible signature field in points. Increase for wider signature appearances. | 200 |
| Height | No | Height of the visible signature field in points. Adjust to fit the signature image or text. | 60 |
| Sign Location | No | Geographic location where the document is being signed. Embedded as metadata in signature properties. | New York, USA |
| Sign Reason | No | Purpose of the signature (for example, Approval or Authorization). Embedded in signature metadata. | Contract Approval |
| Visible | Yes | Yes renders a visible signature field at the configured position. No embeds the signature in metadata only with no visual element. | Yes |
Quick Setup
- Add PDF4me → Digital Sign PDF to your scenario.
- Select Connection (or click Add to create one with your API key).
- Under File, choose Map.
- Map PDF File Name and PDF File from the step that produced the document.
- Map Certificate File from the step that downloaded your .pfx or .p12 file (store it in Google Drive or a secure source).
- Enter Certificate Password — use an encrypted Make variable to keep the value out of plain-text scenario logs.
- Set Visible to Yes or No. If Yes, fill in Page Number, Horizontal Margin, Vertical Margin, Width, and Height to position the signature field.
- Optionally add Signer Name, Sign Location, and Sign Reason for metadata. Save and click Run once to verify the signed PDF buffer appears in the output bundle.
Output
The module returns two fields you can map into any downstream step:
| Field | Type | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
Document Name | String | Filename of the digitally signed PDF, derived from the PDF File Name you supplied. |
Document Data | Buffer | Binary content of the signed PDF. Map this into an upload, email attachment, or archive module. |
Workflow Examples
Workflow ExamplesCommon Make scenario patterns that use Digital Sign PDF for contract execution, compliance, and credential issuance.
- An approval status change in your CRM or Airtable triggers the scenario.
- The final contract PDF is downloaded from Google Drive.
- The company .pfx certificate is retrieved from a restricted Drive folder.
- Digital Sign PDF applies a visible signature on the last page with signer name, location, and reason.
- The signed PDF is uploaded to the executed contracts archive and emailed to all parties.
- A new invoice is generated by your billing module.
- Digital Sign PDF runs with Visible set to No — no mark appears on the page.
- The signature embeds company identity and a timestamp in the file metadata.
- Recipients can verify authenticity in any PDF viewer without the document looking altered.
- The signed invoice is emailed to the customer and logged in the accounting database.
- A course completion event triggers the scenario in your LMS integration.
- A PDF certificate is generated with the student name and course title.
- The institution .pfx certificate is loaded from a secure data store.
- Digital Sign PDF places a visible institutional signature in the bottom-right area.
- The signed certificate is emailed to the graduate and stored in the records archive.