Times, dates and the "Digitally signed by" block
Which time zone you, your signers, the certificate and emails use, and how to set the organisation's zone and the signature block.
Every moment in SignSpry is stored in UTC and shown on someone's clock. Which clock depends on who is looking: you see your own time zone, a signer sees theirs, and the certificate and emails use your organisation's.
Whose clock shows where
| Where the time appears | Clock used |
|---|---|
| Pages in the app, for you | Your own time zone, else your organisation's, else UTC |
| The signing page, for a signer | The signer's browser time zone once it has reported it; until then, your organisation's |
| The "Digitally signed by" block | The signer's time zone if known, else your organisation's |
| Certificate of completion | Your organisation's time zone, with UTC beside it |
| Dates in emails, such as "expires on" | Your organisation's time zone |
The certificate writes each time like this: 2026-10-09 14:30:05 IST (09:00:05 UTC). If your organisation's zone is UTC it shows UTC alone.
Set your own time zone
- Open the account menu and choose Password & 2FA.
- In the Time zone card, pick your zone from the list, grouped by region, and press Save.
Your browser sets this the first time you sign in, so most people never need to touch it. Two more cards on the same page change how times look for you: Language, and Clock (Automatic, 24-hour or 12-hour). Automatic follows your language and region.
Set the organisation's time zone (admins)
- Go to Admin → Signing defaults.
- Under Signature appearance, choose Organisation time zone.
- Press Save defaults.
The note under the box shows what a signature made right now would read, so you can check the result before leaving. The same zone applies to the certificate, dates in emails, and every member who has not picked their own.
The "Digitally signed by" block
PDF readers show a small block beside a certificate-based signature with the signer's name and the moment they signed. SignSpry can add that block next to a signature field.
- Admins decide whether signers are offered it: tick Offer signers the "Digitally signed by" block under Signature appearance in Admin → Signing defaults.
- Signers choose while signing. The option reads Add my name and the date beside my signature, and shows a preview of exactly what the document will say.
- It applies to signature fields only, not initials or other field types.
The block reads, for example, Digitally signed by Asha Rao and Date: 2026.09.18 17:17:43 +05'30'. The date follows the PDF convention, with the offset from UTC at the end.
The wording and time are fixed at the moment of signing. Changing the organisation's time zone later, or renaming the signer, does not rewrite signatures that already exist.