---
title: Digital Signatures
slug: digital-signatures
createdAt: 2025-03-23T18:20:33.200Z
---
ampEducator allows you to create and manage **customized** digital versions of paper-based contracts, such as agreements, authorization forms, and any other documents that require student signatures. These contracts can be easily generated, signed electronically with **ampSign** (or other providers), and optionally returned for staff signatures as well.
## Understanding Electronic and Digital Signatures
There are two types of signatures used in contracts: **Electronic** and **Digital**.
- **Electronic Signatures**: These signatures are representations of consent to the contract's contents, applied electronically. They can include typed names, drawn signatures, or clicked checkboxes. These electronic signatures confirm that the signer agrees with the document, but they do not validate whether the document has been modified after signing.
- **Digital Signatures**: This type of signature offers a higher level of security. After the electronic signature is applied, the **Digital Signature Provider** validates that the PDF has not been altered using a security certificate from a trusted source, such as the **Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL)**. This ensures that once the contract is signed, any attempts to modify the document will invalidate the signature, guaranteeing that the contract remains secure and authentic.
## ampSign: Integrated Digital Signature Provider
**ampSign** is the built-in digital signature provider within **ampEducator**, providing a seamless and secure method for collecting both **electronic** and **digital signatures**.
### Configuring ampSign
- Go to **Institution Config** / **General** / **Signatures**.
- Enable the **Digital Signatures** checkbox to start using **ampSign**.
- Agree to the **Terms of Service** to activate the service.
### Costs and Options
- **ampSign** charges a $0.99 fee per "Envelope" (which includes multiple signatures from staff, students, or third parties within a single PDF). This is not charged per signature but per document.
- To test **ampSign** without incurring charges, you can use the '**Sandbox'** mode. This will add a watermark to the contract marked '**For Demonstration Purposes.'** When you're ready to use the feature without the watermark, simply uncheck the '**Sandbox'** option.
### Validating Document Integrity
When using **ampSign** for digital signatures, it’s important to ensure that the signed contract remains unaltered after the signing process. **ampSign** provides a visual indication of the document’s validity by displaying a checkmark and other relevant information.
**Valid Document**: A green checkmark appears on the **Completed **PDF, confirming the document has not been modified since signing.
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**Invalid Document**: If the document is tampered with, the green checkmark disappears, and a warning appears, indicating the signature is invalid due to changes.
::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/w2vLJNjGN2AlMcWt3PQ96_invalid-contract.png" size="46" width="553" height="473" position="center" darkWidth="553" darkHeight="473" showCaption="false"}
### Tracking Usage and Fees
- You can track your monthly **ampSign** usage and fees under **Username** / **Institution Account** / **Other Usage**.
### Student Experience Using ampSign
From the student’s perspective, signing a contract with **ampSign** is simple and straightforward. Once the contract is generated and sent, the student will receive an email with instructions to review and sign the document electronically. The process is quick, secure, and fully digital, providing a seamless experience from start to finish.
### Video Walkthrough: Student Perspctive Signing Contracts
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## DocuSign and Third-Party Providers
Currently, the only third-party digital signature provider available in **ampEducator** is **DocuSign**. If you are interested in using a different provider, please contact [**support\@ampeducator.com**](#) for assistance.
For third-party signature providers like **DocuSign**, you’ll need to use their **API plan**, which is typically different from standard plans and may incur higher costs. We recommend contacting your provider representative to inquire about the specific fees associated with the API plan.
### Configuring DocuSign
To integrate **DocuSign** with **ampEducator**, follow these steps:
**Sign Up for a DocuSign API Plan**
Before integrating **DocuSign** with **ampEducator**, sign up for an API plan on the **DocuSign** website. You can start with a free trial to test the functionality.
**Configure DocuSign in DocuSign's Admin Console**
- Log into your DocuSign Admin account.
- Navigate to **Integration / API & Keys**, and click **Add App**.
- For **App Name**, enter “ampEducator” (or a name of your choice).
- In the app settings, enter the following:
- **Privacy URL**: http\://www\.ampeducator.com/privacy.php
- **Terms URL**: http\://www\.ampeducator.com/terms.php
- **Redirect URL**:
If your ampEducator URL uses **.com**:
https\://yourPURL.ampeducator.com/web/public/digitalSignatures/configure
If your ampEducator URL uses **.ca**:
https\://yourPURL.ampeducator.ca/web/public/digitalSignatures/configure
- Copy the **Integrator Key** and **Secret Key** from DocuSign.
**Enter DocuSign Information in ampEducator**
1. In ampEducator, go to **Institution Config / General / Digital Signatures**.
2. Select **DocuSign** as your provider.
3. Paste the **Integrator Key** and **Secret Key** into the appropriate fields.
**Save and Test the Integration**
1. Once you've entered all the details, click **Save** in **ampEducator**.
2. You will then be redirected to **DocuSign** to confirm the setup.
3. Follow the instructions in **DocuSign** to complete the integration process.
**Testing Before Going Live**
1. After configuring **DocuSign**, test the integration by submitting sample contracts to a student to ensure everything works as expected.
2. Once you're satisfied with the results, you can begin using **DocuSign** for live contracts.
**Note**: If you don’t use digital signatures for more than **30 days** using DocuSign, you may need to refresh your account settings.