How to Hide Your Email Address in Acrobat PDF Signing Certificates
Question details
The user needs to configure Entrust certificates in Acrobat Pro DC to display a customized identity without revealing the signer's email address.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- An organization is deploying Entrust digital certificates for document certification and wants to standardize the 'Certified by' identity message.
- Observed behavior
- By default, Acrobat extracts the certificate's subject information and displays the signer's email address in the certification message, which the organization wants to omit.
Ensure you have the authorization to request digital certificate profile changes from your IT department or Entrust certificate issuer, as this change requires modifying the certificate itself.
Modify the Certificate Issuance Profile via the Issuer
Because Acrobat reads the identity directly from the cryptographically sealed certificate, you must have the certificate re-issued without the email address attribute.
The displayed identity in Adobe Acrobat is determined by the embedded subject and identity information of the digital certificate, not by local display preferences. To permanently hide an email address, the certificate profile must be changed at the source.
Reach out to your internal IT administrator or Entrust certificate provider to request a modification to your organization's certificate template.
Ask the issuer to exclude the 'E' (Email) attribute from the Subject Name and Subject Alternative Name fields during the certificate generation process.
Instruct the issuer to strictly use the 'O' (Organization) or 'CN' (Common Name) fields to display your preferred customized 'Certified by' identity.
Import the newly issued Entrust certificate into Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, apply a test signature to a blank PDF, and check the signature properties to ensure the email address is no longer visible.
Adjust Visual Signature Appearance in Acrobat
While this does not remove the email from the digital properties panel, it hides the email address from being visually printed on the PDF page.
Easily Sign and Secure PDFs with WPS Office
If you are looking for an intuitive way to manage PDF signatures without battling complex certificate configurations, WPS Office provides robust, user-friendly tools. It allows you to quickly apply custom visual signatures, secure documents, and edit PDFs without a steep learning curve.
- 1. Open the PDF Document: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document that requires your signature.
- 2. Access the Signature Tool: Navigate to the 'Fill & Sign' or 'Protect' tab on the top ribbon and select 'Sign'.
- 3. Create a Custom Signature: Click 'Create Signature' to draw, type, or import an image of your signature without exposing hidden metadata visually.
- 4. Apply and Save: Place the newly created signature on your document and click 'Save' to lock your changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I manually delete my email from an existing Entrust digital certificate?
No. Digital certificates are cryptographically sealed by the issuer. You cannot modify the Subject or Identity fields once the certificate is generated; you must request a new one.
Does hiding the visual signature text in Acrobat remove my email entirely?
No, altering the visual appearance only stops the email from being printed on the document page. The email address remains embedded in the certificate and will be visible in the signature properties panel to anyone validating the signature.
Why does Acrobat display my email address in the 'Certified by' field by default?
Adobe Acrobat automatically extracts and displays the primary identifying attributes embedded in your digital certificate, which typically include the Common Name and Email, to establish transparent trust for the signed document.
