Document Verification

Every PDF exported from CrownSync Playbooks includes a unique verification system that allows anyone to confirm the document's authenticity. This system uses QR codes, unique verification URLs, and tamper evidence checks to ensure that exported documents can be trusted by regulators, auditors, insurers, and other recipients.

How QR Codes Work

Each exported PDF contains a QR code printed on both the title page and the final verification page. The QR code encodes a unique verification URL specific to that export. When scanned with a smartphone camera or QR code reader, the URL opens the CrownSync verification page in a web browser.

The QR code is generated at export time and is unique to each individual export. Even if the same playbook is exported twice, each export receives its own QR code and verification ID.

Verification URLs

Each export is assigned a unique verification URL in the format:

https://pb.crownsync.uk/verify/VERIFICATION_ID

This URL can be accessed by anyone — no CrownSync account is required. The verification page is publicly accessible so that recipients of your exported documents can verify them without needing platform access.

The verification URL is printed in plain text on the verification page of the PDF, alongside the QR code, so it can be manually entered in a browser if QR scanning is not available.

What Is Checked

When someone visits a verification URL, the verification page confirms the following:

Document exists— Confirms that a document with this verification ID was genuinely exported from CrownSync Playbooks
Not expired— Shows whether the document is still within its validity period. Documents do not technically expire, but the verification page indicates when a newer version has been exported
Matches original— Displays the export date, the playbook title, the exporting organisation, and the classification marking, allowing the recipient to cross-reference these details against the physical document they hold
Current version status— Indicates whether this is the most recent export of this playbook or whether a newer version has been generated since

Tamper Evidence & SHA-256 Fingerprints

Every export is fingerprinted at the moment it is generated: the platform computes a SHA-256 cryptographic hash of the exact bytes delivered to you and stores it alongside the verification record. Because changing even a single character of a PDF changes its hash completely, the fingerprint makes any modification to the file detectable.

Unique verification IDs— Each ID is generated using a cryptographically secure random generator, making it infeasible to guess or forge valid IDs
Server-side verification— The verification check is performed against the CrownSync database, not against data embedded in the document itself. A forged document with a fabricated verification ID would fail verification.
Byte-level fingerprints— The SHA-256 hash of the issued file is shown on the verification page, so technically minded recipients can compare it against a local checksum of the file they hold

Verify by Upload

Recipients can go further than checking metadata: the public verification page accepts the document itself. Upload the exported PDF (or export ZIP) exactly as it was downloaded and the platform compares its fingerprint against the issued record, returning one of four results:

Genuine— the file is byte-for-byte identical to the document CrownSync issued
Genuine, licence expired— the file is authentic but was issued under a licence that has since lapsed; the organisation may hold a newer version
Does not match— a record exists for the supplied verification ID but the uploaded file differs from its issued fingerprint, indicating the document has been modified
No matching record— the file does not correspond to any issued export

Uploaded files are never stored

Files submitted for verification are hashed in memory and immediately discarded — the document never touches disk and is not retained in any form. Verification attempts are recorded in the issuing organisation's audit log, including failed checks, so suspected tampering is visible to the document owner.

Licence Validity

Exports are stamped with the validity period of the licence (or trial) they were generated under. While the licence remains active, the verification page reports the document as current; after it lapses, the document still verifies as authentic but is clearly marked as issued under an expired licence. Renewing the licence and re-exporting produces documents that verify as current again.

Using Verification

When you share an exported PDF with regulators, auditors, or insurers, point them to the QR code or verification URL on the document. They can verify its authenticity without needing to contact you or have access to your CrownSync account. The verification page loads quickly and works on all modern browsers and mobile devices.

For more details on PDF exports and the security features included in each document, see Exporting PDFs.