Fill, sign, and share — end to end
Fill, sign, and share — end to end
Individually, each of these is a two-minute job. In the wrong order they become an afternoon. This is the order that works.
1. Fill it
Upload the PDF on Fill PDF, or attach it in AI chat and say "fill this".
- The thorough route: Fill PDF with your saved profile
- The fast route: Fill a PDF by chatting
- No fillable fields? When a PDF has no form fields
2. Review it
Work the review screen before you go any further. A mistake caught here costs seconds; the same mistake caught after three people have signed costs a re-run of the whole chain.
See Review every field before you send.
3. Save the filled copy
Save to my Files. You now have the completed document independent of your browser's downloads folder, and independent of whatever happens next.
Do not flatten the copy you are about to send for signature. Flattening locks the page, and the signing step needs to place its own signature, initials, and date fields on it. Flatten the copy you keep, not the copy that is going onward.
4. Sign it — or get it signed
Go to Sign.
If only you need to sign: create a signature request with yourself as the only recipient. It feels roundabout, but it produces the same sealed PDF and certificate of completion as any other envelope — which is what makes it defensible later.
If someone else needs to sign: build the envelope properly — recipients, signing order, placed fields. See Send a document for signature.
Either way you end with:
- A sealed PDF — cryptographically locked, so later alteration is detectable
- A certificate of completion — who signed, when, from where
If you have a saved signature, this step is a few clicks rather than a redraw.
5. Share it
Three cases, in order of preference:
A business asked for it through my-id.ca. Respond to their request. The document goes directly, and the exchange is recorded. See When you receive a request.
They are in a conversation with you. Attach it in the chat. Fine for informal exchanges; less traceable than the request flow. See Chatting with a business.
They are outside my-id.ca entirely. Download the sealed PDF and send it however they asked. The seal travels with the file.
Whatever route you take, Sharing history answers "did I already send that?" later.
The order in one line
Fill → review → save → sign → share — and flatten only the copy you keep.
Where it goes wrong
- Flattening too early. The signature step cannot place fields on a locked page.
- Signing before reviewing. Every correction after a signature invalidates the signature.
- Emailing instead of responding to the request. It works, but nothing is recorded, and a month later nobody can prove what was sent.
- Filling a scan when a fillable version exists. Ask first; it saves the whole detour.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- Should I flatten before sending for signature?
- No. Flatten locks the page, and the signature step needs to place its own fields on it. Flatten the filled copy you keep, not the copy you send for signing — the sealed output is protected anyway.
- Can I sign a document I filled without sending it to anyone?
- Yes. Create a signature request with yourself as the only recipient. You get the same sealed PDF and certificate at the end.
- Do I need to email the finished document?
- Not if the other side sent you a request through my-id.ca — respond to the request and it goes directly, with a record in your sharing history.