Downloading and Exporting Documents in BreezeDoc

Download completed documents as PDFs and export activity logs for record-keeping. This guide covers downloading signed documents, exporting activity history as PDF, file naming conventions, storage locations, and troubleshooting download issues.

Prerequisites

Account: Active BreezeDoc account
Plan: Available on all plans (Free, Pro, Agency)
Document: Document that has been signed/completed (for final PDF download)
Permissions: View access to the document (Owner, Sender, Editor, or Viewer role for team documents)

What is Document Downloading?

BreezeDoc allows you to download completed documents and activity logs as PDF files for archiving, record-keeping, and sharing. Key capabilities:

Completed Document PDFs – Download the final signed document with all signatures and filled fields
Activity Log Exports – Export complete audit trail showing who opened, signed, and completed the document
PDF Format – All downloads are high-quality PDF files for universal compatibility
Permanent Records – PDFs capture the exact state of the document at download time
Unlimited Downloads – Download documents as many times as needed
All Plans – Document download available on Free, Pro, and Agency plans

Downloading Completed Documents

Step-by-Step: Download a Document PDF

Log in to your BreezeDoc account.
Go to Documents from the main navigation.
Find the document you want to download in the documents list.
Click on the document to open its details page.
Look for the Download button (usually at the top right or in the actions menu).
Click Download or Download PDF.
Your browser downloads the PDF file to your default downloads folder.
The file is named using the document title (e.g., "Service-Agreement.pdf").

Quick Download from Documents List

You can also download directly from the documents list:

Go to Documents page.
Find the document in the list.
Look for the Download icon or three-dot menu (⋮) in the actions column.
Click Download from the menu.
The PDF downloads immediately without opening the document details.

Download Requirements

Completed Documents: Documents work best when all recipients have signed/completed their fields
Draft Documents: You can download drafts, but they won't contain signatures (only empty field placeholders)
In-Progress Documents: Downloading a partially signed document shows signatures received so far
Browser Required: Downloads work in all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

What's Included in Downloaded PDFs

Document PDF Contents

When you download a completed document, the PDF includes:

Original Document Pages – All pages from the original uploaded PDF or template
Signatures – All e-signatures drawn or typed by recipients
Initials – Initial fields filled by signers
Text Fields – All text input by recipients
Checkboxes – Checked or unchecked status
Dates – Completion dates automatically filled
Dropdown Selections – Selected options from dropdown fields

What's NOT included:

❌ BreezeDoc branding (unless on Free plan)
❌ Field editor overlays or outlines
❌ Activity history (download separately – see below)
❌ Comments or internal notes

PDF Quality and Format

High Resolution: PDFs maintain original document quality
Searchable Text: Text in PDFs is searchable and can be copied
Print-Ready: PDFs are formatted for professional printing
Standard PDF/A: Compatible with all PDF readers (Adobe, Preview, browser viewers)
File Size: Typically 200KB - 5MB depending on document length and signatures

PDF Security and Protection

Tamper-Proof Document Security

BreezeDoc automatically protects all downloaded PDFs with industry-standard encryption to prevent unauthorized editing and tampering. This ensures your signed documents maintain their legal integrity after download.

Security Features

AES 128-bit Encryption – Industry-standard encryption protects document contents
Edit Prevention – Recipients cannot modify document text, images, or signatures
Annotation Protection – Comments and markups cannot be added to signed documents
Form-Filling Protection – PDF forms cannot be filled or modified after signing
Legal Integrity – Prevents post-signature tampering for legally binding documents

What Recipients Can Do

While downloaded PDFs are protected against modification, recipients can still:

✅ View – Open and read the document in any PDF viewer
✅ Print – Print physical copies for filing or distribution
✅ Copy Text – Select and copy text for reference or citations
✅ Share – Email or share the PDF file with others

What Recipients Cannot Do

To maintain document integrity, the following actions are blocked:

❌ Edit Content – Cannot change text, signatures, or images
❌ Add Annotations – Cannot add comments, highlights, or markup
❌ Fill Forms – Cannot fill in or modify PDF form fields
❌ Extract Pages – Cannot remove or reorganize document pages
❌ Insert Content – Cannot add new pages or content

Why PDF Protection Matters

Legal Validity – Ensures signed contracts cannot be altered after execution
Compliance – Meets regulatory requirements for document integrity (HIPAA, SOX, etc.)
Audit Trail – Protects the audit trail by preventing post-signature changes
Dispute Prevention – Prevents claims that documents were modified after signing
Professional Trust – Demonstrates commitment to document security and authenticity

Note: PDF protection is automatic on all plans (Free, Pro, Agency) and requires no configuration.

File Naming Conventions

Default Document Names

BreezeDoc automatically names downloaded files based on the document title:

Document Title: "Service Agreement" → Service-Agreement.pdf
Spaces Replaced: Spaces become hyphens for web compatibility
Special Characters Removed: Only alphanumeric and hyphens in filename
Extension: Always ends with .pdf

Renaming Downloaded Files

To customize filenames:

Before Downloading: Edit the document title in BreezeDoc before downloading (the filename will match)
After Downloading: Rename the PDF file on your computer using your OS file manager
Organize by Date: Add dates to filenames manually (e.g., "2024-05-15-Service-Agreement.pdf")
Client Names: Add client identifiers (e.g., "Acme-Corp-Service-Agreement.pdf")

Exporting Activity Logs

What is an Activity Log Export?

Activity log exports provide a complete audit trail of all actions taken on a document:

Sent Events – When document was emailed to recipients
Opened Events – When recipients opened the document link
Viewed Events – When recipients accessed specific pages
Signed Events – When recipients completed signatures
Completed Events – When all recipients finished
Timestamps – Exact date/time for each event
IP Addresses – Network addresses for security tracking
User Agents – Browser/device information

Step-by-Step: Download Activity Log

Go to Documents and select the document.
Click Activity button/tab to view the activity log.
At the top of the activity page, look for Download Activity PDF or Export PDF button.
Click the button to generate the activity log PDF.
The PDF downloads to your computer.
Filename format: Document-Title-activity.pdf

Activity PDF Contents

The activity log PDF includes:

Document Summary – Document title, recipients, completion status
Timeline View – Chronological list of all events
Event Details – Type, timestamp, recipient email, IP address, user agent
Professional Formatting – Table layout for easy reading and auditing
Generated Timestamp – When the activity PDF was created

When to Download Documents

Compliance and Archiving

Legal Requirements – Download signed contracts for regulatory compliance (7-10 year retention periods)
Internal Records – Archive completed agreements in company document management systems
Audit Trails – Export activity logs to prove document execution for legal disputes
Tax Documentation – Download W-9s, 1099s, and financial agreements for tax records

Email to Clients – Download and attach PDFs to manual emails
Internal Distribution – Share with accounting, legal, or operations teams
Third-Party Systems – Upload to CRM, ERP, or document management platforms
Physical Filing – Print downloaded PDFs for paper files

Backup and Redundancy

Local Backups – Download important documents to local storage as backup
Cloud Storage – Save to Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
Disaster Recovery – Maintain offline copies in case of service interruptions
Version Control – Download at different stages to track document evolution

Organizing Downloaded Documents

Recommended Folder Structure

Create a logical folder hierarchy for downloaded documents:

BreezeDoc Downloads/
├── 2024/
│   ├── January/
│   │   ├── Clients/
│   │   │   ├── Acme-Corp-Service-Agreement.pdf
│   │   │   └── Acme-Corp-Service-Agreement-activity.pdf
│   │   └── Vendors/
│   │       └── Supplier-NDA.pdf
│   └── February/
│       └── ...
├── Contracts/
│   ├── Employment/
│   ├── Service-Agreements/
│   └── NDAs/
└── Invoices/
    └── 2024/

Organizational Naming Conventions

Date Prefix: 2024-05-15-Document-Name.pdf (sorts chronologically)
Client Prefix: ClientName-DocumentType-Date.pdf
Project Prefix: ProjectCode-DocumentType.pdf
Status Suffix: Document-Name-FINAL.pdf or Document-Name-SIGNED.pdf

Download Permissions

Personal Account Downloads

Your Documents: Download any document you created or own
Received Documents: Download documents where you are a recipient (after completing your fields)

Team Account Download Permissions

Download permissions vary by team role:

Owner: ✅ Download all team documents
Sender: ✅ Download all team documents
Editor: ✅ Download all team documents
Viewer: ✅ Download all team documents

Note: All team roles can download documents—only editing and sending are restricted by role.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Download button is greyed out or missing

Fix: Verify you have permission to view the document. For team documents, confirm you are a member of the team. Refresh the page to ensure UI is loaded correctly. Check that the document has finished processing (newly uploaded documents may take a few seconds). If on a shared/public link, you may not have download permissions—contact the document sender.

Issue: Downloaded PDF shows empty signature fields

Fix: This means the document is not fully completed yet. Check the document status—if it shows "Sent" or "In Progress", not all recipients have signed. Wait for all recipients to complete their fields, then download again. If recipients have signed but PDF still shows empty fields, there may be a generation issue—try downloading after a few minutes or contact support.

Issue: PDF file won't open or shows corruption error

Fix: The download may have been interrupted. Delete the corrupted file and download again. Ensure stable internet connection during download. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Clear browser cache and cookies, then retry download. If issue persists, try downloading on a different device or network.

Issue: Downloaded PDF shows wrong document or old version

Fix: Clear your browser cache—old versions may be cached. Use hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) on the document page before downloading. Verify you're downloading the correct document from the list (check document title and date). If you edited the document recently, ensure edits are saved before downloading.

Issue: Activity log export shows "No events found"

Fix: If the document was just created, there may not be any activity yet (no sends, opens, or signatures). Activity logs only populate after the document is sent and recipients interact with it. Wait for recipients to open and sign the document, then try exporting the activity log again.

Issue: Cannot find downloaded file on computer

Fix: Check your browser's default download location: Chrome/Edge (Downloads folder), Firefox (Downloads or Ask where to save), Safari (Downloads folder). Search your computer for "*.pdf" to find recent PDF files. Check if your browser's download blocked the file (look for blocked/unsafe file warnings in browser). Try downloading to Desktop by changing browser download settings.

Issue: PDF is protected and I cannot edit it

Fix: This is by design. BreezeDoc automatically protects downloaded PDFs to prevent unauthorized editing and maintain document integrity. If you need to make changes, edit the original document in BreezeDoc and download a new version. The protection ensures signed documents cannot be tampered with after execution.

FAQ

Q: Can I download documents on the Free plan?

A: Yes! Document downloading is available on all BreezeDoc plans (Free, Pro, Agency). There are no limits on the number of times you can download a document.

Q: Do downloaded PDFs expire or become invalid?

A: No, downloaded PDFs are permanent files that don't expire. Once downloaded, the PDF is a standalone file independent of BreezeDoc—it remains valid even if you delete the document from BreezeDoc or close your account.

Q: Can I download a document before all recipients have signed?

A: Yes, you can download in-progress documents. The PDF will show signatures that have been completed so far, with empty fields for signatures still pending.

Q: How long does BreezeDoc store documents before I need to download?

A: BreezeDoc stores your documents indefinitely on active accounts. However, for compliance and backup purposes, we recommend downloading important documents shortly after completion.

Q: Can recipients download the completed document?

A: Yes, recipients typically receive a link to download the completed document after they sign. They can also return to the document link to download it later if they saved the original email.

Q: What's the file size limit for downloaded documents?

A: There is no file size limit for downloads. Document PDFs vary in size based on page count, image quality, and number of signatures but typically range from 200KB to 5MB.

Q: Why can't I edit the downloaded PDF?

A: BreezeDoc automatically applies AES 128-bit encryption to all downloaded PDFs to prevent unauthorized editing. This protects the legal integrity of signed documents and ensures they cannot be tampered with after execution. You can still view, print, and copy text from protected PDFs.

Q: Can I remove the PDF protection?

A: No, PDF protection is automatic and cannot be disabled. This security feature ensures document integrity for all users. If you need to make changes, edit the original document in BreezeDoc before downloading.

Need more help? Contact our support team – we are here to help!