CAdES, PAdES, and XAdES are electronic signature formats that comply with European standards for the long-term preservation and validation of signed documents.
At a Glance
CAdES – Used to sign files of any type, including documents, spreadsheets, archives, and images.
PAdES – Used to sign PDF documents. The signature is embedded in and remains part of the PDF file.
XAdES – Used to sign XML files, which are commonly exchanged between information systems and electronic services.
- CAdES – an electronic signature format that extends the widely used CMS/PKCS #7 standard. It supports multiple signature levels for the long-term preservation and validation of signed documents and can be used to sign files of any type. Signed files use the following extensions: .p7m for ENVELOPING signatures and .p7s for DETACHED signatures.
- PAdES – an electronic signature format that extends the PDF standard and supports the long-term preservation and validation of signed documents. It can only be used to sign PDF files and supports ENVELOPED signatures only. The signed document retains the .pdf file extension.
- XAdES – an electronic signature format that extends the XML standard and supports the long-term preservation and validation of signed documents. It can only be used to sign XML files and supports ENVELOPED, ENVELOPING, and DETACHED signatures. The signed document retains the .xml file extension.