SignTrail
How It Works

How SignTrail Decides Before a Signature

The three pre-sign questions, the ALLOW / HOLD / REJECT decision, and what changes before versus after SignTrail.

How It Works

05

The request, path, and signer must all pass before a transaction is signed.

Before Signing,
Three Checks Must Pass

No trusted path, no signature.

  1. Q1

    Is the request unchanged?

    • Canonical payload
    • tx_payload_hash
    • Integrity
  2. Q2

    Can the path be trusted?

    • Runtime window
    • Process chain
    • File/network
    • provenance_digest
  3. Q3

    May the signer execute?

    • signer_id
    • policy_hash
    • Decision artifact
    • Replay/TTL validation

decision output

  • All verifiedALLOW
  • Needs reviewHOLD
  • Unsafe/manipulatedREJECT
  1. Request
  2. Approval
  3. SignTrail Gate
  4. Signature
  5. Asset Movement
Decision Outcomes

Allow. Hold. Reject. Before Signing.

SignTrail decides before signer execution — not after the transaction is broadcast.

  • ALLOW
    • Trusted request
    • Verified path
    • Authorized signer
    • Policy passed

    Trusted request and path verified.

  • HOLD
    • Additional review
    • New recipient
    • Unusual runtime path
    • High-risk method
    • Policy exception

    Needs manual review before execution.

  • REJECT
    • Payload mismatch
    • Invalid decision artifact
    • Unknown signer
    • Runtime provenance mismatch
    • Unsafe context

    Unsafe context or manipulation detected.

Fail-closed by default when trust is missing.

Before / After

Before SignTrail vs After SignTrail

Before SignTrail

  • Approver checked
  • Signer checked
  • Policy checked
  • Execution path NOT checked
  • Runtime not bound
  • Evidence fragmented

Unsafe request may reach signer.

After SignTrail

  • Request verified
  • Path verified
  • Signer verified
  • Policy verified
  • Decision artifact generated
  • Audit recorded

Unsafe request is held before signing.

The difference is not who signs. The difference is whether the path can be trusted.