Retry Final PDF After a QCDS completion_failed State

Use Retry Final PDF after all required signing is complete but finalization failed, understand bounded automatic completion recovery, and finalize from stored signing evidence without re-signing.

This guide applies to All plans; sender and follows the accepted QC Digital Signature 2.0.7 implementation. Where older walkthrough language differs from the current interface or source behavior, use the current QCDS state as the authority.

Before You Begin

  • Confirm all required signers are complete before troubleshooting finalization; a completion failure is not a request to collect signatures again.
  • Preserve any already-valid Completed PDF while attempting recovery or regeneration.
  • Keep protected Completed Packages and attachment originals in authorized storage rather than exposing them through ordinary public URLs.

Step-by-Step Workflow

  1. Open the Request showing completion_failed.
  2. Confirm all required signers are already completed; do not ask them to sign again.
  3. Choose Retry Final PDF.
  4. Allow QCDS to restart the bounded recovery/finalization cycle from stored evidence.
  5. After success, verify the Completed PDF and the completion-delivery state.

Retry Final PDF after all required signing is complete but finalization

After required signing is complete, QCDS finalizes the evidence-bearing artifact. The normal Completed PDF places the signed source pages first, adds attachment presentation pages when used, and appends the Audit Trail. When signer attachments exist, the downloadable Completed Package can also include the protected original attachment files. Completion recovery/regeneration uses stored evidence; signers do not re-sign merely because PDF finalization or delivery needs to be retried.

For Retry Final PDF After a QCDS completion_failed State, verify this behavior using the actual object involved rather than a generic assumption. A global administrator setting, a sender-workspace preference, a reusable Template, and a sent Request have different ownership and history rules. QCDS is intentionally designed so changes for future work do not silently rewrite the evidence of an already-sent transaction.

Bounded automatic completion recovery

After required signing is complete, QCDS finalizes the evidence-bearing artifact. The normal Completed PDF places the signed source pages first, adds attachment presentation pages when used, and appends the Audit Trail. When signer attachments exist, the downloadable Completed Package can also include the protected original attachment files. Completion recovery/regeneration uses stored evidence; signers do not re-sign merely because PDF finalization or delivery needs to be retried.

For Retry Final PDF After a QCDS completion_failed State, verify this behavior using the actual object involved rather than a generic assumption. A global administrator setting, a sender-workspace preference, a reusable Template, and a sent Request have different ownership and history rules. QCDS is intentionally designed so changes for future work do not silently rewrite the evidence of an already-sent transaction.

And finalize from stored signing evidence without re-signing

After required signing is complete, QCDS finalizes the evidence-bearing artifact. The normal Completed PDF places the signed source pages first, adds attachment presentation pages when used, and appends the Audit Trail. When signer attachments exist, the downloadable Completed Package can also include the protected original attachment files. Completion recovery/regeneration uses stored evidence; signers do not re-sign merely because PDF finalization or delivery needs to be retried.

How This Fits into the QCDS Workflow

QCDS treats completion artifacts as evidence-bearing outputs. Recovery and regeneration rebuild presentation from stored transaction/signing evidence and preserve prior valid artifacts rather than rewriting history.

A completed artifact is not just a visual PDF. It is the presentation of a frozen transaction plus stored evidence; recovery should reconstruct from that evidence instead of creating a new signing event.

Verify the Result

  • The Completed PDF/Package opens, preserves the signed source and evidence, and the Audit Trail remains readable.
  • A direct follow-up test confirms the change affects future/current workflow behavior without rewriting historical sent Request evidence.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Asking signers to sign again when only final PDF generation or completion delivery failed.
  • Replacing a prior valid artifact before a regeneration attempt has been verified.

Troubleshooting

  • If the PDF preview or completed artifact fails, reproduce with a small known-good PDF and check QCDS Status/Scheduled Task health before changing field data.
  • If due work is late, confirm the canonical task is enabled and being triggered; a correctly defined task on a quiet Joomla site can still remain overdue without a reliable wake-up mechanism.

Operational Best Practice

Test meaningful changes with controlled data before relying on them in production. Keep QCDS, Joomla mail, Scheduled Tasks, and entitlement health observable; preserve successful Requests and completed evidence; and make the smallest change that solves the actual problem. For handoff or support, record the QCDS version, relevant Request/Template reference, the exact action taken, and the visible result without including secrets.

Community Discussion

Want to compare workflows, share practical tips, or discuss how you use this QCDS feature? Visit the QC Digital Signature Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific issues, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.