ESPO Documents — frequently asked questions

For HR, recruiting, sales and back-office staff. Short answers to the questions that come up most; if yours is not here, use the Feedback button in the app — it opens a ticket for the team.

Getting in

What is ESPO Documents?: ESPO's own tool for working on PDFs in the browser: fill in blanks, stamp, place a Sign Here area, highlight and comment, and redact what must not leave the building — offer letters, right-to-represent forms, NDAs, policy sign-offs, employee paperwork, purchase orders. Nothing to install. It replaces Adobe and Foxit for everyday office documents.
How do I sign in?: Click Sign in and use your ESPO Forgejo account — the same login as the other ESPO apps. If you do not have one, ask IT.
Which browser should I use?: A current Chrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows, Mac or Linux.
Does my document leave my computer?: Not until you say so. Everything you do happens in your browser. Save puts a copy in ESPO's own storage where only you can see it; Export downloads a file to your computer. Nothing is sent to anyone unless you send it.

Opening and saving

How do I open a document?: Click Choose PDF and pick a file. Only PDFs open here — a Word document has to be saved or printed as PDF first.
I reloaded the page and my work disappeared. Why?: Your marks live in the browser until you click Save. The app warns you before you leave with unsaved changes; if you dismiss the warning, the marks are gone. Save early.
What is "My documents"?: Your personal library. Save stores the PDF and every mark you made; Open brings them back exactly as you left them. Only you can see your library.
What does "Download" in My documents give me?: The original file you uploaded — without your marks and without any redactions. To get a copy that shows your work, Open it and use Export.
Can a colleague see my saved documents?: No. To share, export the file and send it the way you send any attachment.
How do I delete a saved document?: There is no Delete button on the screen yet. Ask an admin to remove it for you; a Delete button is on the list.

Filling in and signing

How do I type into a blank?: Choose Text (or press D), click where the blank is, and type. Double-click a text box later to change it. Select it to open the format bar and change the size, font, colour, bold / italic / underline and alignment.
How do I move something I placed?: Choose Select (V) and drag it. Eraser (E) removes it. Ctrl+Z undoes.
How do I stamp a document APPROVED?: Choose Stamp (S) and click. Only an APPROVED stamp is available today.
How do I fix a printed line — a wrong date, title or amount?: Choose Edit text (or press X). Every line that can be retyped gets a faint outline; click the one you want and it opens for typing, reading exactly as it does on the page. Change what needs changing, press Enter to keep it or Escape to back out. A line you open and leave alone is left as it was.
Why does my retyped line look a little different?: The old words are hidden under a white patch and the new words are drawn on top in Helvetica, so the typeface may not match the rest of the line, and a much longer replacement can run past where the old line ended. Check the export before you send it. Lines that run sideways or vertically cannot be retyped.
Is a text edit the same as redaction?: No. An edit hides the old words; it does not destroy them, and someone with a PDF tool could dig them out of the exported file. For a Social Security number, a date of birth, pay or anything else that must not leave the building, use Redact — it destroys the words. Use Edit text for corrections, not for secrets.
What does the Signature tool do?: It draws a Sign Here area for someone else to sign — it is not your own signature. To put your own name on a document today, type it with the Text tool.
What is "Send for signature", and why does it show an error?: It creates a private link an outside person opens to sign in their browser; you paste the link into your own email (the app does not send mail). It is not switched on yet: it needs a security key that IT has not provisioned, so today the button reports an error. Until then, export the PDF and send it the way you do now.

Reviewing

How do I highlight, underline or strike through?: Choose the tool (Highlight is U) and drag across the words. Select the mark afterwards to change its colour.
How do I leave a comment?: Sticky Note (K): click to drop it, type, and double-click later to edit.
Do review marks change the document?: Only in the copy you export. The original file is never changed, and a highlight hides nothing — it is a coloured layer over the words.

Redaction and privacy

What does Redact do?: Drag a box over what must go — a Social Security number, a date of birth, a bank or tax ID, compensation. When you export, every page that carries a redaction is turned into a picture with the black boxes burned in. The words under the boxes are not in the exported file and cannot be recovered, selected or searched.
What is the trade-off?: A redacted page becomes a picture, so that page's text is no longer selectable or searchable in the exported file. Other pages are unaffected.
Does "Export without markups" skip redactions?: No. Redactions apply to every export — with markups, without markups, and the PNG of the current page. That is deliberate: a redaction you could route around by picking a different menu item would not be a redaction. Text edits are kept in every export too: an edit is a change to what the document says, not a markup.
Can I undo a redaction?: Before you export, yes — Eraser or Ctrl+Z. The exported file cannot be un-redacted, and that is the point. The un-redacted original stays on your computer and in My documents.
I redacted a page. Is the file in My documents safe to send?: No — Download in My documents hands out the original. Always send the exported file.

Exporting

How do I get the finished file?: Export → Export as PDF (with markups). Your browser downloads <document name>-annotated.pdf. The original is untouched.
What are the three Export choices?: Export as PDF (with markups) — the document with everything you added. Export current page as PNG — a picture of the page you are looking at. Export without markups (redactions still apply) — the document without your fills, stamps and highlights, but with redacted pages still redacted and your text edits still in place.
Can I export to Word?: No. ESPO Documents reads and writes PDF only.

Keyboard and zoom

Which keys do what?: V Select · D Text · X Edit text · S Stamp · U Highlight · K Sticky Note · E Eraser · Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y undo / redo · Ctrl+S save · Ctrl+= / Ctrl+- zoom · Ctrl+0 fit · PgUp / PgDn pages · Delete removes the selected mark · Enter keeps a text edit · Escape finishes editing.
How do I zoom?: The zoom box at the bottom (50 % to 400 %) or the + / − buttons next to it.

When something goes wrong

The PDF will not open — the spinner never stops.: The file may be damaged or password-protected. Try opening it in another viewer first; if it opens there, report it with Feedback.
Save failed.: Very large scans can time out. Export the file instead, and report it.
How do I report a problem?: Use the Feedback button, which is on every screen. It files a ticket with the team and includes the version you were using — describe what you did and what you expected.

What is coming

Seal edited pages — an export choice that turns pages carrying text edits into pictures, so the old words cannot be dug out of the file. Planned.
Send for signature — built; waiting on the security key to be switched on.
Branded exports — ESPO letterhead on exported documents, using the same branding kit as the resume formatter and SOW generator. Planned.
Delete from My documents — on the list.

Getting in

What is ESPO Documents?

ESPO's own tool for working on PDFs in the browser: fill in blanks, stamp, place a Sign Here area, highlight and comment, and redact what must not leave the building — offer letters, right-to-represent forms, NDAs, policy sign-offs, employee paperwork, purchase orders. Nothing to install. It replaces Adobe and Foxit for everyday office documents.

How do I sign in?

Click Sign in and use your ESPO Forgejo account — the same login as the other ESPO apps. If you do not have one, ask IT.

Which browser should I use?

A current Chrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows, Mac or Linux.

Does my document leave my computer?

Not until you say so. Everything you do happens in your browser. Save puts a copy in ESPO's own storage where only you can see it; Export downloads a file to your computer. Nothing is sent to anyone unless you send it.

Opening and saving

How do I open a document?

Click Choose PDF and pick a file. Only PDFs open here — a Word document has to be saved or printed as PDF first.

I reloaded the page and my work disappeared. Why?

Your marks live in the browser until you click Save. The app warns you before you leave with unsaved changes; if you dismiss the warning, the marks are gone. Save early.

What is "My documents"?

Your personal library. Save stores the PDF and every mark you made; Open brings them back exactly as you left them. Only you can see your library.

What does "Download" in My documents give me?

The original file you uploaded — without your marks and without any redactions. To get a copy that shows your work, Open it and use Export.

Can a colleague see my saved documents?

No. To share, export the file and send it the way you send any attachment.

How do I delete a saved document?

There is no Delete button on the screen yet. Ask an admin to remove it for you; a Delete button is on the list.

Filling in and signing

How do I type into a blank?

Choose Text (or press D), click where the blank is, and type. Double-click a text box later to change it. Select it to open the format bar and change the size, font, colour, bold / italic / underline and alignment.

How do I move something I placed?

Choose Select (V) and drag it. Eraser (E) removes it. Ctrl+Z undoes.

How do I stamp a document APPROVED?

Choose Stamp (S) and click. Only an APPROVED stamp is available today.

How do I fix a printed line — a wrong date, title or amount?

Choose Edit text (or press X). Every line that can be retyped gets a faint outline; click the one you want and it opens for typing, reading exactly as it does on the page. Change what needs changing, press Enter to keep it or Escape to back out. A line you open and leave alone is left as it was.

Why does my retyped line look a little different?

The old words are hidden under a white patch and the new words are drawn on top in Helvetica, so the typeface may not match the rest of the line, and a much longer replacement can run past where the old line ended. Check the export before you send it. Lines that run sideways or vertically cannot be retyped.

Is a text edit the same as redaction?

No. An edit hides the old words; it does not destroy them, and someone with a PDF tool could dig them out of the exported file. For a Social Security number, a date of birth, pay or anything else that must not leave the building, use Redact — it destroys the words. Use Edit text for corrections, not for secrets.

What does the Signature tool do?

It draws a Sign Here area for someone else to sign — it is not your own signature. To put your own name on a document today, type it with the Text tool.

What is "Send for signature", and why does it show an error?

It creates a private link an outside person opens to sign in their browser; you paste the link into your own email (the app does not send mail). It is not switched on yet: it needs a security key that IT has not provisioned, so today the button reports an error. Until then, export the PDF and send it the way you do now.

Reviewing

How do I highlight, underline or strike through?

Choose the tool (Highlight is U) and drag across the words. Select the mark afterwards to change its colour.

How do I leave a comment?

Sticky Note (K): click to drop it, type, and double-click later to edit.

Do review marks change the document?

Only in the copy you export. The original file is never changed, and a highlight hides nothing — it is a coloured layer over the words.

Redaction and privacy

What does Redact do?

Drag a box over what must go — a Social Security number, a date of birth, a bank or tax ID, compensation. When you export, every page that carries a redaction is turned into a picture with the black boxes burned in. The words under the boxes are not in the exported file and cannot be recovered, selected or searched.

What is the trade-off?

A redacted page becomes a picture, so that page's text is no longer selectable or searchable in the exported file. Other pages are unaffected.

Does "Export without markups" skip redactions?

No. Redactions apply to every export — with markups, without markups, and the PNG of the current page. That is deliberate: a redaction you could route around by picking a different menu item would not be a redaction. Text edits are kept in every export too: an edit is a change to what the document says, not a markup.

Can I undo a redaction?

Before you export, yes — Eraser or Ctrl+Z. The exported file cannot be un-redacted, and that is the point. The un-redacted original stays on your computer and in My documents.

I redacted a page. Is the file in My documents safe to send?

No — Download in My documents hands out the original. Always send the exported file.

Exporting

How do I get the finished file?

Export → Export as PDF (with markups). Your browser downloads <document name>-annotated.pdf. The original is untouched.

What are the three Export choices?

Export as PDF (with markups) — the document with everything you added. Export current page as PNG — a picture of the page you are looking at. Export without markups (redactions still apply) — the document without your fills, stamps and highlights, but with redacted pages still redacted and your text edits still in place.

Can I export to Word?

No. ESPO Documents reads and writes PDF only.

Keyboard and zoom

Which keys do what?

V Select · D Text · X Edit text · S Stamp · U Highlight · K Sticky Note · E Eraser · Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y undo / redo · Ctrl+S save · Ctrl+= / Ctrl+- zoom · Ctrl+0 fit · PgUp / PgDn pages · Delete removes the selected mark · Enter keeps a text edit · Escape finishes editing.

How do I zoom?

The zoom box at the bottom (50 % to 400 %) or the + / − buttons next to it.

When something goes wrong

The PDF will not open — the spinner never stops.

The file may be damaged or password-protected. Try opening it in another viewer first; if it opens there, report it with Feedback.

Save failed.

Very large scans can time out. Export the file instead, and report it.

How do I report a problem?

Use the Feedback button, which is on every screen. It files a ticket with the team and includes the version you were using — describe what you did and what you expected.

What is coming

Seal edited pages — an export choice that turns pages carrying text edits into pictures, so the old words cannot be dug out of the file. Planned.

Send for signature — built; waiting on the security key to be switched on.

Branded exports — ESPO letterhead on exported documents, using the same branding kit as the resume formatter and SOW generator. Planned.

Delete from My documents — on the list.