Audit Snapshots
Overview
Every time a document version becomes Effective, Qability automatically captures an Audit Snapshot — a permanent, unchangeable PDF copy of exactly what that version said on the day it went live. The snapshot is fingerprinted with a unique code (a SHA-256 hash) so anyone can later prove the file hasn't been altered.
This exists for one reason: audit-grade evidence. When a regulator or auditor asks "what did SOP-014 v3.0 actually say on the day it became effective?", you can produce the exact document — content, approvals, and history — and demonstrate it's authentic. It supports ISO 13485 and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 expectations for controlled, tamper-evident records.
You don't create or manage snapshots yourself. The system generates them automatically. Your job is to know where to find one and how to verify it.
Key concepts
| Concept | What it means |
|---|---|
| Audit Snapshot | The frozen PDF copy of a document version, captured when it became Effective. |
| Fingerprint (SHA-256) | A unique code calculated from the file's contents. If even one character of the PDF changed, the fingerprint would no longer match. |
| Generated date | The moment the snapshot was captured. |
| Immutable | The snapshot is never edited. Editing a document creates a new version with its own snapshot when it goes effective; older snapshots are kept untouched. |
What a snapshot contains
A snapshot is self-contained — it captures the full picture as of the effective date:
- A cover page identifying the document and version.
- The complete section content of that version.
- The Approvals & Signatures record — who approved it and when.
- A recent audit history of the version.
- Any attachments linked to the document, combined into the same PDF (supported file types are merged in; others are listed on a reference page).
How to find a snapshot
- Open the document.
- In the right-hand panel, look for the Audit Snapshot block.
- It shows a download link, the generated date, and the start of the snapshot's fingerprint.
- Select the download link to save the PDF.
A snapshot appears only after a version has reached Effective. Draft and in-review versions don't have one yet — they may still change, so there's nothing immutable to capture.
How to verify a snapshot is authentic
If you ever need to prove a snapshot hasn't been tampered with:
-
Download the snapshot PDF from the document's Audit Snapshot block.
-
Calculate the file's SHA-256 fingerprint with any standard tool. For example, on a Mac or Linux machine:
shasum -a 256 snapshot.pdf -
Compare the result to the fingerprint Qability recorded for that snapshot. A match confirms the file is byte-for-byte identical to the original; a mismatch means you have the wrong file or a modified copy.
Because each snapshot is permanently retained, superseding a document with a newer version never erases the old evidence. If an audit references an earlier version, its snapshot is still available, with its original fingerprint intact.
A snapshot embeds the document's images and attachments directly in the PDF, so anyone you share the file with receives that content too. Share snapshots only with people authorized to see the underlying document.