If you notice your Change.org petition signature count going up and down, this is normal behavior. Signature totals can fluctuate for several reasons.

Common reasons for signature count changes

Unverified Email Addresses

When someone signs a Change.org petition, they must verify their email address by clicking a confirmation link. If a signer doesn't complete email verification, their signature may not be counted in the total.

Duplicate Email Addresses

If the same email address is used to sign multiple times, only one signature will be counted.

Invalid or Suspicious Email Addresses

Signatures from invalid or suspicious email addresses may be automatically removed. Email addresses that contain certain patterns (such as "+" symbols or starting with "info") may be removed from the count.

User-Initiated Removals

Signers can remove their signatures if they change their mind. When someone removes their signature from your Change.org petition, the total count decreases accordingly.

Delays in signature display

It can take up to 24 hours for recent signatures to appear in your petition count or download file, particularly during high activity periods. If you notice your count hasn't changed, wait a bit and check again later.

Signature downloads show only valid signatures

When you download your Change.org petition signatures, the exported file includes only confirmed, valid signers. Signatures that were removed due to lack of verification or other issues will not appear in your download. Change.org does not provide lists of removed signatures, unverified signatures, or duplicate entries.

Frequently Asked Questions

I just got 50 new signatures, but my count only went up by 30. Where did the others go?

Not all signatures appear immediately in your Change.org count. Some signers may not have verified their email yet, or the system may have detected duplicate or invalid email addresses. Give it 24 hours—verified signatures will appear in your count once the email confirmation is complete. Unverified signatures won't be included in your total.

I've been promoting my petition all week but the signature count hasn't moved. Is something broken?

If your Change.org petition signature count appears stuck, check back after 24 hours. Signatures can take up to a day to process and appear in your count, especially during high-traffic periods. If the count still hasn't updated after 24 hours and you know people have been signing, contact Change.org support for assistance.

Someone told me they signed my petition but I don't see their signature in my download file. Why not?

Your Change.org signature download shows only verified supporters. If someone signed but didn't click the confirmation link in their email, their signature won't appear in the file. Ask them to check their inbox (including spam folder) for the verification email from Change.org and click the link. Once verified, their signature will appear in future downloads.

Why did my petition get a large number of signatures in a short amount of time?

This is most likely because your petition may have been shared on social media, or it may have been selected by our system to be sent out in our marketing email.

Downloading signatures