How to check if a document is authenticCheck the source first, then the file; no single test proves a document genuine

TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes.

The file stays on your device. Your browser makes a digital fingerprint of the file. TimeBinder records the fingerprint and the time, not the file.

Short answer

Start with the source: contact the issuer using a contact you found yourself and ask them to confirm it. Then check the file for signs of editing, such as inconsistent fonts or metadata, or a changed fingerprint against a copy you trust. No single test proves a document genuine.

Checks in a sensible order

1. Verify with the issuer, using a phone number or website you found independently, not one printed on the document. 2. Look for visual inconsistencies in fonts, spacing, logos and alignment. 3. Inspect the file’s properties and metadata, remembering these can be edited. 4. If you hold a trusted copy, compare the two files. 5. For signed PDFs, check the signature in a PDF reader.

See how to tell if a PDF has been edited and the fake document guide. The file comparison checker shows whether two files are identical.

Dating a document you want to protect

If you issue or rely on documents, record the original before you send it. A TimeBind records a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact file and a time, anchored to Bitcoin. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file is not uploaded. Later, anyone can check that a file still matches the fingerprint recorded at that time.

That proves a file is unchanged since the record. It does not show that the document was genuine when recorded, and it is not legal advice.

Make a TimeBind: first one free →

First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell if a document is fake from its metadata?

Metadata can be a clue but it can be edited or removed, so it is not proof either way.

What is the best way to verify a document?

Confirm it directly with the issuer using contact details you find yourself.

Can a hash prove a document is authentic?

A matching hash shows two files are identical. It does not show the original was genuine.

Are digital signatures reliable?

A valid digital signature can show a file has not changed since signing by a particular key. Check who holds the key and how it was issued.

Sources

TimeBinder, How to verify a screenshot or fake document.
TimeBinder, File comparison checker.

Related guides and tools

Your file’s fingerprint, anchored to a global network secured by real electricity and cryptography.

Editing a file—including with AI—changes its fingerprint, not its existing network record.

How this works

Your file’s SHA-256 fingerprint, a short code worked out from its exact contents, is made in your browser, and the file itself stays on your device. A cryptographic commitment to that fingerprint, which may be combined with others, is then anchored in a block on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin is secured by proof of work: computers around the world spend real electricity to add each block, and changing an earlier block would mean redoing that work faster than the rest of the network. Until that block is confirmed, your proof is pending. Once the Bitcoin anchoring is confirmed, you can verify the proof against that recorded commitment. The confirmed record can then be checked; Pooled TimeBinds are checked through TimeBinder, while ASAP TimeBinds can also be checked independently. If you check the file later and its fingerprint still matches, that shows the file existed no later than the recorded time. The record doesn’t show who made the file, whether AI was used, or that its contents are true.

Your filestays on your device
FingerprintSHA-256
Network timestampon Bitcoin

Record a fingerprint of the file you rely on

Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of the exact file you hold.

Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
Add your files. They stay on your computer.
Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.

Open TimeBinder →

First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.