Free tool: runs in your browser
What to date first wizardfor your kind of work and your situation
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Pick who you are and what is happening. You get a short, ordered list of the file types worth dating first, and a related tool.
Your choices stay on this page. This is a list to think with, not a finding. It does not show who made a file, who owns it, or whether AI was used. It is not legal advice.
Get your short list
Two choices give you an ordered list of file types worth dating first. Nothing you choose is sent to TimeBinder.
Your choices stay on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere or tied to your name.
Say who you are and what is happening, and get a short list of files to date first
Two choices give you an ordered list of the file types worth dating first for your kind of work and your situation, plus a related tool. It is a list to think with, not a finding.
Which files should I date first? The short answer
Start with the files that are hardest to rebuild and that show the most: working files and earlier versions, the exact final version you publish or send, and anything someone else recorded the date of. Which ones come first depends on what is happening: before you publish, when someone says you used AI, when you think someone copied your work, when you are receiving files in a dispute, or when you are starting a project.
A TimeBind of a file you already hold can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show who made it, who owns it, or whether AI was used.
Why this came up in November 2026
People in many fields are asking the same question in different words. Counts below were read on 13 November 2026 (Australia/Brisbane) unless the text says another date. Game Maker’s Toolkit’s “My game was cloned with AI... what do I do?” showed 902,974 views. SamDoesArts’s “Real Artists are Being Accused of AI Art now..” showed 733,773 views. Jacobra’s “Wendy’s released an AI music album and LIED about it” showed 90,696 views. Demand among architects is thinner: Immaculate Platform’s “How to Price Interior Design Services When Competitors Use AI Renders” showed 3,700 views. The architect and lawyer lists here are a gap-fill, not a response to a large measured trend. These are demand signals, and this page does not check the claims made in any of them.
Sources: Game Maker’s Toolkit, SamDoesArts, Jacobra and Immaculate Platform, all on YouTube.
What this tool does and does not do
The honest job of this page is to save you from a blank page. See also the glossary entries for existed no later than and fingerprint.
| Part | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| The list | Ranks six file types for the role and situation you pick. | Know which files you actually hold or need. |
| The first move | Gives one sentence on what to do first in your situation. | Replace advice from someone qualified. |
| The related tool | Points to a tool on this site for your situation. | Do the work of that tool. |
| A TimeBind of a file you already hold | Records that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches, using a SHA-256 fingerprint made in your browser. The file stays on your device. | Show who made a file, who owns it, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. |
If your files are something you may need to show later
Once you have your list:
- Put the files in one folder and do not rename or re-save them.
- Make a TimeBind of each exact file you already hold. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device. You can later download a Proof of Time Certificate.
- Store the files, a note of what each is, and the certificate together, with the date.
A TimeBind shows the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It cannot show how a file was made.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.
What to date first wizard: FAQ
Why is the list only six items?
Six is a starting point you can act on today. The point is to begin with the files that are hardest to rebuild and that show the most.
Does the order change with my situation?
Yes. The same role gets a different order before a publication, when someone says it used AI, or when you receive files in a dispute.
Do I need every file on the list?
No. Leave out what you do not have or what does not apply.
Does dating a file show I made it?
No. A TimeBind of a file you already hold can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show who made it.
Is this legal advice?
No. It runs in your browser and helps you plan. If a claim or a dispute is involved, ask a qualified adviser.
Is anything I type or tick sent to TimeBinder?
No. This page runs in your browser. What you type stays on the page.
Related guides and tools
- AI accusation response pack builderIf someone says you used AI
- Copy dispute timeline builderIf you think someone copied your work
- File handover log builderLog who held each file
- Pre-launch asset dating plannerPlan dating before launch
- AI music credit line generatorCredits for a release
- GlossaryPlain definitions of fingerprint, SHA-256 and existed no later than
Date the exact files you already hold
Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of the files you pick first.
- 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.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.