Contracts change. Redlines, schedules and “final” PDFs often look alike months later. To show which version existed when, fingerprint each important draft and record that fingerprint independently before anyone signs. TimeBinder® makes the fingerprint in your browser, and the file stays on your device. A TimeBind shows that exact file existed no later than the recorded time. It does not show who drafted it, who agreed to it, or that the terms are enforceable. Pair timestamps with your usual signing process. This is general information, not legal advice.
Table of Contents
Why contract versions need their own dates
Email threads and tracked changes help, but they sit on systems you or the other party control. File “date modified” values can be changed. A signature dates the moment of agreement, not the weeks of drafts that led to it. If a dispute is about what was offered, what was sent, or which schedule was attached, you need a dated record of each exact file. See timestamp vs electronic signature and can a file’s date created be changed?.
What to timestamp
- Each major draft you send or receive (Word, PDF or PDF/A).
- Schedules and annexes as separate files if they move independently.
- The pack you sent for signature, before the envelope goes out.
- The fully signed PDF, once everyone has signed, so the executed copy has its own date.
One TimeBind can hold up to 10 files. Name them clearly in your own notes so you know which fingerprint belongs to which version.
Step by step
- Freeze the file. Save or export the version you mean to date. Don’t re-save it after timestamping.
- Open TimeBinder at app.timebinder.io and add the file. The fingerprint is made in your browser; the file stays on your device.
- Choose Pooled or ASAP. Pooled (1 Token) is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours. ASAP (3 Tokens, US$15) is broadcast straight away. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required.
- Save the Proof of Time Certificate next to that exact draft. Keep a second copy of both.
- Repeat for the next version. A new draft is a new file. Timestamp it again.
- After signing, timestamp the executed PDF the same way.
How to timestamp a file on Windows or Mac covers the click-by-click steps.
What to keep with the signed contract
- The executed PDF and its timestamp certificate.
- The last pre-signature draft and its certificate, if negotiations matter.
- A short note of who sent what and when (your email or deal room export).
- The electronic-signature certificate of completion, if you used one.
If you need to hand this to counsel, see an .ots file as evidence: what to give a lawyer. For construction and project agreements, also see construction contract timestamping.
Later, if someone produces a copy and says it is the signed version, drop both files in the free file comparison checker to see whether they are identical. For the full steps, see how to prove a contract wasn’t edited after signing.
Mistakes that weaken the record
- Timestamping a working copy, then editing it and calling it the same version.
- Losing the original file and keeping only a later export.
- Expecting the timestamp to prove the other party received or agreed to the draft. Receipt and agreement are separate facts.
- Skipping the signed file because “the draft was already dated”. The executed copy is a different file.
Before an assistant is given write access to a draft or a signed set, the free AI agent file-access checklist reviews whether you still hold a copy it cannot change. It is not a backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Should I timestamp before or after DocuSign?
Both, if both dates matter. Timestamp the draft you put in the envelope, then timestamp the signed PDF that comes back.
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Can I timestamp a Word file with tracked changes?
Yes. Timestamp the exact .docx you care about. A later “accept all” PDF is a different file with a different fingerprint.
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Does a timestamp make a contract binding?
No. Binding force comes from agreement under the applicable law. A timestamp only dates a file.
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How many versions should I keep?
Keep every version you may need to point to later: the one you offered, the one they marked up, and the one that was signed. Timestamp each.
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Is this the same as notarising a contract?
No. A notary identifies a signer. A timestamp dates a file. See online notarization vs a timestamp.
Timestamp your next draft free
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. See plans and pricing
2026 worked example: a negotiation with seven drafts
Illustrative example, not a real case.
During a supply contract negotiation in 2026, a small business exchanges seven drafts with the other side. Each time it sends a draft, it makes a TimeBind for the exact PDF it sends and notes the TimeBind and draft number in the cover email. When the signed version arrives, that is timestamped too.
If the parties later disagree about which wording was on the table in draft 5, the business can show that its copy of draft 5 existed by that date and still matches. The record does not show that the other side agreed to any wording; the emails and the signed agreement are for that.
Reviewed 10 November 2026.
