TimeBinder

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Free tool: runs in your browser

Folder hash generatorBulk SHA-256 manifest for many files

TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Fingerprint a whole folder in one go and keep the list as a CSV.

The files stay on your device. Your browser makes a SHA-256 fingerprint of each file and builds the manifest.

Hash a folder and save the manifest

Choose a folder or several files. You get a sorted list of paths, sizes and SHA-256 fingerprints that you can download.

The files stay on your device. Your browser makes every fingerprint and builds the manifest.

Drop a folder or files here Or pick them with a button. Folders are read with all their subfolders.

Fingerprint type: SHA-256, made with your browser’s built-in Web Crypto, or a built-in routine for very large files. Files are fingerprinted one at a time. Paths, sizes and fingerprints are shown for reference; the fingerprint depends only on the contents of each file.

How do you hash every file in a folder? The short answer

Hashing a folder means making a SHA-256 fingerprint for each file in it and keeping the results in one list, called a manifest. Each fingerprint is fixed by the exact contents of its file: change one character and the fingerprint changes completely. The manifest then lets you check later, file by file, that nothing has been altered, added or lost.

A manifest does not show when the files were made or who made them. A TimeBind of the manifest file adds a date you can check, as explained below.

How it works

  1. Pick the files. Choose a folder (its subfolders are included), pick several files, or drop them on the box. System files such as .DS_Store and Thumbs.db are skipped unless you untick the option.
  2. Your browser fingerprints each file. Files are read one at a time and hashed with SHA-256 on your own device. A bar shows progress.
  3. Choose a format and download. The list is sorted by path so the same folder always gives the same manifest.
  4. Check later. Hash the folder again and choose the saved manifest to see what matches, changed, went missing or is new.

The same fingerprint type is used by the SHA-256 file hash checker, which does one file at a time, and by TimeBinder itself.

Which manifest format should you use?

All three hold the same information: the path, the size in bytes and the SHA-256 fingerprint of each file.

Manifest formats made by this tool
FormatBest forHow to read it later
CSVLooking at the list in Excel or Sheets, and keeping a record with a project.Open it in a spreadsheet, or load it back into this tool to check a folder.
sha256sum textDevelopers and anyone with a terminal. One line per file: fingerprint, two spaces, path.Run sha256sum -c (Linux) or shasum -a 256 -c (macOS). Also loads back into this tool.
JSONScripts and tools that read structured data.Parse it in code, or load it back into this tool.

Date a whole folder with one TimeBind

A manifest is a list of fingerprints, so it can be fingerprinted too. That gives you a simple routine for a big folder of masters, drawings or deliverables:

  1. Finish and freeze the folder, then make the manifest above.
  2. Download the manifest and make a TimeBind of that one file. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the manifest file stays on your device.
  3. Keep the manifest and the Proof of Time Certificate together, with a copy of the folder.
  4. If a file is questioned, check it against the manifest. A file whose fingerprint is in the manifest is an exact copy of a file that existed no later than the date on the certificate.

A TimeBind holds up to 10 files, so one manifest is the practical way to cover hundreds. It shows that the exact manifest existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It does not show who made the files or who owns them.

Make a TimeBind: first one free →

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.

Folder hash generator: FAQ

How do I get a SHA-256 hash for every file in a folder?

Choose the folder, or drop it on the box above. Your browser reads each file in turn, makes its SHA-256 fingerprint and lists them all with their paths and sizes. Then download the list as a CSV, a sha256sum text file or JSON.

Do my files leave my device?

The files stay on your device. Your browser reads them and makes the fingerprints locally. The page loads from timebinder.io like any web page, but the files you choose are not sent anywhere by this tool, and the manifest is built on your own device.

How do I check the files later against the manifest?

Use the second box in the tool: hash the folder again, then choose the saved manifest. You will see which files match, which have changed, which are missing and which are new. A file that was only renamed or moved shows as renamed or moved, because its contents are the same.

Can I check the manifest with sha256sum or shasum?

Yes, if you choose the sha256sum text format. On Linux, open a terminal in the folder that contains the folder you hashed and run sha256sum -c timebinder-manifest.sha256. On macOS, use shasum -a 256 -c timebinder-manifest.sha256. Each line shows OK or FAILED.

Why does the manifest list the folder name at the start of each path?

Paths are recorded relative to the folder you chose, starting with its name, for example Album/mixes/final.wav. When you check a folder later, the tool can ignore the top folder name, so a renamed or copied folder still matches.

Does a manifest show when my files were made, or who made them?

No. A manifest only records what each file contained when you made it. It says nothing about who made the files or when. To show that the manifest, and so the files listed in it, existed no later than a recorded time, you need a dated record made at the time, such as a TimeBind.

How do I date a whole folder at once?

Make the manifest, download it and make a TimeBind of the manifest file. The TimeBind shows that the manifest existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. A file that still matches a fingerprint listed in the manifest is then an exact copy of a file that existed no later than that time. Keep the manifest file unchanged: even one edit gives it a different fingerprint. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free with no card, then from US$5.

Is there a limit on how many or how large the files are?

The tool reads up to 5,000 files in one go. There is no fixed size limit; files over 256 MB are read in chunks, which is slower, and very large files depend on your browser and device memory. For a very large folder, split it into parts and make one manifest for each.

Why would the same folder give different results on two computers?

Only the contents of each file matter. Different results usually mean a file differs: a program re-saved it, a sync service changed it, or line endings were converted. Names, dates and folders do not change a fingerprint, but a different path does change how a file is listed.

Related guides and tools

Date the whole folder in one go

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

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

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