How to check PDF metadataOpen the document properties in Acrobat, a browser or Preview, or use ExifTool

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

In Adobe Acrobat, choose File, then Properties to see the title, author, created and modified dates and the producing software. On a Mac, open the PDF in Preview and use Tools, then Show Inspector. ExifTool shows more. Metadata can be edited, so it is a clue, not proof.

Ways to view PDF metadata

Adobe Acrobat Reader: File, Properties, then the Description and Advanced tabs. macOS Preview: Tools, Show Inspector. Browsers: many show properties in the PDF viewer’s document-information option. ExifTool: exiftool file.pdf lists fields such as Create Date, Modify Date, Producer and any earlier versions saved incrementally (ExifTool).

Look for the Creator and Producer software, the created and modified dates and whether the dates are close or far apart. A modified date later than the created date suggests it was saved again. See also how to tell if a PDF has been edited.

What metadata cannot tell you

Metadata is written by software and can be changed or stripped, and many tools reset it when saving. It does not show who wrote the document. For file dates generally, see how to see when a file was created.

If you need an independent date for a PDF, 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. A TimeBind shows a file existed by a recorded time and has not changed since. It does not register copyright, is not legal advice and does not by itself prove who made the file.

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

How do I check PDF metadata online?

Online viewers exist, but they usually require uploading the file. Use a local tool for sensitive documents.

Can PDF metadata be changed?

Yes. Free tools can edit or remove it, so treat it as a clue.

Does a PDF’s modified date prove when it was written?

No. It is the date the software recorded when it was last saved.

Is the author field reliable?

No. It is often filled automatically from the software’s settings and can be edited.

Sources

ExifTool, exiftool.org.
TimeBinder, Compare EXIF metadata vs timestamp.

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.