TimeBinder

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Answer: document dates

How to prove a document existed on a dateFile dates are weak; a fingerprint record is stronger

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

Date Created and emailing a document to yourself are weak, because both can be changed later. A hash timestamp records a fingerprint of the exact file and a time. That shows this file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It does not prove authorship or that the text is true.

Why ordinary dates are easy to challenge

File-system timestamps such as Date Created and Date Modified are set by your computer or by software you control. They are useful clues. They are not an independent record. Emailing a document to yourself, sometimes called a “poor man’s copyright,” has the same problem: you control the account. See emailing yourself as proof and poor man’s copyright alternatives.

A stronger approach is to record a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact file at the time, then keep the file. Later, anyone can hash the file again and check it against the record. A TimeBind does this in the browser — the file is not uploaded — and anchors the record to Bitcoin. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; after that, from US$5; an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. For the free-option walk-through, see how to timestamp a document for free. For the wider methods, see how to prove a file existed before a date and how to timestamp a file.

What to date, and what a match shows

Date the final file you rely on, and any earlier draft you may need to show. If you edit the document, the fingerprint changes; make a new record of the new file and keep both. To see whether a later copy still matches, use how to tell if a file has been changed or the SHA-256 file hash checker.

A matching TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time. It does not show who wrote the document, that the contents are true, that you own the rights, or that it is the first version.

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

Is Date Created enough to prove the date?

No. Date Created and Date Modified can be changed by the operating system or by software you control. Treat them as a claim the computer makes, not as an independent record.

Does emailing the document to myself work?

It is weak. You control the mailbox, so the message date can be challenged. A hash timestamp recorded somewhere you do not control is stronger.

What if I edit the document later?

The edited file has a different fingerprint. Keep the dated original, and make a new record of the new version if you need to show that later file too.

Does this replace a notary or official filing?

No. A TimeBind dates the bytes of a file. It does not identify a signer, and it does not replace a notary, a court filing, or official registration in a country that has one.

Sources

Related guides and tools

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.

  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.