TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Content Credentials record where an image came from and how it was edited. A TimeBind answers a different question: did this exact file exist by a certain time?
Content Credentials are the most visible attempt so far to label where an image, video or audio file came from. If you make photos, designs or art, you are likely to be asked about them, and your tools may already offer to add them. They are useful, and they are often misunderstood.
This guide sets out what Content Credentials are according to the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) and the C2PA, how to switch them on in Photoshop, what they cannot do, and a simple routine that pairs them with a dated record. It does not cover every camera or app, because availability changes by model and version. It is general information, not legal advice.
Table of Contents
What Content Credentials are
The CAI describes Content Credentials as verifiable metadata, a kind of nutrition label for digital content. They can say who produced a piece of content, when, and which tools and editing steps were used, depending on what the implementing tool supports and what the person applying them chooses to include. They are built on the technical standard from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA).
Unlike ordinary metadata, Content Credentials are cryptographically signed. The CAI says that if someone changes the content or the attached data after signing, the change can be seen. That is the key idea: a signed record that makes later changes visible.
What they do not do
The limits matter as much as the features, and the CAI and C2PA are clear about them in their own FAQs.
- They do not say whether an image is “real”. The CAI says Content Credentials give information about origin and history but are not intended to indicate whether content is real or fake.
- The name shown may not be the owner. The CAI says the name in Content Credentials may not match the person or organisation that owns the content, and that including an identity is optional.
- They are not rights management. The CAI says it does not enforce permissions for access to content.
- They can be separated from the file. The C2PA says manifests are typically embedded in an asset but can be separated. It describes “durable” credentials, using soft bindings such as invisible watermarking or fingerprinting, to help find the credential again if it is removed.
That last point has a practical effect: an image with no credentials is not evidence that anything is wrong with it. Many files will simply have none, or will have lost them when shared.
Where Content Credentials come from
| Source | What the CAI says | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Cameras | Leica launched the M11-P as the first camera with Content Credentials built in; the CAI later announced the SL3-S. It says Nikon and Canon are among its collaborators | Support, firmware and any licence differ by model. Check your maker’s own page for your exact camera |
| Editing software | Adobe Photoshop can attach attribution details and edit history when you export | You choose whether to turn it on, per the steps below |
| Generative AI tools | If an AI tool supports Content Credentials, they can indicate that an image was generated with AI | Only tools that support the standard add them |
| Phones and apps | The CAI mentions the ProofMode app and Qualcomm Snapdragon with Truepic, as examples of capture-time support | Examples, not a complete list |
Because the list changes quickly, we do not give a model-by-model table. Use the maker’s page for your camera or phone, and read what it says about whether credentials are on by default.
Turn them on in Photoshop
Adobe’s help page for Photoshop (last updated 25 August 2026) gives the steps, which Adobe labels beta:
- Choose Window then Content Credentials (Beta).
- Select Enable Content Credentials.
- To make it the default, open Photoshop then Settings then History & Content Credentials and choose the option to enable it for new and saved documents, so edits are captured from start to finish.
- When you export, choose the export option that attaches Content Credentials. Adobe’s page says they attach attribution information and editing history on export.
Menus change between versions, so treat these steps as a guide and check Adobe’s page for your version. Think before you attach your name or other identity details. The CAI says including identity is optional and recommends an opt-in approach.
How to read them
The CAI runs a Verify site where you can inspect Content Credentials on a file. You can also check in your browser whether a file carries a C2PA manifest and read what it declares. That checker does not verify the signature, so use the official Verify tool for that. Some platforms also show a small badge on images that carry them. When you read a credential, ask three questions: who signed it, what does it claim about the tools used, and has the file changed since signing. A valid credential says the signed claims match the file as signed. It does not make the claims true.
A routine that works alongside them
- Keep the native files. RAW photos, layered PSDs and project files show the work behind an export. Our guides cover RAW photos and PSD files.
- Turn on credentials where your tools support them. Switch them on at capture or in your editor, and decide what identity detail to include.
- Export with credentials, and keep the signed original. Platforms can strip metadata when you upload, so keep your own copy.
- Date the set before you post. Fingerprint the native files and the final export together, so you have a record that does not depend on a platform keeping metadata.
- Write down the story. A short note of when and where you made the work helps if you are ever asked, as in our guide on proving a photo is not AI.
Content Credentials and a TimeBind side by side
| Question | Content Credentials | TimeBind |
|---|---|---|
| What is recorded? | Origin and edit history, as signed by a tool | The exact file’s fingerprint, and a recorded time |
| Who makes the record? | The camera, app or AI tool that signs it | You, in your browser; the file stays on your device |
| Does it survive sharing? | Can be separated from the file; durable options exist | A separate record that does not depend on the file’s metadata |
| What can it show? | Signed claims about origin and edits | That this exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches |
| What can it not show? | Whether content is “real”; who owns it | Who made it, who owns it, or whether it is AI-made |
They are complementary. Our full comparison goes into the detail.
How a TimeBind fits, and what it does not show
A TimeBind is a dated, checkable record that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. Fingerprinting your native files and exports before you publish gives you a record that stays valid whether or not a platform keeps your Content Credentials.
A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. TimeBinder makes the fingerprint in your browser and the file stays on your device. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, or that anyone agreed to it. TimeBinder does not detect AI, and a TimeBind does not read, add or replace Content Credentials. It complements Content Credentials and your own working records; it does not replace them. This is general information, not legal advice.
A C2PA manifest is one kind of provenance signal. The AI watermark and label decoder puts it next to SynthID results and platform AI labels, and states what each one cannot show.
Menu and restaurant ads are one place generated food photos now circulate. The free Real or AI? food ads quiz is a six-round practice test. Spotting by eye is unreliable, and the quiz cannot tell you whether a file you hold is AI-made.
Content Credentials sit beside, and do not replace, a dated copy of the camera original. The free published photo record checklist helps you review those files before you publish, and if a shot is later questioned. It cannot decide a C2PA or watermark result.
Frequently asked questions
Are Content Credentials the same as a watermark?
No. The CAI says they are sometimes described as watermarks, but watermarking is only one piece of an approach that can combine secure metadata, watermarking and fingerprinting.
Do Content Credentials prove an image is not AI?
No. The CAI says they are not intended to show whether content is real. If an AI tool supports them they can indicate that an image was generated with AI, and a supporting camera can show it captured the image.
What if a platform removes the credentials?
The C2PA says manifests can be separated from an asset, and that durable credentials using watermarking or fingerprinting can help recover them. Keep your own signed original.
Do I have to put my name in Content Credentials?
No. The CAI says identity information is optional and recommends an opt-in approach.
Can a TimeBind show that a file has Content Credentials?
No. A TimeBind records an exact file’s fingerprint and a recorded time. It does not read or verify Content Credentials. Use a Verify tool for that.
What does it cost to date my files?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
Sources checked
Checked on 11 November 2026. We quote only what these documents say and mark where a point depends on your own rules or local law. Anything we could not verify from a primary source is left out.
- Content Authenticity Initiative: How it works and FAQ: what Content Credentials are, limits, optional identity, Leica, Nikon and capture-time examples
- C2PA FAQs: stripped metadata, durable credentials and soft bindings
- Adobe: Content Credentials in Adobe Photoshop (last updated 25 August 2026): steps to turn on and the settings path
- Content Authenticity Initiative: Content Credentials arrives in the Leica SL3-S: Leica M11-P and SL3-S
- Content Credentials Verify site: inspect Content Credentials on a file
- TimeBinder pricing: Pooled and ASAP prices
Date your next set before you post it
Fingerprint the native files and the final export together, then post. Your record stays valid even if a platform strips the metadata. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Prices checked 11 November 2026. See plans and pricing. Open TimeBinder
