How to timestamp a document without uploading it

Step 1: Start with the final version of your file

Open the document you want to protect and make sure it’s in its final form. If you edit it afterwards, even a small change, it will be treated as a different file.

A private workflow means the fingerprint is created right in your browser, so the original document never leaves your computer.

Step 2: Create the fingerprint and save the record

When you drop the file into proofd.id, only a unique fingerprint is sent to the record — not the file itself. This gives you a verifiable date without exposing the document.

Later, you or anyone else can check the proof by creating the fingerprint from the same file again. If it matches, the file is confirmed as unchanged.

• Always use the exact file version you want to protect.
• Save the certificate or verification link right away.
• Don’t rename, convert, or re-save the file and assume it’s still the same — any change creates a different fingerprint.

Step 3: Keep your evidence together

Save the original file alongside the PDF certificate. If relevant, add supporting context like contract drafts, emails, or project notes.

Having everything in one place makes verification easier later and gives you a stronger record if someone asks when the file was created.