How to change the created date of a PDF

Where is a PDF’s creation date stored?

There is the filesystem creation date shown by Finder, plus date information embedded inside the PDF. Standard PDF metadata can include CreationDate in the Info dictionary and CreateDate in XMP metadata. A viewer and Finder can report different dates because they read different places.

A PDF exported today from an older Word file is a new PDF document. Its creation metadata may reflect the export, while a date on the page reflects the source material. Decide which property you want to correct before editing.

Change the PDF creation date on Mac

1. Close the PDF in any application that might save changes, then add it to WordDate.
2. Compare Created under Finder and PDF in Current dates.
3. Enable Set dates separately. Choose Created and set Modified to the value you want to keep.
4. Review After applying and any optional additional date properties. Created must be on or before Modified.
5. Choose Save a copy or Update original, then Apply dates.
6. Re-add the saved PDF to WordDate. Check Finder’s Get Info as well as the embedded PDF dates.

Keep the existing PDF content

WordDate changes date metadata using its bundled PDF helper. It retains pages, text, form fields, annotations, links, bookmarks, images and attachments without flattening the file.

Printing to PDF is a different workflow that creates another document and can change interactive features. You do not need to reprint a file simply to adjust its supported date properties. Dates visibly written on a page are content and are not changed by WordDate.

Check the saved PDF, not just its filename

Supported PDFs can be up to 256 MB. Encrypted and digitally signed files are rejected. A PDF has no standard Last Printed date, so WordDate shows Created and Modified rather than the three standard properties used for Word and Excel.

The app updates standard PDF Info and XMP date fields, but dates belonging to embedded objects and other XMP namespaces are outside its scope. A later edit or transfer may change date values again.