How to Change PDF Creation Date?  (Step by Step)

Knowing how to change the PDF creation date can be crucial in situations where you want to show an old PDF document as a new one. So, follow the guide below and change the dates of your documents.

Part 1. Can You Change the Created Date on a PDF?

The answer to this question may vary according to the given circumstances. For example, if you want to change the creation date of a PDF document that is mentioned in the document as text, footer, header, or in a fillable form, you can change that to the desired Date with ease.

However, when you want to change the creation date of a PDF document from its metadata/file properties, you cannot edit that to the desired Date. The only thing you can do is to edit to the current Date by creating a copy of that document.

Part 2. How to Change Created Date on PDF With UPDF?

UPDF PDF editing tool not only allows you to edit PDF text, links, images, comments, etc., but you can also change the Date in a PDF. Whether the Date is mentioned as text, in the footer or header, or it is present in a fillable form, UPDF can help you do that easily. So, you may download it on your PC and try all the different ways to change the created date on PDF as discussed below:

Way 1. Change Created Date on PDF Via Editing

Although it is the simplest way of editing a date in a PDF document, it is only applicable when the Date is mentioned as text. Otherwise, this method won’t work. However, below are the steps that you can try on your PDF document.

1. Go to the Edit PDF option.

Double-click the PDF file, and it will open in UPDF if you have set it as your default PDF opening tool. From the reader mode, you need to go to the “Edit PDF mode” by clicking its option in the left menu.

2. Click on Date and Edit

Now, UPDF will allow you to edit any text in the document. You need to click on the Date, and it will start showing the typing cursor. Now, you may edit the Date to the desired Date and save it.

So, if your PDF document has a date added as text, you may download UPDF and try these steps.

Way 2. Change Created Date on PDF Via Footer and Header

Sometimes, a date is added to a PDF document using the Header or Footer so that it appears on every page of the document. With UPDF, you can also change that Date with the following simple steps after downloading it:

1. Go to Page Tools and select the Edit Header & Footer option

As you open a PDF document, it will be in reader mode. Click Page Tools from the left side of your screen and then click the Header & Footer option from the top bar. An option will appear on the right side where you need to click Edit.

2. Change the Date according to requirements.

Now, you may change the Date as per your requirements, change the format of the Date, and change its color, font, and placement. Hence, UPDF provides a complete experience of editing dates.

Way 3. Change Created Date on Fillable PDF

Does your PDF document come with a date mentioned inside a fillable field? If it is so, you can use UPDF to easily edit those fields and change the Date with these steps.

1. Open PDF document in Reader mode

To open PDF in UPDF reader mode, you simply need to double-click the PDF file icon. If UPDF is not your default PDF opener, double-click to open UPDF first and then use the Open File option to open the PDF document.

2. Edit the fillable field to modify the Date.

Now, you need to click on the fillable field. It will either let you type in it or, in this case, show a dropdown menu of the Date. Scroll down to select Date, month, and year accordingly, and you will have the desired Date.

It's that simple to edit the Date in UPDF when it is added to fillable forms. So, download it and easily change the date of your PDF document to the desired Date.

Way 4. Change PDF Metadata Creation Date Via Saving As

UPDF supports this Save As feature, where you can create a copy of your PDF documents without affecting the original document. When the copy document is created, its metadata is also created for that specific Date. So, you can change the Date, but it can only be changed to the latest or current Date and not to the Date of your choice.

1. Open PDF and click Save as Other.

Double-click to open PDF in UPDF, and from the right side, click Save as Other.

2. Use Save As and save

From the list of saving options, you need to choose Save AS and save it with the name of your choice to any location on your PC. A new file will be created this way so it will have its metadata date of the current Date.

So, if you want to change the metadata date of your PDF document and you have no issues with changing it to the current Date, then you can download and use UPDF for the purpose.

Also Read: Learn How to Add Date to PDFwith These 3 Simple Tricks

Part 3. How to Change PDF Created Date Online Via PDFfiller

If you want to use an online tool for editing the Date of creation in a PDF document, you can use PDFfiller since it is a reliable tool. However, it will only work in 3 ways, including text, header & footer, and fillable field dates. This method does not work for changing the metadata date of the PDF file. Below are detailed steps for each of these ways that PDFfiller can change the creation date.

Way 1: Change Created Date on PDF Via Editing Text

The first method involves editing text, and it only works when the Date is added to a PDF document like normal text. You may follow the steps below in PDFfiller to change the Date.

1. Upload the PDF and click on Date.

Open PDFfiller on the web and choose the PDF file from your PC. Once it uploads, you need to click on the text date.

2. Edit the text to change the Date.

The text date is now in editable form, so you can type to change it to the desired Date. However, be careful about the format of the Date.

Way 2. Change Created Date on PDF Via Footer and Header

If the Date is added in the header or footer of the document, the following steps will help you change it:

1. Upload PDF and click Add Watermark

When you upload a PDF in PDFfiller, and it takes you to reader mode, you need to click the Add Watermark option. This option is located on the right side of your screen in orange color.

2. Click Date and modify it.

Now click a date from the right side, and it will give you multiple options, including placement, size, format, etc., for setting the Date. You may use these to modify the document to your desired Date.

Way 3. Change Created Date on Fillable PDF

PDFfiller also lets you update the creation date in PDF documents when it is added in a fillable field with the following steps:

1. Upload the PDF and click the Fillable field

Open the PDF document in PDFfiller and click the fillable field in the document.

2. Change the date according to the type of fillable field

It will allow you to type in the field or give you a dropdown list. So, you can edit the Date according to the available options.

Final Words

There could be several reasons why you need to change the PDF creation date. However, regardless of the reason, you must choose a way of changing the creation date so that you get the most realistic results. Using a PDF editor like UPDF can help edit the data in its format, which ensures that the results look accurate. So, if you are looking to change the creation date of PDF files, download UPDF and try it today.