--- id: KB-SC-001 url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/smartcheck/certifying-a-piece-of-evidence idioma: en categoria: smartcheck subcategoria: empezar modulo: smartcheck audiencia: usuario actualizado: 2026-08-12 tambienEn: [es, fr, pt] relacionados: [KB-PS-001, KB-PS-002, KB-SC-002, KB-SC-003, KB-PS-018] citadoPor: [KB-PS-001, KB-CO-004, KB-SC-002, KB-SC-003, KB-SC-004, KB-CS-001, KB-CS-002, KB-CR-001, KB-IN-001, KB-TZ-002] enLaApp: https://app.codecontract.io/smartcheck --- # What SmartCheck is and how to certify a piece of evidence _Upload something and it is sealed with a demonstrable, immutable date, ready for when you are asked._ **Responde a:** how do I prove I had a document on a given date · give a document a trusted date · certify a document for an audit · what is SmartCheck · document timestamping SmartCheck exists for one very specific moment: the day someone — an inspector, a lawyer, a client, an auditor — says "prove to me you had this on date X". It asks nobody for anything and cross-checks nothing: it certifies and archives. **En corto** - It is for proving a document existed, exactly as it is, on a specific date. - Sealing is immediate: there is no overnight process to wait for. - You can also certify loose data, with no file behind it. - Certified items cannot be edited or deleted — that is the function, not a limitation. - SmartCheck does not read documents with AI: it seals them exactly as they arrive. ## What problem it actually solves The date on a file on your computer proves nothing: anyone can change it. An email with the document attached proves a little more, but it sits in your inbox and you control it. What you need when someone is going to be held to account is for a third party to be able to check the date without trusting either side. That is what SmartCheck does: it computes a unique fingerprint of the document, seals it with a timestamp, and records it in a way that makes any later alteration instantly detectable. **What happens when you certify** — The whole process happens in seconds, at upload time. The fingerprint is what makes it demonstrable that the file has not changed. ## How to certify a document 1. **Go to SmartCheck and create a folder** — For example "2026 audit". Organising by whatever criterion you will be asked about — quarter, site, client — saves time the day the request arrives. 2. **Click "Upload" and drop the file** — Any format: PDF, photo, spreadsheet, video, audio. It does not have to be a "formal" document. 3. **Wait a couple of seconds** — As soon as it uploads, its fingerprint is computed and sealed. There is no extra step to remember. 4. **Check it shows as certified** — The file is marked with the exact date and time of sealing. That is what counts as evidence. ## Certifying data with no document Not everything worth dating is a file. A sensor reading, a committee decision, a statement, a stock count: you fill in a form and it takes exactly the same path — fingerprint, seal and date — with no need to manufacture a PDF just to have something to upload. ## How it differs from the other two modules | What to look at | SmartCheck | Trackline | Consigne | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Who acts | Only you | Someone else delivers to you | Someone else signs | | Does it read the content? | No, it seals it as is | Yes, it extracts data with AI | No | | What it produces | A dated piece of evidence | A complete case file | A signed PDF | | What it is for | Proving it existed | Gathering what is missing | Proving an agreement | > [!NOTE] > SmartCheck not reading the document is deliberate. Nothing is interpreted here: what you uploaded is frozen exactly as it was. ## Frequently asked questions **Which formats does it accept?** Any. Certification works on the file as a sequence of bytes, so a video or an audio file is sealed just like a PDF. **How long does certification take?** Seconds, at upload time. No overnight jobs, no queues to wait for. **Can I certify something that is already in another module?** The modules are independent and each keeps its own. If you want a document certified in SmartCheck, upload it to SmartCheck. **What if the document changes in a month?** You certify the new version. Both remain, each with its own date, and that sequence is usually exactly what is worth proving. **Can certification be automated from another system?** Yes, there is a public API: an ERP or a quality system can certify each invoice or each record at the moment it is generated, without anyone having to remember. ## Ejemplos **An ISO 9001 company runs internal audits every quarter and always ends up arguing whether a record was made before or after the non-conformity.** - Creates one folder per quarter - Certifies each record the same day it is produced - Shares the evidence link with the auditor → The auditor checks the date of each record independently, without having to take anyone's word for it. **Proof is needed that a report existed on a given date.** - Timestamps the report the day it is closed → The date does not rest on anyone's word. **The file's modified date is relied upon.** - Timestamps the document instead of trusting the system → The date stops changing when the file is copied. **Something is sealed and then corrected.** - Seals the corrected version too → Both versions carry their own date. **You want to seal without revealing the content.** - Shares only the document's fingerprint → The proof travels without the content. **Nobody knows what has been sealed and when.** - Checks the evidence listing → The history is in plain view.