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Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers about protecting PDFs before AI, creating proofs, privacy, timestamping and verification.
Looking for the full explanation?
The FAQ is for quick answers. For a clear path through Protect, timestamping, verification, SHA-256 and the underlying proof model, start with the HashMyWords Guide.
What does HashMyWords do?
HashMyWords creates cryptographic proof-of-existence records for files and text. Current File Proof and Protect workflows calculate the exact file SHA-256 locally and record that SHA-256 on Hedera, so anyone with the file can independently reproduce and check the fingerprint later.
What can a HashMyWords timestamp prove?
For a current file proof, the Hedera record can show that a particular SHA-256 was recorded by a particular consensus time. If a local file later produces exactly that SHA-256, it is an exact byte-for-byte match. A timestamp does not, by itself, prove authorship, ownership, identity, truth, authenticity or the original creation date of the material.
Does HashMyWords upload my file?
No. For File Proof and Protect, your browser processes the file locally and the file itself is not uploaded. The standard SHA-256 is intentionally submitted and recorded publicly on Hedera so it can be independently reproduced with ordinary SHA-256 tools. Filenames are not part of the Hedera message.
Is my file SHA-256 public?
Yes for current H2 File Proof and Protect records. The standard SHA-256 is intentionally public and persistent on Hedera. A SHA-256 is a fingerprint rather than the file contents, but anyone who already has a candidate file can calculate its hash and compare it with the public record. Earlier H1 proofs used a derived proof hash instead and remain verifiable under that historical format.
What does Protect do to a PDF?
Protect rebuilds a PDF locally in your browser, flattens ordinary form fields where present, removes interactive annotations and page actions, and deliberately does not carry source-only structures such as document JavaScript or embedded-file name trees into the rebuilt document. It then calculates the SHA-256 of the exact rebuilt PDF and records that fingerprint on Hedera so any later byte change can be detected.
Can I protect a PDF before uploading it to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or another AI tool?
Yes. Protect creates a hardened, timestamped reference PDF before you upload it to an AI service such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. You download that exact protected PDF and can upload it to the AI tool afterwards. HashMyWords does not upload the document to the AI service for you and is not affiliated with those providers.
Why protect and timestamp a PDF before uploading it to AI?
It gives you a verifiable reference copy of the exact PDF you chose to share at that point in time. If a later copy changes by even one byte, its SHA-256 will normally change and it will no longer match the earlier HashMyWords proof. This is tamper evidence and version evidence; it is not proof of authorship or ownership.
Does Protect stop ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or another AI provider from storing or training on my document?
No. Protect does not control an AI provider’s privacy, retention, model-training or data-use policies. It creates and timestamps a hardened reference copy before sharing. Review the privacy and data-control settings of the AI service before uploading confidential or sensitive material.
Is Protect encryption, DRM or a malware scanner?
No. Protect is PDF hardening plus tamper-evident timestamping. It does not encrypt the document, prevent copying or screenshots, guarantee that every possible malicious PDF technique has been removed, or certify that the document contents are safe or trustworthy.
What PDFs does Protect not support?
Protect v1 rejects encrypted or password-protected PDFs, XFA forms and PDFs that already contain digital signature fields. Rebuilding those documents could remove required behaviour or invalidate an existing signature, so HashMyWords rejects them rather than altering them silently.
What is the difference between a file proof and a text proof?
A current file proof records the standard SHA-256 of a file that stays on your device. A text proof timestamps words you enter. Public text can be stored and shown in public search. Private text stays in your browser and only a salted SHA-256 hash is submitted.
What is the difference between Public and Private text?
Public text is stored by HashMyWords and can appear in public search. Private text is not stored as plaintext by HashMyWords. Your browser combines the text with a random private salt and calculates a SHA-256 hash; only that hash and proof metadata are submitted. Keep your private receipt and original text because the receipt contains the salt needed to reproduce the same hash later.
What is the secret code?
The secret code is private proof credential material generated for your submission. HashMyWords stores only a one-way check value and cannot recover the original code for you. Save the code or receipt securely.
How do I verify a proof later?
Use Check secret code with the private code from your receipt when you want to confirm control of the HashMyWords record. For a file proof, use its public exact-file verification link to select the file locally: current H2 proofs compare the file SHA-256 directly with the SHA-256 recorded on Hedera, while historical H1 proofs continue to use their original proof format. Secret-code checking and exact-file verification are separate checks.
Do I need an account?
No. Core proof creation and verification work without an account. An optional account can organise confirmed proofs with private labels, Collections and Version history and can create revocable read-only share links.
Are Collections and Version histories recorded on Hedera?
No. Each underlying proof is independently anchored on Hedera. Collection membership, Version history membership, names and descriptions are private account metadata managed by HashMyWords and can change without changing the underlying Hedera proofs.
Why does HashMyWords use a database if the proof is on Hedera?
Hedera is the permanent proof layer, not the website database. HashMyWords uses its database for fast search, accounts, labels, collections, moderation and other application features. Changing or deleting application data does not rewrite a confirmed Hedera proof, and current H2 file proofs can be checked directly from Hedera evidence without trusting the HashMyWords database.
What if HashMyWords disappears?
The confirmed Hedera record remains on the public network independently of the HashMyWords database. For current H2 file proofs, anyone can calculate the file SHA-256 with standard tools and compare it directly with the SHA-256 recorded in the HCS message, without depending on HashMyWords software.
Can HashMyWords change or delete a confirmed Hedera timestamp?
HashMyWords can change or remove data in its own website database where applicable, but it cannot simply rewrite or delete a transaction or HCS message after it has been confirmed on Hedera.
Is HashMyWords a copyright registration service or legal advice?
No. HashMyWords is a technical timestamping and verification service. A cryptographic timestamp is not the same thing as copyright registration, a digital signature or professional legal advice, and its legal effect depends on the facts and applicable law.
Still need help?
If your question is about a specific proof, account, privacy request or service problem, use the Contact page.