How to Verify C2PA Photos and Qualified Timestamps Online

If you received a timestamped photo or video for a rental inspection, property handover, or damage claim, you can check it online before relying on it. This guide shows how to verify its C2PA provenance, qualified timestamp, capture order, and alteration status.

Prepare the original evidence file

Use the exact file you received, not a screenshot, compressed copy, or image exported from a messaging app. Re-saving media can remove its provenance information or change the file that was originally sealed. The deciding factor among productivity products is whether they support this exact workflow.

Before checking, confirm:

• The file opens normally and has not been renamed as part of an export process.
• You have every photo or video in the relevant capture sequence.
• Any accompanying report or QR code points to the intended verification page.
• You know what event the evidence should document, such as a handover or inspection.

A verification page is most useful when the file comes from a C2PA conformant evidence capture process. C2PA provenance can record how a file was created and whether later changes are visible in its history.

1. Open the online verification page

Follow the verification link or scan the QR code in the evidence report. If no link is provided, use the sender’s stated verification page rather than uploading the file to an unknown service.

An online photo authenticity verification tool should explain its results in plain language. Look for an upload area, a file status, and separate results for provenance, timestamp, and alterations.

Upload the original photo or video. Do not edit, crop, rotate, or convert it first.

For example, a property manager checking a handover image should upload the supplied original, not a version with a new label added in a PDF.

2. Check the C2PA provenance

Find the C2PA or provenance result and confirm that it is present and valid. This indicates that the file contains signed information about its origin or processing history.

Check the displayed details against the situation:

• Is the file type and name expected?
• Does the capture sequence match the inspection order?
• Are the recorded date, time, and location consistent with the event?
• Does the signer or capture record match the expected evidence workflow?

C2PA does not by itself prove that every statement in a file is true. It helps you inspect the file’s signed history and identify changes after signing. For structured property inspections products, compare the result with the checklist and required views.

3. Confirm the qualified timestamp

Next, review the timestamp result. A qualified timestamp is an independent time assertion applied to the complete file. In an eIDAS context, the result should identify qualified timestamping rather than merely displaying the device clock.

Look for:

• A valid qualified timestamp status
• The date and time shown with the relevant time zone
• The file or evidence sequence covered by the timestamp
• A statement that the timestamp is connected to the verified file

This is the key distinction between an eidas qualified timestamp photo and a photo that only shows a date overlay. An overlay is useful context, but it can be edited. Qualified timestamping helps verify when the sealed evidence existed.

4. Verify the photo has not been altered

Review the alteration or integrity result. A passing result generally means the uploaded file still matches the signed evidence. A warning or failure means the file may have been edited, converted, damaged, or separated from its original provenance.

If the result fails:

1. Ask for the original capture file.
2. Request the complete sequence, not an isolated screenshot.
3. Avoid opening and re-saving the file in an editor.
4. Compare the file hash or verification result if the page provides one.
5. Record the verification date and result in the case file.