Get timestamp from when file is placed in folder

[cbrandsen]

Hi!

I'm looking for an option to get the date when a file is placed in a certain folder. My customer wants to get the files from that specific folder removed after e.g. 5 months, but I only found technical possibilities to check for 'date-created' or 'date-modified'. As far as I can tell, 'date-modified' doesn't get updated once you move a file from one folder to another. Has anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Greetings! 

[Nived_Nambiar]

Hi @cbrandsen 

if you use list folder /get files properties > the Created date would be shown as date when file is placed in folder 

Thanks & Regards,

Nived N 🚀

LinkedIn: Nived N's LinkedIn
YouTube: Nived N's YouTube Channel
Blog: Nived Nambiar's Blogs

🔍 Found my answer helpful? Please consider marking it as the solution!
Your appreciation keeps me motivated. Thank you! 🙌

[cbrandsen]

Hi @Nived_Nambiar,

Thanks! Just to make sure; will this value be updated too once a file is moved from one folder to another? The customer I'm making this flow for wants to work in a file, and when they're done with their case they want to archive it, from which point a timer should start running, and after for example 5 months the case should be deleted. Thanks in advance!

[Nived_Nambiar]

Hi @cbrandsen 

moving files won't change the created date/modified date. But another way would be to create the same file in folder 2 using create file option. Like first get file content of file present in file 1 and use that content to create same file in folder 2. That way Creation date and modified date would change in folder 2.

Thanks & Regards,

Nived N 🚀

LinkedIn: Nived N's LinkedIn
YouTube: Nived N's YouTube Channel
Blog: Nived Nambiar's Blogs

🔍 Found my answer helpful? Please consider marking it as the solution!
Your appreciation keeps me motivated. Thank you! 🙌

[David_MA]

I just had to double check this, but if you move a file in SharePoint through drag and drop, it does not alter the created or modified dates. 

If I move the file to the above folder, it retains the date stamps:

I am not sure how you would be able to tell when something is moved.

[David_MA]

If this is in SharePoint, I would test this and drag some files to another folder to see if the created or modified dates change. I did a couple tests, and they retained the original values.

[Nived_Nambiar]

Hi @David_MA 

I am nore sure which answer you are reffering here ?

Thanks & Regards,

Nived N 🚀

LinkedIn: Nived N's LinkedIn
YouTube: Nived N's YouTube Channel
Blog: Nived Nambiar's Blogs

🔍 Found my answer helpful? Please consider marking it as the solution!
Your appreciation keeps me motivated. Thank you! 🙌

[David_MA]

This message, Re: Get timestamp from when file is placed in fold... - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com) where you said the created date would be the date the file is moved into a folder. I tested it, and that would only be true of the file was initially created in the folder. If the file is just moved to another folder, it retains the original created date.

[cbrandsen]

Hi @David_MA, what you're saying is exactly what I'm having trouble with. Maybe the 'create file' function is an option for me, but I'm having doubts wheither that is what my customer wants. If that is the only option, then so be it. I'm curious if there are any other alternatives!

[David_MA]

I cannot think of anything that would give you what you need. I asked Copilot for an idea, and it returned information that was mostly unrelated to what you want to do. The only thing I can think of, which is probably not practical, would be to add a date field to your list named Folder Date. Then people would need to manually update this when they move the file to a new folder. It will be interesting to see if someone has a solution.

However, maybe take a different approach. When you mention the file is moved to a "specific folder," do you literally mean one specific folder? If so, use the trigger When an item or a file is modified and point it to that specific folder. Add a date field to your document library named Folder Date (or whatever) and use a trigger condition to see if the field is empty. If it is empty, populate it with the current date.

[Nived_Nambiar]

Hi @cbrandsen 

I could see some methods implemented via powershell on updating file metadata which includes created, modified 

https://www.sharepointdiary.com/2016/11/update-created-by-modified-by-created-at-modified-at-values-...

Will try to figure some other approaches meanwhile 🙂

Thanks & Regards,

Nived N 🚀

LinkedIn: Nived N's LinkedIn
YouTube: Nived N's YouTube Channel
Blog: Nived Nambiar's Blogs

🔍 Found my answer helpful? Please consider marking it as the solution!
Your appreciation keeps me motivated. Thank you! 🙌