ModifiedDate

ModifiedDate is a timestamp field that records the most recent time an object, record, or document was changed. It is commonly used in data models, content management systems, and file metadata to support auditing, synchronization, caching, and user-facing sorting by recency. In practice, ModifiedDate is often paired with CreatedDate or CreatedAt to provide a full history of an item’s lifecycle.

In relational databases, ModifiedDate is typically stored as a date-time type. Many systems implement automatic updates so the field changes whenever the record is updated, ensuring the timestamp reflects the latest modification without manual intervention. Common approaches include database triggers or ORM features that refresh the field on each save. In contrast, some file systems track a file’s modification time (mtime) at the file level, which can differ from application-level change events.

Time zone handling is an important consideration. Storing ModifiedDate in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and converting to local time for display helps avoid inconsistencies across regions and during daylight saving transitions.

Practical uses of ModifiedDate include sorting items by latest activity, determining stale data for cache invalidation, implementing optimistic locking for concurrency control, and driving synchronization and replication strategies.

Related concepts include CreatedDate, LastModifiedDate, UpdatedAt, and audit trails. While useful, ModifiedDate should be designed with clock accuracy, time zone policy, and privacy considerations in mind.