modifiedby

Modifiedby is a metadata field used in information systems to identify the user who last modified a record or object. It is commonly used alongside fields such as createdby, created_at, and modified_at to provide a lightweight trace of changes, supporting accountability and provenance in data management, content repositories, and application records.

In practice, modifiedby stores a reference to a user, typically a user ID or username. The field is often a foreign key to a users table in relational databases, or a token in NoSQL or directory systems. The corresponding timestamp in modified_at records when the update occurred. Some systems also store an unchanged copy of the previous value for display or rollback.

Limitations: modifiedby only captures the last editor and does not convey the full history of edits. For complete change tracking, many systems implement audit logs or revision histories that record every modification, including the editor, time, and changed fields. Privacy and data governance considerations may influence whether and how user identifiers are stored or displayed.

Usage contexts: enterprise content management, document repositories, customer data stores, and other records management solutions use modifiedby to support auditing, workflow visibility, and accountability. Variants include ModifiedBy, modifiedBy, or a combination with createdBy; naming conventions vary by platform. See also created_by, created_at, modified_at, revision history, and audit log.