Organize Cloud Files by Created, Modified, or Backup Date

Dates are one of the few metadata fields shared by photos, videos, documents, exports and cloud objects. When filenames are meaningless and folders are inconsistent, a date-based destination gives you a predictable place to start.

Examples:

• A photographer needs all files created during a shoot.
• An agency needs exports modified during the current campaign.
• A business needs monthly snapshots of reports.
• An IT team needs each backup run separated from previous runs.
• A creator needs footage grouped by the date supplied by the source.

Blober uses dates in two ways: to filter which files qualify, and to place those files into date-based paths.

After selecting a source folder, expand Advanced Filters (Optional) in Source Configuration. Created Date Range can restrict the source to any time, the last 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, or 90 days.

After selecting the destination folder, expand Advanced Path Template (Optional). Date variables can then go anywhere in the destination path.

The source date filter currently checks file creation time. The path variable is a separate choice, so matching files can be arranged by created, modified, accessed or current processing date.

Use:

{current_date}
{current_datetime}

These are the date and time Blober processes the file, so they record when this workflow placed it there.

backup-runs/{current_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

Use them for snapshots and migration batches. They say nothing about when the file was created.

Use:

{file_created_date}
{file_created_datetime}

These use creation metadata reported by the source adapter.

created/{file_created_date}/{filename}

This often works for camera media and newly produced documents. Some cloud providers treat "created" as the time an object entered that service, which is not always the original camera capture time.

Use:

{file_modified_date}
{file_modified_datetime}

Modification time suits edited deliverables, reports, design exports and any file where the last save matters more than when it was first created.

last-edited/{file_modified_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

Use:

{file_accessed_date}
{file_accessed_datetime}

Access time can be useful on filesystems that maintain it accurately. It is often weaker for object storage, where an access timestamp may not be exposed, may not mean "last viewed," or may be mapped from other provider metadata. Preview real values from your source before you rely on it.

The date form gives one folder per day:

2026-07-20

The datetime form adds hours, minutes and seconds:

2026-07-20_14-30-00

Use a date for browsable daily folders. Use a datetime when you need to separate runs, reduce filename collisions or keep events in order.

For example:

exports/{file_modified_date}/{filename}

creates one folder per modification day, while:

exports/{file_modified_datetime}_{filename}

adds the timestamp to each filename.

A date-only template can merge files from unrelated source folders:

{file_created_date}/{filename}

To keep project or camera subfolders beneath the selected source boundary:

{file_created_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

Remember that {file_dir} is empty for directly selected files and files at a selected folder's root. Read how file_dir is calculated before using it as the only project identifier.

Select the whole wedding folder, include RAW and video extensions, and use:

originals/{file_created_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

This groups media by source-reported creation day and keeps the nested camera folders.

Select the reports folder and use:

report-archive/{current_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

Each time you run the workflow, the files go into a folder named for the day of that run. Use Copy so the working reports stay untouched.

Select campaign folders, include PDF/SVG/PNG/WebP, exclude draft folders, and use:

deliverables/{file_modified_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

The destination folders show when each deliverable was last changed.

When an export must be tied to the exact transfer:

exported/{current_datetime}/{file_dir}/{filename}

The folder name records when the workflow ran, even if the source dates are inconsistent.

Path templates use the dates each source reports. They don't use the EXIF capture date inside an image or work out a date from what the photo shows.

Before a large transfer:

1. Select a representative folder.
2. Enter the intended date template.
3. Review several source and destination examples.
4. Check files from different providers or upload histories.
5. Use Copy for the first run.

If the source reports upload time as creation time, the preview will show it. Then choose the modified date, the current date or a plain preserved hierarchy, based on the values you see in the preview.

What format do the date folders use? A _date variable gives a value like 2026-07-20, so each day gets its own folder. A _datetime variable adds hours, minutes and seconds, as in 2026-07-20_14-30-00.

Do path templates use a photo's EXIF capture date? No. They use the dates the source reports, not the EXIF data inside the image. Some cloud providers report the upload time as the creation date, so check the preview.

Which date variable should I use for backup snapshots? {current_date} or {current_datetime}, which record when the workflow processed the file. The date form gives each day's run a folder; the datetime form separates every run.

Can I filter the source by modified date? Not at the moment. The Created Date Range filter checks creation time only, but you can still arrange the matching files by {file_modified_date} in the path.

• Blober Path Templates: Organize Files During Transfer
• Copy, Organize, or Move Files With Blober