<p><code>dateCreated</code> and <code>dateUpdated</code> are pretty standard columns that you can find in pretty much every Craft database table. They store the date in which the row was created and last updated, respectively.</p>

<p><code>dateModified</code> is an assets-specific thing, and that stores the time that the <em>file</em> was last modified, according to the file system.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-27T16:29:26.267Z
Thanks. So dateUpdated is the attribute to order by if I want to produce a list of 'new' assets?
Bruce Johnson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-28T00:02:57.603Z
@BruceJohnson Probably `dateCreated`, since `dateUpdated` will get updated whenever you make changes on your asset’s metadata.
Brandon Kelly
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-28T00:42:41.750Z
I should have mentioned it before but that's exactly the behaviour I'm looking for. I want the most "newly updated" assets, if you like.
Bruce Johnson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-28T02:04:52.130Z
In that case `dateUpdated` is the way to go!
Brandon Kelly
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-25T23:03:45.847Z
2014-07-26T00:47:26.250Z
2014-07-26T00:47:26.250Z
Brandon Kelly
<p>Can someone explain exactly what each of the above refers to when talking about assets? In particular, the difference between dateModified and dateUpdated.</p>

<assets>
What is the difference between dateModified, dateCreated and dateUpdated?
# What is the difference between dateModified, dateCreated and dateUpdated?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-25)

Can someone explain exactly what each of the above refers to when talking about assets? In particular, the difference between dateModified and dateUpdated.

**Tags:** assets

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-07-25. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

`dateCreated` and `dateUpdated` are pretty standard columns that you can find in pretty much every Craft database table. They store the date in which the row was created and last updated, respectively.

`dateModified` is an assets-specific thing, and that stores the time that the *file* was last modified, according to the file system.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks. So dateUpdated is the attribute to order by if I want to produce a list of 'new' assets?  
> **username_1**: @BruceJohnson Probably `dateCreated`, since `dateUpdated` will get updated whenever you make changes on your asset’s metadata.  
> **username_0**: I should have mentioned it before but that's exactly the behaviour I'm looking for. I want the most "newly updated" assets, if you like.  
> **username_1**: In that case `dateUpdated` is the way to go!  

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