diff --git a/file/handler/files.go b/file/handler/files.go
index ea83313..9a02d5a 100644
--- a/file/handler/files.go
+++ b/file/handler/files.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/micro/v3/service/errors"
 	log "github.com/micro/micro/v3/service/logger"
@@ -128,6 +129,13 @@ func (e *File) Save(ctx context.Context, req *file.SaveRequest, rsp *file.SaveRe
 	req.File.Project = filepath.Join(tenantId, req.File.Project)
 	req.File.Path = filepath.Join(req.File.Project, req.File.Path)
 
+	if len(req.File.Created) == 0 {
+		req.File.Created = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339Nano)
+	}
+
+	// set updated time
+	req.File.Updated = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339Nano)
+
 	// create the file
 	err := e.db.Create(req.File)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/file/proto/file.pb.go b/file/proto/file.pb.go
index f71d8aa..5e3d65d 100644
--- a/file/proto/file.pb.go
+++ b/file/proto/file.pb.go
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ type Record struct {
 	Project string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=project,proto3" json:"project,omitempty"`
 	// Path to file or folder eg. '/documents/text-files/file.txt'.
 	Path string `protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=path,proto3" json:"path,omitempty"`
-	// File contents. Empty for directories.
+	// File contents
 	Content string `protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=content,proto3" json:"content,omitempty"`
-	// Time the file was created, number of seconds since Unix epoch
-	Created int64 `protobuf:"varint,4,opt,name=created,proto3" json:"created,omitempty"`
-	// Time the file was updated, number of seconds since Unix epoch
-	Updated int64 `protobuf:"varint,5,opt,name=updated,proto3" json:"updated,omitempty"`
+	// Time the file was created e.g 2021-05-20T13:37:21Z
+	Created string `protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=created,proto3" json:"created,omitempty"`
+	// Time the file was updated e.g 2021-05-20T13:37:21Z
+	Updated string `protobuf:"bytes,5,opt,name=updated,proto3" json:"updated,omitempty"`
 	// Any other associated metadata
 	Metadata map[string]string `protobuf:"bytes,6,rep,name=metadata,proto3" json:"metadata,omitempty" protobuf_key:"bytes,1,opt,name=key,proto3" protobuf_val:"bytes,2,opt,name=value,proto3"`
 }
@@ -93,18 +93,18 @@ func (x *Record) GetContent() string {
 	return ""
 }
 
-func (x *Record) GetCreated() int64 {
+func (x *Record) GetCreated() string {
 	if x != nil {
 		return x.Created
 	}
-	return 0
+	return ""
 }
 
-func (x *Record) GetUpdated() int64 {
+func (x *Record) GetUpdated() string {
 	if x != nil {
 		return x.Updated
 	}
-	return 0
+	return ""
 }
 
 func (x *Record) GetMetadata() map[string]string {
@@ -606,9 +606,9 @@ var file_proto_file_proto_rawDesc = []byte{
 	0x04, 0x70, 0x61, 0x74, 0x68, 0x18, 0x02, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x09, 0x52, 0x04, 0x70, 0x61, 0x74,
 	0x68, 0x12, 0x18, 0x0a, 0x07, 0x63, 0x6f, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x18, 0x03, 0x20, 0x01,
 	0x28, 0x09, 0x52, 0x07, 0x63, 0x6f, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x12, 0x18, 0x0a, 0x07, 0x63,
-	0x72, 0x65, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64, 0x18, 0x04, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x03, 0x52, 0x07, 0x63, 0x72,
+	0x72, 0x65, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64, 0x18, 0x04, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x09, 0x52, 0x07, 0x63, 0x72,
 	0x65, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64, 0x12, 0x18, 0x0a, 0x07, 0x75, 0x70, 0x64, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64,
-	0x18, 0x05, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x03, 0x52, 0x07, 0x75, 0x70, 0x64, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64, 0x12,
+	0x18, 0x05, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x09, 0x52, 0x07, 0x75, 0x70, 0x64, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64, 0x12,
 	0x36, 0x0a, 0x08, 0x6d, 0x65, 0x74, 0x61, 0x64, 0x61, 0x74, 0x61, 0x18, 0x06, 0x20, 0x03, 0x28,
 	0x0b, 0x32, 0x1a, 0x2e, 0x66, 0x69, 0x6c, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x52, 0x65, 0x63, 0x6f, 0x72, 0x64, 0x2e,
 	0x4d, 0x65, 0x74, 0x61, 0x64, 0x61, 0x74, 0x61, 0x45, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x72, 0x79, 0x52, 0x08, 0x6d,
diff --git a/file/proto/file.proto b/file/proto/file.proto
index 9f3f588..5e8ff93 100644
--- a/file/proto/file.proto
+++ b/file/proto/file.proto
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ message Record {
 	string project = 1;
 	// Path to file or folder eg. '/documents/text-files/file.txt'.
 	string path = 2;
-	// File contents. Empty for directories.
+	// File contents
 	string content = 3;
-	// Time the file was created, number of seconds since Unix epoch
-	int64 created = 4;
-	// Time the file was updated, number of seconds since Unix epoch
-	int64 updated = 5;
+	// Time the file was created e.g 2021-05-20T13:37:21Z
+	string created = 4;
+	// Time the file was updated e.g 2021-05-20T13:37:21Z
+	string updated = 5;
 	// Any other associated metadata
 	map<string,string> metadata = 6;
 }