Feature Request: Preserve or Modify Folder “Last Modified” Timestamps During Sync and Upload

[Thebinoman]

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Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Yes. I am trying to migrate years of data from another cloud drive into Nextcloud.
File timestamps are preserved correctly, but folder “Last Modified” timestamps are always overwritten during sync or upload. This destroys the chronological structure of my archive.

This is the only deal-breaker preventing me from fully migrating to Nextcloud.
Without folder timestamp preservation, I lose important historical information about my data.

I am aware of issue #15192, but it discusses timestamp inconsistencies in general and focuses mostly on files. It does not address the specific need to preserve or modify folder timestamps.

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Describe the solution you'd like

I would like Nextcloud to support one or both of the following:

1. Preserve folder “Last Modified” timestamps during sync
   When the desktop client uploads a folder, it should send the folder’s original modification time to the server, just like it already does for files.

2. Allow modifying folder timestamps via API or WebDAV
   If direct preservation is not possible, an API endpoint or WebDAV extension would allow migration tools to restore folder timestamps after upload.

Either solution would make it possible to migrate long‑standing folder structures without losing their historical context.

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Describe alternatives you've considered

• Accepting timestamp loss — not viable for archival or chronological workflows.
• Storing timestamps in metadata files — possible but impractical and breaks the natural folder view.
• Using ZIP/TAR archives — preserves timestamps internally but defeats the purpose of cloud file access.
• Using other cloud services — some preserve folder timestamps, but I would prefer to use Nextcloud.

None of these alternatives solve the core problem: Nextcloud does not store or sync folder timestamps at all.

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Additional context

Folder timestamps are meaningful in many workflows:

• Tracking when a project folder was last updated
• Maintaining chronological order of archives
• Preserving historical structure during migration
• Ensuring consistency with other cloud services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Icedrive, etc.)

Nextcloud already preserves file timestamps perfectly.
Adding folder timestamp preservation would make Nextcloud a complete solution for users migrating large, long‑term archives.

Thank you for considering this enhancement.