---
title: "{date_created} Merge Tag"
date: 2026-04-23
author: "GravityKit"
link: "https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/merge-tags/date-created-merge-tag/"
---

### The `{date_created}` Merge Tag allows you to display the date an entry was created.

By default, the `{date_created}` Merge Tag will format the entry using the WordPress "Date Format" setting from the [General Options screen](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/settings-general-screen/).

### Example usage:

`{date_created}` will output `February 21, 2016`

### Add the time to the output

- `:time` Adds "`at [time]` " to the output, where `[time]` is formatted using the Time Format setting from the [General Options screen](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/settings-general-screen/).

### Format the output using [PHP date format](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/customize-date-and-time-format/)

Gravity Forms supports using merge tag modifiers on **any date field**: 

Use `:format` to define a custom format for the date output. The format must be defined after `:format` , then a colon, like this `:format:m/d/Y` .

If you want to use a colon in your output, you must escape the colon with a backslash, like this `:` .

### Examples:

- `{date_created}` will output `February 21, 2016`
- `{date_created:time}` will output `February 21, 2016 at 3:09 pm`
- `{date_created:format:m/d/Y}` will output `02/21/2016`
- `{date_created:format:m/d/Y at H:i:s}` will output `02/21/2016 at 15:09:12` - note the additional escape character `` before the colons.

## **{date\_created:human}**

### Let Gravity Forms decide how to output the date for you.

If the entry is *less than a day old*, it will output a relative date using the `[time] ago` format. This cannot be overridden. If you want to customize the format, use the `:diff` modifier and define a custom `:format` instead. See ":diff Modifier" below.

If the entry is *more than a day old*, it will output the date using the blog's Date Format setting. If the `:time` modifier is also defined, it will output " at " using the website's Date Format and Time Format settings.

### Examples:

- `{date_created:human}`
    - Older than 24 hours: `February 21, 2016` . Format based on blog Date Format setting.
    - If the entry is less than 24 hours old: `14 hours ago`
        
        Outputs using Human Time Difference format, but when using `:human` , the output template cannot be changed from `%s ago` like it can with `:diff` .

- `{date_created:human:time}`
    - If the entry is less than 24 hours old: `14 hours ago`
    - Older than 24 hours will output using blog date and time format: `February 21, 2016 at 3:09 pm`

## **{date\_created:diff}**

### Show how long ago an entry was created, not the date itself

`:diff` outputs the time difference from the entry creation date.

`{date_created:diff}` will output different values based on how long ago the entry was created. The standard format is `%s ago` , where `%s` is replaced by the time difference.

- `3 minutes ago`
- `14 hours ago`
- `28 days ago`
- `2 years ago`

When using `:diff` , `:time` and `:human` modifiers will not work.

 

### Override the format

You can use the `:format` parameter to **change the output template**. If we want to output "I submitted the form  in the past", we would use this Merge Tag: `{date_created:diff:format:I submitted the form %s in the past}` :

- `I submitted the form 3 minutes in the past`
- `I submitted the form 14 hours in the past`
- `I submitted the form 28 days in the past`
- `I submitted the form 2 years in the past`

Make sure to keep the `%s` intact; the `%s` represents where the time difference will be inserted.

## **Additional stand-alone modifiers**

You cannot combine these modifiers with other modifiers. If they exist in the Merge Tag, they will be used in the order defined, and the other modifiers will be ignored.

- `:raw` Return the date\_created value, as stored by Gravity Forms in the database (in `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` format).
    - Example: `{date_created:raw}` outputs `2016-02-21 15:09:24`
- `:timestamp` Return a Unix Timestamp of the entry creation. This is useful when comparing date values using `greater_than` and `less_than` in combination with the [ shortcode](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/shortcodes/gvlogic-shortcode/).
    - Example: `{date_created:timestamp}` generates `1456067364` ([see here](http://www.timestampgenerator.com/1456067364/#result))