gwp_date_created
The gwp_date_created Merge Tag returns a modified date time relative to the date time when the entry was created in the desired format.
Options
| modify (optional) | For available date time modifications, see https://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.formats.php#datetime.formats.relative. |
|---|---|
| format (optional, default =’Y-m-d H:i:s’) | For an explanation of available format options, see https://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.format.php. Regular characters can be escaped using a backslash (\). For example: ‘d/m/Y\ \a\t\ H:i:s’. |
| timezone (optional, default is WordPress timezone setting) | For available timezones, see https://www.php.net/manual/en/timezones.php. For example: Europe/Amsterdam It is also possible to use an offset value: +0200 |
Examples
{gwp_date_created modify="+1 day" format="d-m-Y H:i:s"}
When the entry is created on 2021-03-30 12:21:23 this returns ’31-03-2021 12:21:23′
{gwp_date_created modify="-1 day" format="d-m-Y"}
When the entry is created on 2021-03-30 12:21:23 this returns ’29-03-2021′
Use a field value in modify
The modify option supports nested merge tags: write a merge tag with *| and |* instead of curly brackets to use a value from the entry.
{gwp_date_created modify="+*|Number of days:3|* days" format="d-m-Y"}
gwp_date_created needs an entry, so it works in notifications, confirmations, GravityView, Gravity Flow and other places that run after submission. It returns nothing (or an error, depending on the plugin settings) in a field’s default value, because the entry does not exist yet.
For more modify examples, see Relative Date Formats in Gravity Forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use the {gwp_date_created} merge tag to show when an entry was created. By default, it returns the date and time in Y-m-d H:i:s format.
Example:
{gwp_date_created}
You can customize the display format using the format option.
For example, to show the date in day/month/year hours:minutes:seconds format:
Example:
{gwp_date_created format="d/m/Y H:i:s"}
Yes! The modify parameter supports a wide range of relative date and time phrases — not just simple day offsets. You can shift the displayed date using flexible terms like:
Specific days → “last monday”, “next friday”
Month-based → “first day of next month”, “last day of previous month”
Week-based → “this week”, “next week”
Advanced → “third wednesday of this month”
You can also combine these formats for very specific adjustments.
Example:
{gwp_date_created modify="first day of next month" format="d-m-Y"}
{gwp_date_created modify="last monday" format="d-m-Y"}
{gwp_date_created modify="third wednesday of this month" format="d-m-Y"}
You can apply the timezone option to display the date in your desired timezone.
Example:
{gwp_date_created timezone="Europe/Amsterdam" format="d-m-Y H:i:s"}
No. A default value is filled in before the entry exists, so {gwp_date_created} returns nothing there. Use it in notifications, confirmations, GravityView or Gravity Flow steps, which run after the entry is created; to store the value in a field, use a Gravity Flow step that updates the entry.
You can view a full guide on supported formats, modify options, and usage examples in our documentation: GravityWP Date Format & Modifiers Reference