Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Inserting the Date and Time.

Inserting the Date and Time

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 30, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Undoubtedly, the time will arise when you need to insert the current date or time in your document. This may be in the introduction of a letter or in a header or footer. Word allows you to quickly insert the date or time in several different formats. This information is inserted as a field which can be updated manually or is updated automatically when you print the document.

To insert the date or time into your document, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point where you want the date or time inserted.
Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
Click Date & Time in the Text group. Word displays the Date and Time dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Date and Time dialog box.

Select a format for the date or time.
Select the check box at the bottom of the dialog box if you want the selected date or time to always reflect whatever is current. If you choose this, it means that Word inserts the date or time as a field so that it always represents the current date or time.
Click on OK. The date or time, as specified, is inserted in your document.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10513) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Inserting the Date and Time.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is three more than 8?

2021-11-02 16:20:29

Just_Sayin'

Overkill, when all you have to do is have Word record the macro while you do the action, and Word even lets you assign it to a keystroke while you create it?!

2021-11-01 13:32:32

Just_Askin'

In Excel, the very useful shortcut ctrl-; inserts the current date into the current cell. I'm currently writing a journal in Word which requires a date before each entry. Is there any existing shortcut in Word to perform this short of creating a macro and assigning a key-stroke to it? That would seem like overkill.

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