If you have a template or other type of document that regularly requires the date to be updated, you can make Microsoft Word 2016 or 2013 display a date that automatically updates. This is much easier than remembering to update it manually yourself.
- Place the mouse cursor in the area where you would like the date to appear.
- Select the “Insert” tab.
- Under the “Text” group, select “Quick Parts” > “Field“.
- Under the “Categories” box, select “Date and Time“.
- “CreateDate” – Displays date the document was created.
- “PrintDate” – Displays date the document was printed.
- “SaveDate” – Displays date the document was last saved.
- Select the date and time format that you want in the “Date formats” box.
- Select “OK” when ready, and you’re done.
Note: The date may not update in your document unless you close, then re-open the file or right-click the field and select “Update Field“.
Now the date in your document will be inserted into the document and will update automatically based on the selection you made whenever you open the Word 2016 or 2013 document.
Mike says
OK, when I do this, I get “XXX, XXX 00, 0000”, and I cannot modify it!
roger lane says
Hi, I have a different problem. we need to update 100s of files which have multiple dates in each file and we want to update the dates by adding a year. Is there any smart way of doing this economically please? Thanks
Gaye says
hi – I have a template that has automatic fields in the footer but for some reason when I save the document I’m working in, the date will appear in the footer next to one of the fields for no reason. Sometimes it does it when I pdf a word document – it wont be in the word doc but will be in the pdf doc and I then have to go and take it out on every page which is very frustrating as I format long reports.
Has anyone had this problem before and how do I stop it from happening??
thanks
Calin says
I was able to get around this issue with 2 solutions :
1) Create a Macro that will use Ctrl+Shift+F9 to un-link the date field and convert the current field value to plain text – macro must be run prior to saving the document
2) Create a macro that will insert the date in plain text by using the Date/Time Button
You can also create a coded macro (VBA) that will create date once the document is started, but that is something for VBA coders.
Marc E. says
Just highlight the date and hit CTL+shift+F9 and it will stop updating
Mark G says
LOL, began of its own accord… Someone updated your document so that it would insert the date, to undo this you simply highlight the field and hit delete, save and job done.
Keef Wright says
I think some people have missed the “Updates Itself Automatically” that is what it is meant to do.
Michele Gilbert says
Has anyone found a fix to Monty and John Lucas’s problem? I, too, am having the problem with the date changing to the current date when I open a document I created months ago. My boss is having this problem with documents he received from the outside as well as documents he created. He is also experiencing a problem with dates within the document updating to the current date, e.g. dates of approval for events or licenses.
There must be a way to shut this off. Has Microsoft addressed this yet to the best of anyone’s knowledge?
Alex says
Monty Vierra, try using the CreateDate type.
scott wallis says
‘How dumb can Microsoft be’ – Hmm….your problem seems to be between your keyboard and screen :) The answer to this is in the article, ‘CreateDate’ is based on the creation date of the document, not the current date which is the ‘Date’ function. If you need it renewing copy the contents of the file to a new word doc, which will have a new creation date.
Anna Martin says
This is great information, I would also like to know how to do this in Excel 2013. Thanks.
Jose says
How about updating automatically with the PREVIOUS month instead of the current one? I need to make monthly reports of the previous month, so, this would be handy to know!
Jasmine Samlall says
I would like to change the date format to read e.g., “December 11, 2014”. How do I do that.Thank you.
John Lucas says
Got the same problem, every time I open up an old document Office changes the date to the present time…….totally useless as I need to have the original date it was created.
How dumb can Microsoft be, having a function like that which from what I see, can not be switched off!
I have to go back to my file properties and find the original date and manually add it. Absolutely frustrating.
Monty Vierra says
I have the opposite problem: I need to turn off the date field.
It began, of its own accord, to insert today’s date in every document. But I need the original dates of the documents.
Any idea how to solve this?