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8.2 Creating Timestamps

For Org mode to recognize timestamps, they need to be in the specific format. All commands listed below produce timestamps in the correct format.

C-c . (org-time-stamp)​

Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding timestamp. When point is at an existing timestamp in the buffer, the command is used to modify this timestamp instead of inserting a new one. When this command is used twice in succession, a time range is inserted.

When called with a prefix argument, use the alternative format which contains date and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5 minutes. See the option org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes.

With two prefix arguments, insert an active timestamp with the current time without prompting.

C-c ! (org-time-stamp-inactive)​

Like C-c ., but insert an inactive timestamp that does not cause an agenda entry.

C-c C-c​

Normalize timestamp, insert or fix day name if missing or wrong.

C-c < (org-date-from-calendar)​

Insert a timestamp corresponding to point date in the calendar.

C-c > (org-goto-calendar)​

Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a timestamp in the current line, go to the corresponding date instead.

C-c C-o (org-open-at-point)​

Access the agenda for the date given by the timestamp or -range at point (see Weekly/daily agenda).

S-LEFT (org-timestamp-down-day)​

S-RIGHT (org-timestamp-up-day)​

Change date at point by one day. These key bindings conflict with shift-selection and related modes (see Conflicts).

S-UP (org-timestamp-up)​

S-DOWN (org-timestamp-down)​

On the beginning or enclosing bracket of a timestamp, change its type. Within a timestamp, change the item under point. Point can be on a year, month, day, hour or minute. When the timestamp contains a time range like ‘15:30-16:30’, modifying the first time also shifts the second, shifting the time block with constant length. To change the length, modify the second time. Note that if point is in a headline and not at a timestamp, these same keys modify the priority of an item (see Priorities). The key bindings also conflict with shift-selection and related modes (see Conflicts).

C-c C-y (org-evaluate-time-range)​

Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and end. With a prefix argument, insert result after the time range (in a table: into the following column).

• The date/time prompt  How Org mode helps you enter dates and times.
• Custom time format  Making dates look different.