Get WordPress

Documentation

Post Date block

In this article

Back to top

Go to the List of Blocks

Use the Post Date block to display the date of the post. This block is primarily nested inside a query loop block and helps to customize the appearance of the query loop. 

To add a Post Date block, click the Block Inserter icon when editing the page template. Search for the Post Date block. Click on it to add the block to your page template.

Video showing how to add Post Date block

You can also type /post-date and hit enter in a new paragraph block to add the Post Date block quickly. 

Post date block can be added by typing /post-date.
How to add Post Date block quickly

Detailed instructions on adding blocks

Block toolbar

To view the block toolbar, click on the block and the toolbar will be displayed.

Every block comes with unique toolbar icons. These block-specific controls allow you to manipulate the block right in the editor.

The Post Date block shows five buttons in the block toolbar:

  • Transform to
  • Drag icon
  • Move arrows
  • Change text alignment
  • More options
Post date block toolbar block shows the available options in icon.
Post date block toolbar

Transform to:

Transform to shows in calendar icon in post date block toolbar.
Transform to options in post date block

Click on the “Transform” button to convert the Post Date block into a “Group” block or “Columns” block. 

Drag icon:

Drag icon beside the transform to option shows in two columns of three dots.
Drag icon in post date block toolbar

To drag and drop the block to a new location on the page template, click and hold the rectangle of dots, then drag to the new location. The blue separator line indicates where the block will be placed. Release the left mouse button when you find the new location to place the block.

Move arrows:

Move arrows option in post date block toolbar shows in up and down angle arrow icon.
Move arrows in post date block toolbar

The up and down arrow icons can be used to move the block up and down on the page.

Get more information about moving a block within the editor.

Change text alignment:

Change text alignment options in post date block toolbar shows in alignment icon beside the move arrows icon.
Change text alignment in post date block toolbar

Click the “Change alignment” button in the Block toolbar to display the alignment drop-down. You can align the block text to the left, make it center-aligned or align it to the right.

Change Date:

Click the “Change date” button in the Block toolbar to display a modal with date settings.

Next to alignment icon, change date option in post date block toolbar shows in pen icon.
Change Date in Post date block toolbar

You can select the publishing date and time through the input fields and options or select the date from the calendar. You can use the arrow buttons to change the month.
Click anywhere outside the modal, press the Escape key, or click on the button with the X to close the modal.

The publishing date modal has a close button at the top right corner and input fields for time, am or pm, month, day and year. Below the input field is a monthly calendar.
Publishing date modal for change date

More option:

These controls give you the option to copy, duplicate, and edit your block as HTML.

Read about these and other settings.

Block settings

In addition to the block toolbar, every block has specific options in the editor sidebar.

Sidebar can be enabled by using the icon next to publish button.
Sidebar icon to enable sidebar for Post Date block

If you do not see the sidebar, click the ‘sidebar’ icon next to the Publish button. The device icon between Save draft and Publish button shows the preview of the block.

After enabling the sidebar, the block section shows the settings and style for post date block.
Post Date block settings in the sidebar

Format

On this tab, you can select the format to display the date from the dropdown as shown below:

Default format option in Post Date block settings shows the list of date formats to choose from.
Post Date Format Settings

Turn on the ‘Link to post’ button in the Block Settings to link the post date to the URL of the post. This enables the website visitor to go to the post by clicking on the Post Date.

Link settings shows a toggle button to turn the Post Date into a link.
Link settings toggle button in the Post Date block sidebar

Last modified date

Enable the toggle option in the block settings sidebar, to display the last modified date.

The last modified date shows a toggle button to turn the post date into last modified date.
Enabled last modified date from Post Date block sidebar

This block only displays the modified date if the “Display last modified date” setting is enabled and the post has been modified. If the setting is enabled, but the post has not been modified, then nothing is shown on the front.

Video showing last modified date appears after modifying the post

Note:

The Post Date block changes into the Post modified Date block when you turn on the switch. You can also type /modified-date and hit enter to add the Post Modified Date block.

The post modified date block can be added quickly by typing /modified.
Adding Post Modified Date block quickly

Advanced

The “Advanced” tab lets you add CSS class(es) to your block. This will allow you to write custom CSS and styles to the block.

Advanced setting in Post Date block shows a text field to add CSS class.
Advanced setting in Post Date block

Color

You can customize the text color, background color, and link color for the Post Date block. The color options available will vary based on the theme.

Color setting from Post Date block style in the sidebar shows colors to add in the Text, Background and in Link.
Color settings from the post date block style

See this guide for more information about changing colors.

Typography

On this tab, you can adjust the Font size, Font family, Appearance, Line height, Letter case, and Letter-spacing. 

To access all the typography options click on the + button in the right corner of the Typography tab. The following video shows using the typography support for post date block:

Video showing typography for post date block style

Get more details about changing typography settings.

Dimension

Padding and Margin can be quite useful for blocks like Post Date that are used in layouts for post templates. This screengrab demonstrates the usefulness of being able to adjust a single margin side when the block is used within a Row block:

In Dimension setting, padding and margin shows control slider for top, right, bottom and left.
How to add padding and margin from dimension

Changelog

  • Created 2022-03-21
  • Updated on 2023-07-11
    • Updated the video to show how to add post date block because it was shows “Post Categories” which now has been changed into “Categories block”
    • Added option to display as the last modified date as suggested here 42312 and also added the text under block settings
    • Added information for typography support, as mentioned here 43340
    • Added option for spacing support, as mentioned here 43406
  • Made sure all the images have alt tag
  • Made sure the headings are in sentence case
  • Made sure the screenshots are updated and videos are relevant to the latest version 6.2.2
  • Updated on 2023-07-16
    • Added the Post Date block variation for Post Modified Date, as mentioned here 49111
    • Added the video for only display the modified post date if the post has been modified, as mentioned here 46839
  • Updated on 2023-07-23
    • Corrected the headings for Block toolbar
  • Updated on 2023-07-28
    • Update the block toolbar screenshots and added relevant content for change date and updated screenshot for More option.
    • Update the Block settings sidebar screenshots and relevant content for preview icon.
    • Included the “Post date block variation for post modified date” content as a note under “Last modified date” in the Block settings sidebar.

Was this article helpful? How could it be improved?

First published

Last updated