Timestamp Keys

Insert the current date or time with a single key press. Perfect for journaling, note-taking, and timestamping documents.

What Are Timestamp Keys?

Timestamp keys are special keys that insert formatted date and time when pressed. Instead of manually typing “2026-01-15” or “14:30”, you can press a single key.

Quick Start

Using Pre-defined Keys

CleverKeys includes 8 ready-to-use timestamp keys:

Key Name	Display	Output Example
timestamp_date	📅	2026-01-15
timestamp_time	🕐	14:30
timestamp_datetime	📆	2026-01-15 14:30
timestamp_time_seconds	⏱	14:30:45
timestamp_date_short	📅	01/15/26
timestamp_date_long	🗓	Wednesday, January 15, 2026
timestamp_time_12h	🕐	2:30 PM
timestamp_iso	📋	2026-01-15T14:30:45

Adding to Extra Keys

1. Go to Settings → Activities → Extra Keys
2. Add any of the key names above (e.g., timestamp_date)
3. The key will appear in your extra keys row

Custom Patterns

Create your own timestamp format using the pattern syntax:

timestamp:'pattern'

Or with a custom symbol:

📅:timestamp:'yyyy-MM-dd'

Pattern Characters

Pattern	Meaning	Example
yyyy	4-digit year	2026
yy	2-digit year	26
MM	Month (01-12)	01
MMM	Month abbreviation	Jan
MMMM	Full month name	January
dd	Day of month (01-31)	15
HH	Hour, 24-hour (00-23)	14
hh	Hour, 12-hour (01-12)	02
mm	Minutes (00-59)	30
ss	Seconds (00-59)	45
a	AM/PM marker	PM
E	Day of week	Wed
EEEE	Full day name	Wednesday

Custom Pattern Examples

Pattern	Output
timestamp:'dd/MM/yyyy'	15/01/2026
timestamp:'HH:mm:ss'	14:30:45
timestamp:'MMM d, yyyy'	Jan 15, 2026
timestamp:'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm'	2026-01-15 14:30
timestamp:'EEEE h:mm a'	Wednesday 2:30 PM

Use Cases

Journaling

Add timestamp_datetime to quickly date your entries:

• Press key → “2026-01-15 14:30”
• Start typing your journal entry

Meeting Notes

Use timestamp_time for timestamps during meetings:

• “14:30 - Discussion started”
• “14:45 - Action items reviewed”

File Naming

Use timestamp_iso for sortable filenames:

• “2026-01-15T14:30:45”
• Works great with note-taking apps

Quick Date Entry

Use timestamp_date_short for forms:

• 01/15/26 format works for most date fields

Per-Key Customization

You can also assign timestamp keys to any key’s short swipe:

1. Go to Settings → Activities → Per-Key Customization
2. Select a key
3. Choose a direction
4. Enter timestamp:'yyyy-MM-dd' or a pre-defined key name

Troubleshooting

Wrong Date Format

Make sure your pattern uses the correct characters. Common mistakes:

• YYYY should be yyyy (lowercase)
• DD should be dd (lowercase)
• HH is 24-hour, hh is 12-hour

Pattern Shows Instead of Date

If the pattern text appears instead of the formatted date:

• Check for typos in the pattern
• Ensure quotes are correct: timestamp:'pattern'
• Invalid patterns fall back to showing the pattern text

Technical Details

For technical implementation details, see the Timestamp Keys Specification.