Datestamp

Datestamp is a label or metadata value that records the date associated with an event, data item, or document. In many contexts it indicates when the item was created, received, modified, or archived. A datestamp may reflect only a calendar date or may include a specific time component; when time is included, it is often referred to as a timestamp, and time zone information is commonly included to ensure unambiguous interpretation.

Formats and representations vary by system. ISO 8601 dates such as 2024-07-06 or 2024-07-06T14:23:55Z are widely used, as are RFC 3339 strings. Some systems store datestamps as seconds since the Unix epoch. They may be stored as strings in metadata or as native date/time types in databases. In file systems and email, datestamps label creation, modification, or receipt times; in digital archives they support provenance and audit trails.

Applications and considerations: Datestamps enable chronological ordering, versioning, retention policies, and data integrity checks. Best practices include using a standard, time zone-aware representation (preferably UTC) to avoid ambiguity, and ensuring clocks are synchronized (for example with NTP). If time components are used, be mindful of clock drift, leap seconds, and time zone conversions. See also: timestamp, ISO 8601.