PortlivoGuide
How to type today’s date with a shortcut on Mac
There’s no key for today’s date on a Mac, and Text Replacements can’t do it because they’re fixed text. Here are three ways that work.
By Anmol Sethi · Updated
Quick answer
Make a Shortcut with Date → Format Date → Copy to Clipboard, give it a keyboard shortcut, then paste. Or use a text expander: in Snipora, a snippet ;date with {date} types today’s date in any app, {date+7d} a week from now, and {date:next friday} next Friday.
With the Shortcuts app
- Open Shortcuts and make a new shortcut.
- Add Date (Current Date), then Format Date, then Copy to Clipboard.
- Open the shortcut’s details and click Add Keyboard Shortcut.
- Press your shortcut, then ⌘V.
It replaces what’s on your clipboard. Two steps, but nothing to install.
Snipora is a text expander that tells you why when it can’t expand. Try it in your browser →
From Terminal
date +%Y-%m-%d | pbcopyCopies 2026-10-21 to the clipboard. Change the format after +: %d %B %Y gives 21 October 2026.
With a text expander
Type an abbreviation and the date appears, in any app, without touching the clipboard. In Snipora:
| Snippet text | Types |
|---|---|
{date} | Today |
{date+1d} | Tomorrow |
{date+2w} | Two weeks from today (d, w, m, y) |
{date-1m} | A month ago |
{date:next friday} | Next Friday; also tomorrow, in 3 days, last monday |
{time} | The time now |
Dates come out in your Mac’s format, set in System Settings → General → Language & Region. Put them in a longer snippet, like Invoice due {date+30d}. More in fill-in forms and dates.
Questions people ask
- Is there a keyboard shortcut for the date on Mac?
- Not built in. A Shortcuts keyboard shortcut or a text expander adds one.
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