What are date mentions?
Add a date to a note by typing @ and then the date. Evernote recognizes what you type and inserts it as a formatted date. When the date is close, it shows as "Today" or "Tomorrow" instead of the full date. You can use date mentions in the body of a note and in the title, on desktop, web, and mobile.
When editing a template, you can also insert a dynamic date mention that resolves to a date relative to the new note's creation date.
Insert a date with @
Type @ where you want the date to go, then start typing. Evernote understands:
- Keywords: "today", "tomorrow", "yesterday"
- Relative: "next Monday", "last Friday", "next week"
- Offsets: "in 3 days", "5 days ago", "in 2 weeks"
- Holidays: "Christmas", "Halloween", "Easter"
- Specific dates: "March 15", "3/15", "2025-02-14
In template notes, the @-menu also offers a dynamic version of relative dates (today/tomorrow/yesterday, next/last weekday, in N days/weeks). See Dynamic dates in templates for details.
Change how dates appear
When Allow relative dates is turned on in Settings > Preferences > Notes, dates near today show as:
- Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow
- A weekday for dates within the current week
- "Next Monday" or "Last Friday" for dates in the next or previous week
- The full date for anything further out
With Allow relative dates turned off, all date mentions show the full date.
Change the format for all dates
Go to Settings > Preferences > Notes and pick a date format. This changes every date mention in your notes that uses the default format.
Change the format for one date
Click a date mention to open the picker. From there, you can set a different format for just that date, without affecting any others.
Holiday emoji
On some holidays, Evernote may show a small emoji next to a date you insert, giving you a quick visual cue right inside your note. The specific holidays that are recognized can vary.
Dynamic dates in templates
When you're editing a template note, the @-menu also lets you insert a dynamic date mention. Unlike a regular date mention — which is a fixed date — a dynamic date is a variable that resolves to a date relative to the note's creation date when a new note is created from the template.
- Open or create a template note.
- Type @ where you want the date to go, just like with a regular date mention.
- Type a relative phrase — "today", "tomorrow", "yesterday", "next Monday", "last Friday", "in 3 days", "2 weeks ago". The picker shows a dynamic option for that offset (for example, "1 day after creation date" or "3 days before creation date"). Select it.
- Open @ with no text typed and you'll see a "Creation date" option — select it to insert a date that always matches the day the new note is created.
Dynamic date mentions work in both the note body and the note title.
Frequently asked questions
Does @ to insert a date work on mobile?
Yes. Date mentions work on desktop, web, and mobile.
Can I add a date in the note title?
Yes. Typing @ in the note title opens the same mention picker you use in the body of a note, so you can insert a date directly into the title.
How do I change the date format?
Go to Settings > Preferences > Notes and choose your preferred date format.
Can I make a date mention update automatically when a note is created from a template?
Yes. When you're editing a template, the @-menu lets you insert a dynamic date mention instead of a fixed one. The dynamic date resolves to a date relative to the new note's creation date when the note is created from the template. See [Dynamic dates in templates] above
How do I disable relative dates in Daily Notes?
According to the template you have chosen, Daily Notes may include a date in the title. By default, relative dates are enabled (e.g., "Today" or "Next Monday"), so the title may display in that format. If you want to disable relative dates and see the date in absolute format, you can change it in Settings > Preferences > Notes > Date format
Can I highlight a date mention or change its color?
Yes. Select the date mention and apply a highlight or a font color from the formatting toolbar, just like you would with any other text in your note.
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