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docs/content/en/functions/format.md

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+---
+title: .Format
+description: Formats built-in Hugo dates---`.Date`, `.PublishDate`, and `.Lastmod`---according to Go's layout string.
+godocref: https://golang.org/pkg/time/#example_Time_Format
+date: 2017-02-01
+publishdate: 2017-02-01
+lastmod: 2017-02-01
+categories: [functions]
+menu:
+  docs:
+    parent: "functions"
+keywords: [dates,time]
+signature: [".Format FORMAT"]
+workson: [times]
+hugoversion:
+relatedfuncs: [dateFormat,now,Unix,time]
+deprecated: false
+aliases: []
+toc: true
+---
+
+`.Format` will format date values defined in your front matter and can be used as a property on the following [page variables][pagevars]:
+
+* `.PublishDate`
+* `.Date`
+* `.Lastmod`
+
+Assuming a key-value of `date: 2017-03-03` in a content file's front matter, your can run the date through `.Format` followed by a layout string for your desired output at build time:
+
+```
+{{ .PublishDate.Format "January 2, 2006" }} => March 3, 2017
+```
+
+For formatting *any* string representations of dates defined in your front matter, see the [`dateFormat` function][dateFormat], which will still leverage the Go layout string explained below but uses a slightly different syntax.
+
+## Go's Layout String
+
+Hugo templates [format your dates][time] via layout strings that point to a specific reference time:
+
+```
+Mon Jan 2 15:04:05 MST 2006
+```
+
+While this may seem arbitrary, the numerical value of `MST` is `07`, thus making the layout string a sequence of numbers.
+
+Here is a visual explanation [taken directly from the Go docs][gdex]:
+
+```
+ Jan 2 15:04:05 2006 MST
+=> 1 2  3  4  5    6  -7
+```
+
+### Hugo Date and Time Templating Reference
+
+The following examples show the layout string followed by the rendered output.
+
+The examples were rendered and tested in [CST][] and all point to the same field in a content file's front matter:
+
+```
+date: 2017-03-03T14:15:59-06:00
+```
+
+`.Date` (i.e. called via [page variable][pagevars])
+: **Returns**: `2017-03-03 14:15:59 -0600 CST`
+
+`"Monday, January 2, 2006"`
+: **Returns**: `Friday, March 3, 2017`
+
+`"Mon Jan 2 2006"`
+: **Returns**: `Fri Mar 3 2017`
+
+`"January 2006"`
+: **Returns**: `March 2017`
+
+`"2006-01-02"`
+: **Returns**: `2017-03-03`
+
+`"Monday"`
+: **Returns**: `Friday`
+
+`"02 Jan 06 15:04 MST"` (RFC822)
+: **Returns**: `03 Mar 17 14:15 CST`
+
+`"02 Jan 06 15:04 -0700"` (RFC822Z)
+: **Returns**: `03 Mar 17 14:15 -0600`
+
+`"Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 MST"` (RFC1123)
+: **Returns**: `Fri, 03 Mar 2017 14:15:59 CST`
+
+`"Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 -0700"` (RFC1123Z)
+: **Returns**: `Fri, 03 Mar 2017 14:15:59 -0600`
+
+More examples can be found in Go's [documentation for the time package][timeconst].
+
+### Cardinal Numbers and Ordinal Abbreviations
+
+Spelled-out cardinal numbers (e.g. "one", "two", and "three") and ordinal abbreviations (i.e., with shorted suffixes like "1st", "2nd", and "3rd") are not currently supported:
+
+```
+{{.Date.Format "Jan 2nd 2006"}}
+```
+
+Hugo assumes you want to append `nd` as a string to the day of the month and outputs the following:
+
+```
+Mar 3nd 2017
+```
+
+<!-- Content idea: see https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/formatting-a-date-with-suffix-2nd/5701 -->
+
+### Use `.Local` and `.UTC`
+
+In conjunction with the [`dateFormat` function][dateFormat], you can also convert your dates to `UTC` or to local timezones:
+
+`{{ dateFormat "02 Jan 06 15:04 MST" .Date.UTC }}`
+: **Returns**: `03 Mar 17 20:15 UTC`
+
+`{{ dateFormat "02 Jan 06 15:04 MST" .Date.Local }}`
+: **Returns**: `03 Mar 17 14:15 CST`
+
+[CST]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Time_Zone
+[dateFormat]: /functions/dateformat/
+[gdex]: https://golang.org/pkg/time/#example_Time_Format
+[pagevars]: /variables/page/
+[time]: https://golang.org/pkg/time/
+[timeconst]: https://golang.org/pkg/time/#ANSIC