How to Use Get-Date in PowerShell: Syntax and Examples

Use the Get-Date cmdlet in PowerShell to get the current date and time or format dates. You can customize output with parameters like -Format to display dates in different styles.

Syntax

The basic syntax of Get-Date is simple and flexible:

• Get-Date: Returns the current date and time.
• Get-Date -Format <string>: Formats the date/time output using a format string.
• Get-Date -Date <datetime>: Converts or formats a specific date.

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Get-Date [-Date <DateTime>] [-Format <string>] [-UFormat <string>] [<CommonParameters>]

Example

This example shows how to get the current date and time, and how to format it as a short date string.

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Get-Date
Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd'
Get-Date -Format 'dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy HH:mm:ss'

Output

Monday, June 10, 2024 14:30:45
2024-06-10
Monday, June 10, 2024 14:30:45

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include using incorrect format strings or expecting Get-Date to modify system time (it only retrieves or formats dates).

Also, using single quotes around format strings is important to avoid variable expansion.

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Get-Date -Format yyyy-MM-dd  # Wrong: missing quotes can cause errors
Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd' # Correct: quotes ensure proper format string

Quick Reference

Parameter	Description	Example
-Format	Formats the output date/time	Get-Date -Format 'MM/dd/yyyy'
-Date	Specifies a date/time to format	Get-Date -Date '2024-01-01'
-UFormat	Uses Unix-style format strings	Get-Date -UFormat '%Y-%m-%d'

Key Takeaways

Use Get-Date to get the current date and time in PowerShell.

Customize output with the -Format parameter using format strings in quotes.

Avoid missing quotes around format strings to prevent errors.

Get-Date does not change system time; it only retrieves or formats dates.

Use -Date to format specific dates, not just the current date.