What is a created time property in Notion?

A created time property in Notion is an automatic database feature that permanently records the exact date and time when each database entry is first created. Unlike manual date properties that you can edit, this timestamp is generated by Notion's system the moment a new record appears in your database and remains completely unchangeable—even if you modify the page content later. This immutable characteristic makes created time properties particularly valuable for tracking workflows, maintaining audit trails, and organizing information chronologically. Understanding how this property works can significantly enhance your database management and help you build more sophisticated organizational systems.

Adding a created time property to your database is refreshingly straightforward. Simply open your database, select "Add a property," choose "Created Time," and optionally rename it to something more descriptive like "Date Added" or "Entry Created." Once enabled, this property automatically populates for every new database entry without any manual input required. The timestamp captures both date and precise time according to your local time zone, ensuring accuracy across different devices and sessions.

The practical applications for created time properties span numerous scenarios that can transform how you manage information. Project managers find them invaluable for tracking when tasks or issues are first reported, enabling better response time analysis and workload monitoring. Content creators use these timestamps to maintain version control and publication schedules, while teams benefit from automatic documentation of when new employees, clients, or resources join their systems. You can also leverage created time in Notion's formula functions to automate calculations—perhaps determining review dates by adding specific time intervals to creation dates.

However, the immutable nature of created time properties does present certain limitations worth considering. If you're migrating data from another system and need to preserve original creation dates, you'll need to use regular date properties instead, since created time only reflects when items enter your Notion database. Additionally, for distributed teams working across multiple time zones, the local time display might create confusion when team members see different timestamps for the same entry.

Despite these constraints, created time properties offer exceptional value for most Notion users seeking automatic timestamp functionality. They work seamlessly with sorting, filtering, and grouping features, allowing you to organize views chronologically without manual maintenance. When combined with Notion's other time-based properties like "last edited time," they provide comprehensive temporal tracking that supports both accountability and workflow optimization in your digital workspace.