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Shortcode for Current Date

By Imtiaz Rayhan

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Shortcode for Current Date Review - In-Depth Analysis

Insert current Date, Month or Year anywhere in your WordPress site with a simple shortcode.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.79/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 116+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Shortcode for Current Date enables you to put current date, current month or current year anywhere in your WordPress site with a simple shortcode.

Just use the shortcode [current_date] and when the post or page is displayed, [current_date] will be replaced by the current date. And the date will be translated according to your site settings.

By default it will show a date like this: 7th May 2017. But you can customize it to your needs. To do that, you will need to pass the date format using an attribute with the shortcode.

Here are some examples: [current_date format='d/m/Y'] will show the date like this: 07/05/2017. [current_date format='F d, Y'] will show the date like this: May 07, 2017.

If you don't understand how this formatting works, that's totally okay.

If you are using Gutenberg editor, there's a Current Date block you can use to insert the current date in your posts/pages. If you use the block, you will not have to use the shortcode.

When you insert the block, on the right sidebar under block options you will see a field to put the format for the date.

You can use 'size' and 'color' attributes to style the date. For example, [current_date format='d/m/Y' size='20px' color='#FF0000'].

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Comparing to Alternatives

Shortcode for Current Date is a specialized plugin with several alternatives that offer shortcode functionalities, though none focus exclusively on the current date shortcode feature.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Extremely simple and reliable for displaying the current date.
High user satisfaction with a near-perfect rating.
Lightweight and easy to use without complex setup.
Works consistently across most environments.
Free to use with no upsells.

Weaknesses

Known medium severity security vulnerability fixed only in recent versions.
Does not work in page titles, limiting SEO use.
Reported fatal error on Windows installations due to file path handling.
No pro version or advanced features available.

User Sentiment Analysis

User reviews are overwhelmingly positive with 99.1% five-star ratings, highlighting ease of use and reliability. Only one negative review exists, citing a critical issue on Windows.

Positive highlights

'Great Plugin to have, works beautifully' - smac62
'Super simple to use and it works every time!' - Anonymous
'Very helpful – thanks' - Hermann Matthias
'Does the trick.' - ingridskard
'Great!!! I used for jet elements listing grid and it works!' - rumaildeveloper

Common complaints

Fatal error on Windows installations due to advertisement class handling file paths.

Weaknesses

Does not render shortcode in page titles affecting SEO.
Security vulnerability with stored cross-site scripting fixed only in version 2.1.7.
Limited functionality beyond current date shortcode.
No support for advanced shortcode customization.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who need a simple, reliable shortcode to display the current date on their WordPress site without extra features.

Not ideal for

Users running WordPress on Windows servers due to reported fatal errors, or those needing shortcode support in page titles or advanced shortcode features.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides a straightforward shortcode to display the current date with no limitations.

Final Verdict

Shortcode for Current Date excels in simplicity and reliability, making it an excellent choice for users needing a quick way to display the current date. Its near-perfect rating reflects strong user satisfaction and ease of use. However, the plugin has a history of a medium severity security vulnerability that has been addressed, and users on Windows installations should be cautious due to reported fatal errors.

While it lacks advanced features and does not support shortcode rendering in page titles, it remains a valuable free tool for many. Users requiring more comprehensive shortcode solutions or those on Windows servers might consider alternatives. Overall, it offers great value for its niche purpose with minimal complexity.