> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rxresu.me/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Entering dates > Type start and end dates, year-only dates and current roles in Reactive Resume, fix dates that need a look, and choose how every date prints. Dates in Reactive Resume are structured: you type a month and year (or only a year), and the resume prints every date in one consistent format that you choose. This keeps your resume tidy, lets **Sort by date** work, and helps applicant tracking systems read your timeline. ## Enter dates for an entry Experience, Education, Projects and Volunteer entries have a start and an end date. Each job role has its own pair too. In **Write** mode, open the entry you want to date. See [Editing entries](/guides/editing-entries) if you're not sure how. In the first box under **Dates**, type the date the way you normally write it, for example `Mar 2022`, `March 2022`, `03/2022`, `2022-03`, or only `2022`. A date that can be read saves as you type. When you leave the box, it switches to your resume's date format. Type the end date in the second box. If you're still in the role or still studying, turn on **Present** instead. The end box then shows the word "Present" and can't be edited. The Dates field with Mar 2022 in the start box, the end box greyed out showing Present, and the Present switch turned on. Awards, Certifications and Publications have a single **Date** box and no Present switch. ## Year-only dates If you don't remember the month, or prefer not to show it, type only the year, such as `2014`. Year-only dates are exact, not guesses: they print as the year alone whatever date format you choose, for example "2014 – 2018". ## How dates print The page shows the start and end joined by a dash. If there's only a start date, only that date prints; with **Present** on, the end reads "Present". The Education section showing University of Washington with 2014 – 2018, and the Experience section showing Cascade Studios with March 2022 – Present and two roles with their own dates. Month names and the word "Present" follow the resume's language, which you set in **Design** → **Page** → **Language**. For example, a resume in German prints "März 2022 – Heute". You can also type month names in the resume's language. ## Choose the date format Select **Design** in the editor bar, then open **Advanced** at the bottom of the panel. Choose one of the four formats in **Date format**. Every date on the resume changes at once. The Advanced group in Design mode, with a Date format dropdown set to March 2022. | Option | Prints as | | - | - | | **Mar 2022** | Short month name and year (the default) | | **March 2022** | Full month name and year | | **03/2022** | Month number and year | | **2022-03** | Year and month number (ISO) | Resumes brought over from an earlier version of Reactive Resume start with whichever of these formats is closest to how their dates were typed. **Reset design defaults** in the same panel doesn't change your date format. ## Fix dates that need a look The Dates field tells you when something is off. * **"This date has not been saved."** The text you typed cannot be read. Correct it using a month and year, such as Mar 2022, or only a year. The page keeps the last readable date until then. * **"The end is before the start."** The two dates are the wrong way round. Swap them, or the entry sorts to the end when you use **Sort by date**. The Dates field with Spring typed in the start box and 2024 in the end box, and a red message below: Use a month and year, like Mar 2022, or just a year. ### Dates from imports and older resumes When you import a resume, or open one made before dates were structured, Reactive Resume converts each date from its text. Dates it can't read exactly, such as "Summer 2016", are flagged: * The section's row in the list shows a **to check** badge with the number of entries to look at. * The entry's Dates field explains what happened, for example: We read "Summer 2016". Pick a month so it sorts and prints consistently. * Until you edit the dates, the entry prints the original text as it was written. Type the dates, or change any part of them, and the note clears. **Check** mode also flags entries without dates, dates that can't be read, dates that run backwards and dates in the future. See [Checking your resume](/guides/checking-your-resume). ## Related guides * [Editing entries](/guides/editing-entries): the other fields in each entry, including job roles. * [Managing sections](/guides/managing-sections): sort Experience and Education by date from the section menu. * [Importing resumes](/guides/importing-resumes): bring in an existing resume and review what was read. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.