How do I run this script?

Run DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d) && mkdir "$DATE" directly in terminal, or save the script version and chmod +x it.

Does this work on macOS?

Yes. date and mkdir are pre-installed on macOS with identical syntax for +%Y-%m-%d format.

Create a Dated Folder

Q: How do I create a folder with today's date in bash?

Run mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)" to create a folder named like 2026-06-03 in the current directory.

Q: What date format is best for folder names?

YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601) sorts chronologically in ls output. Add _%H-%M for multiple runs per day.

The One-Liner

Run this directly in your terminal — no script file needed.

bash

mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_project"

What this creates

Running this today creates a folder called 2026-05-03_project. The $() syntax runs the date command and drops the result directly into the folder name. The +%Y-%m-%d format gives you year-month-day — which sorts correctly in every file manager.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1 — Run the one-liner directly in your terminal

No script file required. Open any terminal and run:

bash

mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_project"

Replace _project with any label you want — _backup, _deployment, _client-meeting. The date prefix is added automatically.

Step 2 — Verify the folder was created

bash

ls -d $(date +%Y-%m-%d)*

You should see the new folder listed. It sorts immediately to the correct chronological position alongside any other dated folders in the same directory.

Step 3 — Use the script version for repeat runs

When you need dated folders regularly (daily backups, weekly deploys, client deliverables), save the script version so you can add a custom label each time:

bash

nano mkdate.sh

Paste the script variation from the Variations section below. Save with Ctrl+X → Y → Enter, then make it executable:

bash

chmod +x mkdate.sh

Run it with any label:

bash

./mkdate.sh deployment
# Creates: 2026-06-03_deployment

./mkdate.sh client-report
# Creates: 2026-06-03_client-report

Step 4 — Add it as a permanent alias

This is what turns a one-liner into a daily habit. Add the alias to your shell config:

bash

nano ~/.bashrc

Paste at the bottom:

bash

alias mkdate='mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_folder" && cd "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_folder"'

Save, then activate immediately without reopening the terminal:

bash

source ~/.bashrc

Now type mkdate from anywhere to create and enter a new dated folder in seconds.

Using zsh?

Add the alias to ~/.zshrc instead, then run source ~/.zshrc. The alias syntax is identical — only the file changes.

Date Format Options

date +%Y-%m-%d 2026-05-03 Best for general use — sorts correctly

date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M 2026-05-03_14-32 Includes time — good for multiple per day

date +%Y%m%d 20260503 Compact — good for short names

date +%b-%d-%Y May-03-2026 Human readable — does not sort well

Variations

Create and immediately cd into it

bash

DIR="$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_project"
mkdir "$DIR" && cd "$DIR"

Create with a custom name after the date

bash

mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_client-meeting"
mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_deployment"
mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_backup"

Create a dated folder inside a target directory

bash

mkdir -p ~/projects/"$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_new-feature"

The -p flag creates any missing parent directories. If ~/projects/ doesn't exist yet, it gets created automatically.

Script version — reusable with a custom name argument

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Create a dated folder with an optional name
# USAGE: ./mkdate.sh [optional-name]
# EXAMPLE: ./mkdate.sh deployment → creates 2026-05-03_deployment

DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
NAME="${1:-folder}"       # ← uses "folder" if no argument given
FULL="${DATE}_${NAME}"

mkdir -p "$FULL"
echo "✓ Created: $FULL"
cd "$FULL"

� Add it as an alias

Add this to your ~/.bashrc to create dated folders from anywhere with one command:

alias mkdate='mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_project" && cd "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_project"'

Then run source ~/.bashrc and type mkdate whenever you need a new timestamped working folder.

Organize daily backups automatically

Combine dated folders with your backup script to organize every backup into its own timestamped directory:

bash

#!/bin/bash
SOURCE="/home/user/documents"
BACKUP_ROOT="/backup"
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M)
DEST="$BACKUP_ROOT/$DATE"

mkdir -p "$DEST"
cp -r "$SOURCE" "$DEST"
echo "✓ Backed up to: $DEST"

Understanding the date Command

Format code	What it produces	Example
%Y	4-digit year	2026
%m	2-digit month (01–12)	05
%d	2-digit day (01–31)	03
%H	Hour in 24h format (00–23)	14
%M	Minutes (00–59)	32
%S	Seconds (00–59)	07
%b	Abbreviated month name	May
%A	Full weekday name	Sunday

Always quote your folder names

Always wrap dated folder names in quotes: mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_my project". Without quotes, spaces in the name break the command into multiple arguments. The "$()" pattern handles this correctly.

Common Mistakes

Spaces in folder names break without quotes

mkdir $(date +%Y-%m-%d)_my project creates TWO items: a folder and a broken argument. Always wrap in double quotes: mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_my project"

Date format that doesn't sort correctly

Using MM-DD-YYYY (like 05-13-2026) means folders sort by month, not chronologically. Always use YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601) — it sorts correctly in every file manager and ls output.

The alias doesn't persist after reboot

Adding an alias in the terminal only lasts for that session. You must add it to ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc) AND run source ~/.bashrc for it to survive a reboot.

Get $200 Free →

View Hosting Plans →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a folder with today's date in bash?

Run: mkdir "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)_project" — this creates a folder like 2026-05-03_project. The $(date +%Y-%m-%d) part runs the date command and inserts the result directly into the folder name.

How do I add a timestamp to a folder name in Linux?

Use date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M inside $(): mkdir "folder_$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M)". This gives you both the date and time in the name, useful when creating multiple folders on the same day.

What date format is best for folder names?

Use ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD. This sorts correctly in every file manager because the most significant unit (year) comes first. Formats like MM-DD-YYYY sort incorrectly by month rather than year.

Try the Generator → Browse All Tools

Create a Dated Folder

The One-Liner

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1 — Run the one-liner directly in your terminal

Step 2 — Verify the folder was created

Step 3 — Use the script version for repeat runs

Step 4 — Add it as a permanent alias

Date Format Options

Variations

Create and immediately cd into it

Create with a custom name after the date

Create a dated folder inside a target directory

Script version — reusable with a custom name argument

Organize daily backups automatically

Understanding the date Command

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a folder with today's date in bash?

How do I add a timestamp to a folder name in Linux?

What date format is best for folder names?

Related Snippets

Frequently Asked Questions