Every Activity in Crelate carries three distinct dates. Created On records when the Activity was entered, When records when the Activity occurred or is scheduled to occur, and Completed On records when the Activity was marked as completed. Knowing the difference helps you build Custom Reports that show the information you expect.
What do the three Activity dates mean?
Created On
Created On is the date the Activity was created in Crelate. Crelate records it automatically, and it cannot be changed.
This date can differ from the date the Activity actually took place. For example, you might create an Activity on December 1 for an interview that is scheduled for December 3. The Created On date remains December 1.
When
When is the date the Activity occurred, or the date it is scheduled to occur. By default, it is set to the date the Activity is scheduled for.
Unlike the other two dates, When can be edited. If an Activity was completed earlier or later than planned, you can update the When field so it reflects the date the event actually happened. This keeps your reporting accurate, which is why the When date is generally the best choice for reporting on your team’s activity.
Completed On
Completed On is the date the Activity was saved and closed as completed. This applies to both Activities logged after the fact and Activities that were scheduled in advance. Crelate records it automatically at the moment of completion, and it cannot be changed.
This could mean an Activity was scheduled for December 3, but it was not marked as complete until December 8. In that case, December 8 is the Completed On date.
How do the three dates compare?
Date | What it records | Can it be edited? |
Created On | The date the Activity was created in Crelate | No |
When | The date the Activity occurred or is scheduled to occur | Yes |
Completed On | The date the Activity was saved and closed as completed | No |
Example: one Activity, three dates
A recruiter creates an Activity on December 1 to schedule a candidate interview for December 3. The interview takes place on December 3, but the recruiter does not mark the Activity as complete until December 8.
Created On: December 1, the day the Activity was created.
When: December 3, the day the interview took place. If the interview had been moved to December 4, the recruiter could update this date to match.
Completed On: December 8, the day the Activity was closed as completed.
If you report on interviews completed in December, the When date places this interview on December 3, which is when it happened. The Completed On date reflects only when the Activity was closed out.
Which date should you use in a Custom Report?
Use When to report on when the Activity actually happened, such as how many interviews each recruiter held in a given month. Because When can be corrected, it gives you the most accurate picture of your team’s work.
Use Completed On to see when Activities were closed out. Because this date cannot be edited, it works well as a reliable record of when completion was logged.
Use Created On to see when Activities were entered into Crelate, such as reviewing how far in advance your team schedules its work.
Key takeaway
Created On and Completed On are automatic and cannot be changed, so they serve as a fixed record of when an Activity was entered and closed. When can be edited, so it is the date to keep accurate for reporting on when work actually took place.