WordPress already stores each account’s registration date in the user_registered field. To display it, retrieve the correct user, format the UTC timestamp for your site, and escape the output. For a public profile, be deliberate about whether that date should be visible to other visitors.
Display the date in a theme or profile template
Use the ID of the person whose profile is being rendered. The example below follows the site’s configured date format and uses WordPress’s date-aware formatter:
$user = get_userdata( $user_id );
if ( $user instanceof WP_User && ! empty( $user->user_registered ) ) {
$registration_timestamp = strtotime( $user->user_registered );
$formatted_date = wp_date( get_option( 'date_format' ), $registration_timestamp );
echo '<p>' . esc_html__( 'Member since:', 'your-text-domain' ) . ' ' . esc_html( $formatted_date ) . '</p>';
}Replace $user_id with the appropriate ID and your-text-domain with your theme or plugin’s text domain. get_userdata() returns a WP_User object or false, so the check prevents trying to read a property when the lookup fails. WordPress documents user_registered as a UTC date and time in Y-m-d H:i:s format; wp_date() formats the timestamp using WordPress date settings and timezone behavior. See WP_User and wp_date().
Use the ID for the profile being viewed
On an account page showing the logged-in person’s own information, obtain the ID with get_current_user_id() and pass it to get_userdata(). On a public member profile, use the profile owner’s ID supplied by the theme or membership plugin. If you use the viewer’s ID on every profile page, visitors will see their own registration date instead of the profile owner’s.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWordPress core provides the ID-based lookup, but profile context varies by theme and plugin. Check the surrounding template or plugin documentation to find the correct profile-owner ID, then test the output on an account page and another member’s profile if both are supported.
Choose the date format and timezone intentionally
The example uses the site’s configured date format, available through get_option( 'date_format' ). The stored value is UTC, so decide whether the displayed date should follow WordPress’s site-timezone settings or another audience-specific convention. WordPress’s wp_date() reference describes its timezone-aware formatting behavior.
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Registration dates are timestamps, not just calendar labels. If you change the conversion or formatting, verify the result around midnight and across timezones so a date does not appear to shift unexpectedly. The example is intended for a WordPress template context where the core functions and the WP_User class are available.
Use a plugin for an admin-only display
If staff need to see registration dates in wp-admin rather than on public profiles, a plugin can avoid adding template code. WordPress.org’s User Register Date listing describes adding the date to the Users list and individual user profile page, with formatting controlled by WordPress date settings. Check its current maintenance and compatibility information before installing.
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Users Registration Date – Sortable Users Column is another listing describing a sortable Registered column on the admin Users page. Compare each plugin’s current compatibility, maintenance, and exact display scope; an admin list column is not the same as a front-end member-profile feature.
Do not create duplicate registration metadata
user_registered is a field in WordPress’s core users table, not arbitrary user metadata. For display-only use, retrieve the existing field instead of copying it into user metadata. The WordPress Plugin Handbook’s user documentation distinguishes core user fields from user metadata.
You generally do not need to hook the registration process to show this date later. The user_register action runs after a user is added and passes the new user’s ID; WordPress notes that not all user metadata is stored at that point. A display feature can read the already-recorded registration field when it renders the profile.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Decide who should be able to see it
Showing a date on a public profile reveals account-history information. Make that choice based on your site’s privacy and access design: a date intended for staff in wp-admin should not automatically be exposed on a public profile. The retrieval API does not decide whether disclosure is appropriate.
Shortcodes and site-specific plugins
If editors need to place “Member since” in page content, a shortcode or small site-specific plugin can wrap the same lookup and formatting logic. The implementation still needs to identify the intended user, check that retrieval succeeded, format the UTC value according to the intended timezone, and escape the output. WordPress core does not provide a built-in shortcode for displaying this field.
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