# Including timestamps in PLAY \[host\] \*\*\* messages

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/including-timestamps-in-play-host-messages/15987>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [August 20, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/including-timestamps-in-play-host-messages/15987 "2014-08-20T01:27:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Behrang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Behrang](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Behrang)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/including-timestamps-in-play-host-messages/15987/1 "2014-08-20T01:27:10Z")

</div>

Hi all,

Is there a way to include timestamps in the playbook and task header messages:

```auto
    PLAY [hostname] [2014-08-20 16:54:22] ******************************************************
    ...
    TASK: [Prepare users] [2014-08-20 16:54:23] ************************************************

```

Thanks in advance,  
Behrang

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan1)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/including-timestamps-in-play-host-messages/15987/2 "2014-08-20T01:42:56Z")

</div>

Not in the header messages, but I’ve seen a callback written that adds the timestamps each task started below it.

Perhaps someone can share (a PR to add it to the examples/ directory would be fair game!), if not, it’s easily done.