# Data field format question
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/data-field-format-question/97600
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [August 18, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/data-field-format-question/97600 "2017-08-18T14:53:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cord\_thomas](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cord_thomas)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/data-field-format-question/97600/1 "2017-08-18T14:53:45Z")
I have a date format of "Fri Jul 27 2012 09:44:36 GMT-0400" - quotes are simply to frame the date
I am trying to index it with this Joda format: "E M d Y H:m:s ‘GMT'Z"
It is not working. Throws an error: Invalid format: "Fri Jul 27 2012 09:44:41 GMT-0400" is malformed at "Jul 27 2012 09:44:41 GMT-0400"
If i had a guess, it's the E parameter that is not appreciated but i cannot figure out why, it should accept "Tuesday; Tue" which Fri is an example of.
I was looking for an online Joda validator but can't seem to find one.
I am using the curl XPOST method to load JSON records.
Help appreciated.
---
### Author:  [@cord\_thomas](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cord_thomas)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/data-field-format-question/97600/2 "2017-08-29T16:25:01Z")
I took another look at this today, and with the help of this site, [http://www.sdfonlinetester.info/](http://www.sdfonlinetester.info/), was able to refine my date format.
```
EEE MMM d Y H:m:s 'GMT'Z
```
matches this, though in theory you do not need the triple E or M...
```
Fri Nov 20 2015 10:38:43 GMT-0500
```
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/data-field-format-question/97600/3 "2017-09-26T16:25:17Z")
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