[discrete]
[[esql-date_format]]
=== `DATE_FORMAT`
Returns a string representation of a date in the provided format. If no format
is specified, the `yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZ` format is used.

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees
| KEEP first_name, last_name, hire_date
| EVAL hired = DATE_FORMAT("YYYY-MM-dd", hire_date)
----