This seems to do what you want for the changes. The timestamp is automatically added when you make changes. It does not propagate timestamps up though, so if you change a subheading the timestamp there is updated, but the one in the parent for example. also, this will update every headline.
You may need to add another (add-hook 'org-mode-hook (lambda () (add-to-list 'after-change-functions 'update-last-edited))) kind of line to enable this in all org-files, the code below might be buffer local. #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp (defun update-last-edited (beg end length) (when (and (not (org-before-first-heading-p)) (org-get-heading)) (org-entry-put nil "LAST-EDITED" (format-time-string "[%Y-%m-%d %a %H:%M:%S]")))) (add-to-list 'after-change-functions 'update-last-edited) #+END_SRC Xebar Saram writes: > Hi all > > coming back to it after 3 years :) > > im wondering if anyone has a hook or anything like that that auto adds a > date when he creates a header. and maybe also auto change the date each > time the text under the header is changed? kind of simulating a timestamp > type function :) > > best > > Z > > On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 11:49 PM, Dave Marquardt <davem...@us.ibm.com> > wrote: > >> Xebar Saram <zelt...@gmail.com> writes: >> >> > does any one know of a way to auto insert/change the date in each >> sections >> > header when the section is edited?IE have a date in the header showing >> > last edited date. >> > Is this technically possible? >> >> Try setting before-save-hook. See "(elisp) Saving Buffers". >> >> -Dave >> >> >> -- Professor John Kitchin Doherty Hall A207F Department of Chemical Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412-268-7803 @johnkitchin http://kitchingroup.cheme.cmu.edu