# Display Meta data as a case property **URL:** \ **Category:** Users\ **Created:** [January 25, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490 "2024-01-25T16:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![artyom](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@artyom](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/artyom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/1 "2024-01-25T16:36:27Z")
HI there, is there a possibility to get metadata (received\_on, completed\_time, started\_time) as a case property or somehow display it in a follow up form? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Ethan\_Soergel](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.dimagi.com/ethan_soergel/32/543_2.png) [@Ethan\_Soergel](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/Ethan_Soergel)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/2 "2024-01-25T17:56:11Z")
You can create calculate expressions referencing `/data/meta/timeStart` and `/data/meta/timeEnd` to get the time the user started and finished the form. These values can then be saved to a case and referenced later. `received_on` isn't really accessible, however, as it isn't known when the form is filled out. ---
**Author:** ![artyom](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@artyom](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/artyom)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2024, 8:24am UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/3 "2024-01-26T08:24:03Z")
> [@Ethan\_Soergel](#): > > /data/meta/timeEnd HI Ethan, thank you very much for you respond. It is not letting me to create a hidden calculation with expressions mentioned above, Could you please write the whole expression - Validation Error: Problem with bind for /aDoTWNrzBKdpRUvNQegdSC/question2 contains invalid calculate expression [#data/meta/timeStart] Couldn't understand t ... ---
**Author:** ![Ethan\_Soergel](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.dimagi.com/ethan_soergel/32/543_2.png) [@Ethan\_Soergel](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/Ethan_Soergel)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/4 "2024-01-26T17:36:18Z")
![image](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/2X/6/63cf2fb69eede4ecc056f3930f95dde184da9710.png) That is the whole expression, though it needs to begin with a `/` not a `#`. However I just tried it out and it looks like it only returns a date, not a datetime. Another option for start time is to make a hidden value that is just `now()`. That will store the time the form is opened, but I'm not sure of a good way to get the completion time. Note that you may want to use `format-date` to control how the date is turned into a string, as described here: [https://confluence.dimagi.com/display/commcarepublic/CommCare+Functions#CommCareFunctions-format-date](https://confluence.dimagi.com/display/commcarepublic/CommCare+Functions#CommCareFunctions-format-date) ---
**Author:** ![artyom](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@artyom](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/artyom)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/5 "2024-01-27T16:57:34Z")
HI Ethan, thank you very much for you reply, however it is not working for me it says that there is a Calculation Error: Please see screenshot below. Could you please advise what is wrong with the calculation ? ![image](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/2X/9/90413f6021dea2b40ea31a9036b177ecf36428ba.png) ---
**Author:** ![Ethan\_Soergel](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.dimagi.com/ethan_soergel/32/543_2.png) [@Ethan\_Soergel](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/Ethan_Soergel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/6 "2024-01-29T17:11:37Z")
Was this form generated from an external tool, perhaps? That long ID in the error message looks unusual, I wonder if that's the root node (which is called `data` in forms built in CommCareHQ). You could try `/aDoTWNrzBKdpRUvNQegdSC/meta/timeStart` with that ID, but I'm not certain. Regardless, I do think `now()` will work better than `timeStart` anyways, as it is a datetime, while `timeStart` appears to be a date. ---
**Author:** ![artyom](https://dimagi.b-cdn.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@artyom](https://forum.dimagi.com/u/artyom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 11:04am UTC](https://forum.dimagi.com/t/display-meta-data-as-a-case-property/10490/7 "2024-01-31T11:04:14Z")
Dear Ethan , it works, thank you very much .