---
title: "When Does an Article Update Justify Changing Its Visible Date?"  
description: "When Does an Article Update Justify Changing Its Visible Date?"  
author: "Cooper Ryan"  
published: 2026-10-18  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/117848/when-does-an-article-update-justify-changing-its-visible-date  
category: "Mix Category"  
tags: ["content writing", "Editorial Standards", "seo", "Structured Data"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# When Does an Article Update Justify Changing Its Visible Date?

I manage an evergreen software guide that was published two years ago. This week I replaced outdated screenshots, corrected a pricing section, and removed a feature that no longer exists. Most of the explanation is unchanged.

Our CMS can display either the original publication date or the most recent update date. Showing only the old date makes the guide look neglected, but replacing it with this week’s date could make a returning reader think it is a new article.

### Where would you draw the line?

What counts as a substantial revision when deciding whether to show a new date? Would you display both dates, add a short editorial note, or reserve the updated label for a more extensive rewrite?

I’m also interested in how the visible date should relate to **Article structured data**, particularly `datePublished` and `dateModified`. The priority is an honest signal for readers, not making cosmetic edits to suggest freshness.


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/117848/when-does-an-article-update-justify-changing-its-visible-date

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