# Is Before

Returns `true` if a date variable is before another date. That second date can be the name of another variable, a literal date string, or any relative date format (see [PHP DateTime](https://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.formats.php#datetime.formats.relative) for more details).

```yaml
start_date: January 17 2015
end_date: December 1 2015
```

::tabs

::tab antlers
```antlers
{{ if end_date | is_before($start_date) }}
{{ if start_date | is_before("2014-01-01") }}
{{ if start_date | is_before("-1 day") }}
{{ if start_date | is_before($end_date) }}
```
::tab blade
```blade
@if (Statamic::modify($end_date)->isBefore($start_date)->fetch()) @endif
@if (Statamic::modify($start_date)->isBefore("2014-01-01")->fetch()) @endif
@if (Statamic::modify($start_date)->isBefore("-1 day")->fetch()) @endif
@if (Statamic::modify($start_date)->isBefore($end_date)->fetch()) @endif
```
::

```html
false
false
false
true
```

:::warning
By default, when using a modifier on a date variable, it will be operating on the UTC date rather than the localized date.

Please refer to our [Timezones](/tips/timezones.md) guide for more information.
:::