Why is date_created field is ignored for Contact creation via API?

Question

when I attempt to import historical data to seed the CRM, created_date is ignored and today's date/time is used instead. Using the API explorer, it looks like the date should be saved, but, when I do a subsequent get, it has today's date:

https://somewhere.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/rest.php?entity=Contact&action=create&api_key=userkey&key=sitekey&json={"contact_type":"Individual","created_date":"2018-01-01","first_name":"Peteww"}

returns: {

"is_error": 0,
"version": 3,
"count": 1,
"id": 288,
"values": {
    "288": {
        "id": "288",
        "contact_type": "Individual",
        "contact_sub_type": "",
        "do_not_email": "",
        "do_not_phone": "",
        "do_not_mail": "",
        "do_not_sms": "",
        "do_not_trade": "",
        "is_opt_out": "",
        "legal_identifier": "",
        "external_identifier": "",
        "sort_name": "Peteww",
        "display_name": "Peteww",
        "nick_name": "",
        "legal_name": "",
        "image_URL": "",
        "preferred_communication_method": "",
        "preferred_language": "en_CA",
        "preferred_mail_format": "",
        "hash": "74c74a58f64681a6e3a4f8d9ccd32bfd",
        "api_key": "",
        "first_name": "Peteww",
        "middle_name": "",
        "last_name": "",
        "prefix_id": "",
        "suffix_id": "",
        "formal_title": "",
        "communication_style_id": "1",
        "email_greeting_id": "1",
        "email_greeting_custom": "",
        "email_greeting_display": "",
        "postal_greeting_id": "1",
        "postal_greeting_custom": "",
        "postal_greeting_display": "",
        "addressee_id": "1",
        "addressee_custom": "",
        "addressee_display": "",
        "job_title": "",
        "gender_id": "",
        "birth_date": "",
        "is_deceased": "",
        "deceased_date": "",
        "household_name": "",
        "primary_contact_id": "",
        "organization_name": "",
        "sic_code": "",
        "user_unique_id": "",
        "created_date": "20180101000000",
        "modified_date": ""
    }
}

}

but when I do:

https://somewhere.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/rest.php?entity=Contact&action=get&api_key=userkey&key=sitekey&json={"sequential":1,"return":"created_date","id":288}

I get: {

"is_error": 0,
"version": 3,
"count": 1,
"id": 288,
"values": [
    {
        "contact_id": "288",
        "created_date": "2019-04-15 18:00:01",
        "id": "288"
    }
]

}

Answer 1

Mike,

Unfortunately you can't set created_date in create api of Contact since there is a trigger which will over-ride your created_date value

DELIMITER $$
CREATE TRIGGER `civicrm_contact_before_insert` BEFORE INSERT ON `civicrm_contact` FOR EACH ROW BEGIN  
SET NEW.created_date = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
 END
$$
DELIMITER ;

Either you can delete this trigger or update the contact using same api by passing contact id to set created_date after its been created

https://somewhere.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/rest.php?entity=Contact&action=create&api_key=userkey&key=sitekey&json={"contact_type":"Individual","last_name":"test","first_name":"Peteww"}

https://somewhere.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/rest.php?entity=Contact&action=create&api_key=userkey&key=sitekey&json={"id":"288","created_date":"2018-01-01"}

Thanks