6+ Months out of US, So when can i apply for naturalization?

[Kudla]

When I entered US on 07/22/2019 the POE officer stamped on my passport that I was OUT of US for more than 6+ months.

Now does my clock for application of naturalization start from that date?

When does this 5+ years of stay within US for application, start? What is the difference between 5 years stay and 30 months of continuous stay?

Please advise!

[NA1978]

You can apply for citizenship 5 years after green card date with some conditions
you need to prove that you had been in the US for more than 30 months( doesn’t have to be continuous) during those 5 years.
you should not stay out of the country for more than 180 days. You might be able to explain why you were outside for more than 180 days if you had a very good reason and if it’s a matter of few weeks. More than 1 year forget about it. in that case apply 5 years after you entered the US after you more than 6 months stay abroad so that trip would not count anymore in your application.
it is 5 years prior to application, not since you became a US permanent resident.