CodeKitHubWhat Is This Tool?
According to Discord's official developer documentation on message formatting, a Discord timestamp tag has the form <t:TIMESTAMP:STYLE>, where TIMESTAMP is a Unix timestamp (whole seconds since 1 January 1970 UTC) and STYLE is one of seven single-letter codes controlling how it's displayed: t (short time), T (long time), d (short date), D (long date), f (short date/time — the default if STYLE is omitted), F (long date/time with weekday), and R (relative time, e.g. "in 2 hours" or "3 days ago").
The key property of these tags is that the underlying value is a single, time-zone-independent Unix timestamp — Discord's client software converts it to each individual reader's local time zone and locale automatically when the message is displayed. That makes it the standard way Discord server admins, bot developers and event organizers schedule and announce times without asking everyone to do their own time-zone math.
This tool converts a date and time you pick in your browser's local time zone into that Unix timestamp, then builds all seven tag variants for you, so you don't have to compute the timestamp or memorize the style letters.
Why Use It?
- You're scheduling a raid, tournament, or game night across a server with members in five different time zones and don't want to type "8pm EST / 5pm PST / 1am GMT" and still get it wrong for someone.
- You're a bot developer testing how a webhook or slash command's embedded timestamp will actually look before shipping the feature — preview all seven styles at once instead of guessing which style letter to hard-code.
- You want a countdown to a launch or event that updates itself in real time ("in 3 hours" → "in 2 hours" → "starting now") without running a bot just to post live updates.
- You're writing server rules or an FAQ channel and want a "last updated" timestamp that displays correctly for every member regardless of where they're reading from.
- You typed <t:1650463200:f> from memory once, weren't sure if you had the right Unix timestamp, and want to double-check the exact number before posting it to a server with thousands of members watching.
- 100% local: the date you pick and the timestamp it produces never leave your browser.
How to Use
- Pick a date and time using the date/time field — it uses your device's local time zone — or click "Use current time".
- Each of the seven rows below updates instantly to preview exactly how that style will look when rendered in Discord.
- Click the <t:∙:X> button next to the style you want to copy its ready-to-paste tag, e.g. <t:1650463200:R>.
- Paste the copied tag directly into a Discord message — Discord renders it automatically; there's nothing further to configure.
Example
Input
20 April 2024, 16:20 (local time)Output
<t:1713630000:f> → "20 April 2024 16:20"The number 1713630000 is the Unix timestamp for that moment. Every reader's Discord client re-renders <t:1713630000:f> in their own time zone and locale automatically — someone in a different time zone sees the same instant, just displayed as their local time.
Discord timestamp styles at a glance
All seven styles encode the exact same underlying Unix timestamp — only the STYLE letter changes how it's displayed.
| Style | Tag format | Example rendering |
|---|---|---|
| t — Short Time | <t:TIMESTAMP:t> | 16:20 |
| T — Long Time | <t:TIMESTAMP:T> | 16:20:30 |
| d — Short Date | <t:TIMESTAMP:d> | 20/04/2024 |
| D — Long Date | <t:TIMESTAMP:D> | 20 April 2024 |
| f — Short Date/Time (default) | <t:TIMESTAMP:f> or <t:TIMESTAMP> | 20 April 2024 16:20 |
| F — Long Date/Time | <t:TIMESTAMP:F> | Saturday, 20 April 2024 16:20 |
| R — Relative Time | <t:TIMESTAMP:R> | 2 months ago |
Picking the right style for the situation
- For event announcements ("Raid starts at..."), F (long date/time with weekday) gives readers the fullest context without them needing to check a calendar separately.
- For a countdown or "how long until/since" feel, R (relative time) is the only style that keeps updating on its own — it's the natural choice for reminders and deadlines.
- For a compact inline mention within a longer sentence ("the update ships t"), t or d keeps the timestamp from dominating the message visually.
- For a "posted on" or "last edited" note in rules or documentation channels, D (long date) alone is usually enough — the exact time rarely matters as much as the date for that use case.
Related tools
For other time and date conversions, try these tools.
→ Timestamp Converter · Age Calculator · Sunrise & Sunset Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Discord timestamp tag?
It's special Discord message markup in the form <t:TIMESTAMP:STYLE>, where TIMESTAMP is a Unix timestamp and STYLE is a single letter (t, T, d, D, f, F, or R) controlling the display format. Discord's client automatically converts and renders it in each reader's own local time zone.
Why does the date show correctly for everyone in different time zones?
Because the tag stores a single, absolute Unix timestamp — the number of seconds since 1 January 1970 UTC — rather than a formatted date string. Discord's client on each reader's device converts that absolute instant into their own local time zone and preferred date format at render time.
What do the seven style letters (t, T, d, D, f, F, R) mean?
t = short time (16:20), T = long time (16:20:30), d = short date (20/04/2024), D = long date (20 April 2024), f = short date and time (the default when no style is given), F = long date and time with the weekday, and R = relative time ("2 months ago", "in 3 days"), which updates live as time passes.
Can I use this without Discord Nitro or bot permissions?
Yes. Timestamp tags are plain message formatting available to any user typing a normal message — no Nitro subscription, bot, or special permission is required.
Does this tool store or send my date selection anywhere?
No. The date/time you pick and the Unix timestamp calculation happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript's built-in Date object. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
What time zone does this tool use when I pick a date and time?
Your browser's local time zone, read automatically from your device — you don't need to specify it manually. The resulting Unix timestamp is time-zone-independent by design, so once generated, the tag renders correctly for every reader regardless of what time zone you were in when you created it.
Can I edit the Unix timestamp number directly instead of picking a date?
This tool is built around picking a date and time visually rather than typing a raw Unix number, since that's less error-prone for most people. If you already have a specific Unix timestamp you want to convert to a tag, this site's general Timestamp Converter tool handles that direction directly.
Why does the R (relative time) style keep changing when I look at it later?
That's expected behavior, not a bug — the R style is designed to recalculate against the current time every time Discord renders it, so "in 3 hours" naturally becomes "in 2 hours" and eventually "3 hours ago" as real time passes, without you needing to edit or repost the message.
Can I schedule a date far in the past or far in the future?
Yes — Unix timestamps work for both past and future dates within JavaScript's supported date range, which covers many centuries in either direction. Past dates work well with the f/F styles for record-keeping ("event held on...") and with the R style for showing elapsed time ("3 years ago").
Does the timestamp tag work in Discord bot embeds and slash command responses, or only regular messages?
Yes — the <t:TIMESTAMP:STYLE> tag format works anywhere Discord renders markdown-formatted text, including bot embeds, slash command responses, and webhook messages, not just messages typed directly by a user.