Epoch Calculator

time_now

Read-only

The current time: Unix epoch in seconds and milliseconds, ISO 8601, and the local wall-clock time in a given IANA time zone with its current UTC offset and DST status. Use this before any relative date reasoning.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`timezone`	No	IANA time zone, e.g. "America/New_York". Defaults to UTC.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`iso`	Yes	ISO 8601 with the zone offset.
`human`	Yes	Readable sentence with weekday, date, time and zone.
`is_dst`	Yes	Whether daylight-saving time is in effect.
`offset`	Yes	UTC offset, e.g. "+09:00".
`rfc2822`	Yes	RFC 2822 date string.
`utc_iso`	Yes	ISO 8601 in UTC (Z).
`weekday`	Yes	Full weekday name in English.
`timezone`	Yes	IANA zone name.
`abbreviation`	Yes	Zone abbreviation at that instant, e.g. "BST".
`epoch_millis`	Yes	Unix time in milliseconds.
`epoch_seconds`	Yes	Unix time in seconds.
`offset_minutes`	Yes	UTC offset in minutes.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

Changed1 schema field changedSep 6, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "description": "One instant described in one IANA time zone.",
+  "properties": {
+    "abbreviation": {
+      "description": "Zone abbreviation at that instant, e.g. \"BST\".",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "epoch_millis": {
+      "description": "Unix time in milliseconds.",
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "epoch_seconds": {
+      "description": "Unix time in seconds.",
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "human": {
+      "description": "Readable sentence with weekday, date, time and zone.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "is_dst": {
+      "description": "Whether daylight-saving time is in effect.",
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "iso": {
+      "description": "ISO 8601 with the zone offset.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "offset": {
+      "description": "UTC offset, e.g. \"+09:00\".",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "offset_minutes": {
+      "description": "UTC offset in minutes.",
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "rfc2822": {
+      "description": "RFC 2822 date string.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "timezone": {
+      "description": "IANA zone name.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "utc_iso": {
+      "description": "ISO 8601 in UTC (Z).",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "weekday": {
+      "description": "Full weekday name in English.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "epoch_seconds",
+    "epoch_millis",
+    "iso",
+    "utc_iso",
+    "timezone",
+    "offset",
+    "offset_minutes",
+    "abbreviation",
+    "is_dst",
+    "weekday",
+    "rfc2822",
+    "human"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedSep 6, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is established. The description adds return-format details, but these are likely also covered by the output schema, and it does not disclose significant behavioral context beyond what annotations and schema provide.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is one focused sentence that leads with the core function and output formats, followed by a single, high-value usage directive. Every word earns its place with no repetition or filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

This is a simple read-only tool with zero required parameters, 100% schema coverage, an output schema, and annotations covering safety properties. The description, together with those structured signals, is fully sufficient for an agent to select and invoke the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the timezone parameter is already documented with type, IANA example, and default. The description mentions IANA time zones but adds no new parameter semantics beyond the schema, which warrants the baseline score of 3.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description names the resource precisely — the current time — and enumerates the exact forms returned (Unix epoch in seconds/milliseconds, ISO 8601, wall-clock time with UTC offset and DST status). This clearly distinguishes time_now from the sibling conversion and arithmetic tools.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The directive 'Use this before any relative date reasoning' gives a clear contextual trigger for invoking this tool. It does not explicitly name alternative tools or state when not to use it, but the guidance is actionable and meaningful for an agent deciding between tools.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Disambiguation5/5

Each tool targets a distinct date/time operation: conversion, timezone shifting, cron scheduling, duration, countdown, arithmetic, parsing, and current time. Even the inverse operations (convert_timestamp vs parse_datetime) are clearly separated by input/output direction.

Naming Consistency3/5

Names are uniformly snake_case and readable, but they mix verb_noun patterns (convert_timestamp, parse_datetime) with noun-phrase or query-style names (date_duration, time_now, days_until, epoch_math, cron_next_runs). This is consistent in style but not in grammatical pattern.

Tool Count5/5

Eight tools is well-scoped for a date/time and epoch calculator. Each tool covers a distinct facet of the domain without redundancy or bloat.

Completeness5/5

The tool surface covers the full lifecycle of date/time operations: current time, parsing, formatting, timezone conversion, arithmetic, duration, countdowns, and cron scheduling. No significant gaps that would block common use cases.

Resources

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