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Convert a time between time zones

well_convert_time
Read-only

Call this for any time that is stated in another time zone than the one you will write it in ("3pm New York time", "10am in Tokyo", "what time is that for me?"): never work out an offset or a daylight-saving change yourself, because Well does the calculation and your own arithmetic is wrong around the clock changes.

Pass local_time as the wall-clock date and time, YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm with no offset and no Z, and from_timezone as the IANA zone that clock is in. Leave to_timezone out to convert into the user's own time zone; pass it to convert into another zone.

Returns instant_utc, from and to. Each of from and to holds the timezone, the local_time with its UTC offset on that day, and the utc_offset. Use to.local_time as the start of a calendar event: its offset is already right.

A clock time that does not exist (the hour skipped when clocks go forward) moves forward by the gap, and one that happens twice (the hour repeated when clocks go back) is the first of the two. When that happens the result carries adjustment ("shifted_forward" or "earlier_of_two") and note, a sentence for the user: tell the user what it says, in the language of the conversation, and use the returned time. On a normal time adjustment and note are absent.

On success false, error_reason says why and error is a plain sentence. "unknown_timezone": the zone name is not an IANA name. "invalid_time": local_time is not a real date and time. "user_timezone_unknown": no time zone is known for the user, so ask them which one they are in and call again with to_timezone set to their answer. In a scheduled run no one can answer: report that the time zone is unknown and write no timed event. Never guess a zone and never fall back to UTC.

When the token authorizes one workspace, call this directly — no workspace call is needed first. When it authorizes several, this read will not guess which one you mean: pass workspace_id on the call.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
local_timeYesThe wall-clock date and time to convert, YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm, as read on a clock in from_timezone.
to_timezoneNoThe IANA time zone to show the time in. Leave out for the user's own time zone.
workspace_idNoTarget workspace. Omit when the token authorizes one workspace. Required when it authorizes several: this read reports one workspace's own figures and will not choose which.
from_timezoneYesThe IANA time zone local_time is read in, such as America/New_York.
conversation_idNoThe conversation id returned by the previous Well result, in its meta under well/conversation_id, in its structuredContent, or in its JSON text block. Pass it back on every call in the same conversation, including a call a card makes, so the chosen workspace and the earlier answers still apply. It decides the conversation on its own: nothing the host states about the session replaces it. Omit it only on the first call of a conversation.
workspace_scopeNoRestrict this call to the family: the token's primary workspace plus the company workspaces under it that you are a member of. Unrelated authorized workspaces drop out of the read; row reads merge across the family, while a per-workspace figure still reports exactly one workspace.

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
toNo
fromNo
noteNo
errorNo
successYes
adjustmentNo
instant_utcNo
error_reasonNo
conversation_idNoThe conversation this result belongs to. Pass it back as the conversation_id argument on every later Well call in the same conversation.
newly_connectedNoTools that connected to this workspace since the last result and that no session was told about yet, oldest first. Present only when at least one tool is new. The connected-line rule says when to tell an entry; when it does, one line per entry, in the person's language: "<name> is connected.". Never fold several entries into one sentence. Each entry comes back once, on one result only: never repeat its line later.
resolved_workspaceNoThe workspace that answered, when the caller named none and the token authorizes several.
conversation_id_noteNoPresent only when the server opened a fresh lane, stating that no choice recorded earlier was read.
conversation_id_sourceNoWhere the conversation id came from: the host's own request meta, the caller's argument, or a fresh lane the server opened.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • removedOutput schema / properties / resolved_workspace / properties / name / anyOf
      Removed value: -[
      -  {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  {
      -    "type": "null"
      -  }
      -]
    • addedOutput schema / properties / resolved_workspace / properties / name / type
      Added value: +[
      +  "string",
      +  "null"
      +]
  2. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedOutput schema / properties / newly_connected / description
      Previous value: -"Tools that connected to this workspace since the last result and that no session was told about yet, oldest first. Present only when at least one tool is new. Start the reply with one line per entry, in the person's language: \"<name> is connected.\". Never fold several entries into one sentence. Each entry comes back once, on one result only: never repeat its line later."New value: +"Tools that connected to this workspace since the last result and that no session was told about yet, oldest first. Present only when at least one tool is new. The connected-line rule says when to tell an entry; when it does, one line per entry, in the person's language: \"<name> is connected.\". Never fold several entries into one sentence. Each entry comes back once, on one result only: never repeat its line later."
  3. Added

TDQS

A4.8/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations only say readOnly and closed-world; the description goes much further by disclosing DST gap/overlap behavior (shifted_forward, earlier_of_two), the accompanying adjustment and note fields, the full error_reason taxonomy, and the rule to never guess a zone or fall back to UTC. That is exactly the behavior an agent could not infer from the schema or annotations.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

It is long, but front-loads the when-to-call rule and then layers format, returns, DST edge cases, errors, and workspace behavior in a sensible order. Almost every sentence carries decision-relevant information; the section on conversation_id/workspace_scope is left to the schema, which keeps the prose from bloating further.

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?

For a tool with an output schema, six parameters, and nontrivial time-zone edge cases, the description covers the call conditions, the input format, the return shape, DST ambiguity, and every error path. An agent could invoke and recover from this tool without consulting anything else.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema coverage is 100%, so parameter descriptions already do the baseline work. The description still adds meaning beyond it: the no-offset/no-Z format requirement for local_time, the 'leave to_timezone out means the user's own zone' default, and the token-conditional workspace_id rule. The added value is real but partly restates the schema text.

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 a precise verb and resource (convert a wall-clock time from one IANA zone to another) and pins down the exact output fields (instant_utc, from, to). It also makes itself the mandatory route for any offset arithmetic ('never work out an offset or a daylight-saving change yourself'), which separates it from doing the math manually and from calendar-event tools it feeds.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

It states the triggering condition with concrete user phrasings ('3pm New York time', 'what time is that for me?'), explains when to omit to_timezone versus pass it, and says when workspace_id is needed. The error branch for 'user_timezone_unknown' explicitly tells the agent to ask the user and what to do in a scheduled run where no one can answer.

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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