ERA OF MINDS

How to use Discord timestamps: format codes, examples and fixes

By Salman Ahmed, Era of Minds ·

Short answer

To use a Discord timestamp, type <t:UNIX:STYLE> in a message. UNIX is the moment as seconds since January 1, 1970 UTC, and STYLE is one letter such as F (full date and time) or R ("in 2 hours"). Discord shows it in each reader's own time zone and language, so one message works for everyone. The fastest way to get the code is our free Discord time converter: pick a date, time and zone, then copy.

Era of Minds cover: One time. Every zone. Discord timestamp format codes t, D, f, F and R with examples from Discord developer docs.
Format codes and example outputs from Discord's developer docs (Message Formatting), checked Oct 16, 2026.

What is a Discord timestamp?

A Discord timestamp is a small tag inside a message that Discord turns into a readable date or time. According to Discord's developer docs on message formatting, timestamps are written in seconds and "display the given timestamp in the user's timezone and locale". That last part is the point: you write the time once, and a member in Dubai, London and Los Angeles each see their own local time.

There are two forms:

  • <t:1618953630> uses the default style.
  • <t:1618953630:d> picks a style with the letter after the second colon.

How to use Discord timestamps, step by step

  1. Pick the moment. For example, a game night on October 16, 2026 at 19:30 Dubai time.
  2. Convert it to Unix seconds. 19:30 in Dubai (UTC+4) is 15:30 UTC, which is 1792164600. The converter does this for any zone, including daylight saving changes.
  3. Choose a style letter from the table below.
  4. Type the tag into your message: Game night starts <t:1792164600:F> (<t:1792164600:R>)
  5. Send. In en-GB, a reader in London sees "Friday, 16 October 2026 at 16:30", and one in New York sees 11:30, each followed by a live countdown.

What are the Discord timestamp format codes?

Discord's docs list nine styles. Example outputs are the docs' own, for Unix time 1618953630:

CodeNameDocs example
tShort Time16:20
TMedium Time16:20:30
dShort Date20/04/2021
DLong DateApril 20, 2021
fLong Date, Short Time (default)April 20, 2021 at 16:20
FFull Date, Short TimeTuesday, April 20, 2021 at 16:20
sShort Date, Short Time20/04/2021, 16:20
SShort Date, Medium Time20/04/2021, 16:20:30
RRelative Time4 years ago

The letters are case-sensitive: d is 20/04/2021 and D is April 20, 2021. Exact wording depends on each reader's language setting, so a US reader may see the month first.

Which Discord timestamp style should I use?

  • Events: F plus R side by side. The full date removes doubt, and the countdown makes people act.
  • Daily reminders: t, because the date is obvious.
  • Deadlines: D or f.
  • Logs and moderation notes: S, which includes seconds.

Why is my Discord timestamp showing the wrong time?

  • You converted from the wrong zone. The Unix number must describe the moment in UTC. If you typed 19:30 but your converter assumed UTC, everyone sees a time four hours off (for Dubai). Pick the zone the event is in.
  • You pasted milliseconds. Discord wants seconds, 10 digits today. A 13-digit value from JavaScript's Date.now() lands thousands of years in the future. Divide by 1,000.
  • Broken syntax. You need both angle brackets and a lowercase t: <t:1792164600:F>. A space anywhere breaks it.
  • The reader's device clock or zone is wrong. Discord renders using their settings, so a misconfigured device shows the wrong local time.

Can bots and webhooks use Discord timestamps?

Yes. The tag is part of Discord's message formatting, so a bot or webhook can put <t:UNIX:STYLE> in the message content exactly like a person does. In JavaScript the number is Math.floor(date.getTime() / 1000); in Python it is int(dt.timestamp()) for a timezone-aware datetime.

Building a bot with AI help? Our guide to the best AI tools for coding compares Claude Code, Codex, Copilot and more.

Key facts

  • Syntax: <t:TIMESTAMP> or <t:TIMESTAMP:STYLE> (Discord developer docs, Message Formatting).
  • Timestamps are in seconds and display in each user's time zone and locale.
  • Nine styles: t, T, d, D, f (default), F, s, S, R.
  • R shows relative time such as "4 years ago".
  • Free converter: eraofminds.com/tools/discord-time-converter/

FAQ

How do you use Discord timestamps?

Type <t:UNIX:STYLE> in a message, where UNIX is the time in seconds since January 1, 1970 UTC and STYLE is a letter like F or R. Discord shows it in each reader’s own time zone. A converter turns a date, time and zone into the code.

What is the Discord timestamp format?

<t:TIMESTAMP> for the default style or <t:TIMESTAMP:STYLE> for a specific one. The styles are t, T, d, D, f, F, s, S and R, per Discord’s developer docs.

What does <t:...:R> mean in Discord?

R is relative time. It shows text like "in 2 hours" or "4 years ago" for each reader.

Do Discord timestamps adapt to my time zone?

Yes. Discord’s docs say timestamps display in each user’s time zone and locale, so everyone sees their own local time.

Why is my Discord timestamp wrong?

Usually the Unix time was calculated from the wrong time zone, or it is in milliseconds instead of seconds. Recalculate in the zone the event is in and use a 10-digit seconds value.

What is the default Discord timestamp style?

f, Long Date with Short Time, such as "April 20, 2021 at 16:20". It is used when you leave the style letter off.

Sources

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