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Get a Unix timestamp by converting the exact date and time you intend to share into seconds since . Then put that integer in Discord’s timestamp markup, such as <t:TIMESTAMP>. The essential checks are that you used the right time zone and supplied seconds—not milliseconds.
What a Unix timestamp represents
A Unix timestamp is commonly expressed as the number of seconds elapsed since . The GNU manual illustrates this convention: @0 is the epoch itself and @1 is one second later. The @ notation is useful in GNU date commands for interpreting an already-known epoch value; it is not the markup you paste into Discord.
For a scheduled event, first decide the appointment’s date, clock time, and time zone. A wall-clock time without a time zone is ambiguous: for example, “7:30 PM” does not identify one instant if participants are in different regions. Convert the intended instant to Unix seconds, then let Discord display it for each participant.
Five ways to get a Unix timestamp
1. Use GNU date on a GNU system
If you already have an epoch value and want to inspect it as a date, GNU date accepts an @-prefixed value. For example:
date -d '@1700000000'This interprets the example value as an epoch time and prints a calendar representation. GNU date is also useful in shell workflows for converting a specified date to epoch seconds, but the precise date-input syntax can depend on the input and locale; check the installed GNU date manual for the format you need. The command shown is for GNU date: other operating systems may provide a different date utility with different options.
2. Use Python
Python’s time module offers functions for obtaining and examining epoch-based times. Run this to print the current epoch time in seconds:
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python3 -c 'import time; print(int(time.time()))'To inspect a known timestamp in UTC or in the machine’s local time zone, use time.gmtime() or time.localtime():
python3 -c 'import time; stamp = 1700000000; print(time.gmtime(stamp)); print(time.localtime(stamp))'The first representation is UTC; the second uses the system’s local time settings. Python documents that supported conversion ranges can depend on the platform, so an out-of-range value may not work on every system.
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3. Use a date-and-time converter
Choose a converter that lets you enter the date, clock time, and time zone explicitly, then copy its Unix-time result. Check that the output is in seconds. Converter interfaces and defaults vary, so do not assume a tool has interpreted an unlabelled time zone the way you intended.
4. Use a date/time app or operating-system tool
Some date/time applications and system utilities offer epoch or Unix-time conversion. If yours does, enter the complete date and time with its time zone, and inspect both the unit and the resulting instant. Availability and interface differ by platform; there is no single operating-system path that applies everywhere.
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5. Use an application, bot, or library that formats timestamps
If an application or Discord bot you already use has a timestamp field or formatter, it can be a convenient route. Confirm that it produces Unix seconds suitable for Discord rather than another representation, such as milliseconds, and verify the displayed time before sharing it. The exact behavior depends on the application or library.
Choose a method you can verify
The best route depends on what you have available. GNU date and Python suit command-line or coding workflows; a converter or date/time app may be simpler for occasional use; an existing bot or library can help when timestamps are part of a larger workflow. No one route is universal. Whichever you choose, compare the result with a known date and time in the intended time zone before posting.
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- Confirm the input: include the date, clock time, and source time zone.
- Confirm the unit: Discord expects seconds. A millisecond value is three orders of magnitude larger and will not represent the intended event.
- Confirm the instant: convert the output back to a readable date/time, or otherwise check it against the appointment you meant to schedule.
Put the timestamp in Discord
Discord’s message-formatting reference documents timestamp markup in these forms: <t:TIMESTAMP> and <t:TIMESTAMP:STYLE>, with the timestamp expressed as Unix seconds. Replace TIMESTAMP with the integer you generated. The optional style chooses a display format; consult the current style table in Discord’s message-formatting documentation for the available style letters and labels.
- Settle the event’s date, clock time, and time zone.
- Convert that instant to Unix seconds using one of the methods above.
- Write
<t:YOUR_INTEGER>, or use the documented style form<t:YOUR_INTEGER:STYLE>. - Send it in a test location or preview it where appropriate, then check that the rendered time matches the intended event.
For example, if your converter returns 1700000000, the basic markup is <t:1700000000>. Use a style only after checking Discord’s current reference; do not guess a style letter.
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Common mistakes and edge cases
- Leaving out the time zone: a local clock time alone may convert to the wrong instant. Specify the zone used for the appointment before converting.
- Pasting milliseconds: Discord expects seconds after the epoch, not a millisecond count. Use a seconds output or convert units before inserting the value.
- Assuming every date command works alike: GNU’s
-d '@…'form is documented for GNU date; other systems may differ. - Expecting every system to handle every date: GNU documentation notes that most hosts ignore leap seconds in epoch counts and that some older 32-bit systems have narrower ranges. Python also documents platform-dependent limits for time conversions. These issues are unlikely to affect ordinary event scheduling, but can matter for unusual dates or older platforms.
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