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MCP Node Time

by davidan90

Time Node MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides timezone-aware date and time operations. This server addresses the common issue where AI assistants provide incorrect date information due to timezone confusion.

Features

  • Accurate timezone handling - Get current time in any IANA timezone

  • Time conversion - Convert time between different timezones

  • Multiple formats - ISO 8601, localized, and human-readable formats

  • System timezone detection - Automatically detect system timezone

  • DST awareness - Correctly handles Daylight Saving Time transitions

  • Date utilities - Get current date with day-of-week information

Related MCP server: date

Installation

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18.0.0 or higher

  • npm or yarn

Install and Build

# Clone or download the project
cd time-node-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the TypeScript code
npm run build

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add the following configuration to your Claude Desktop settings file:

macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "time-node-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/time-node-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/time-node-mcp/ with the actual path to your installation directory.

Available Tools

1. get_current_time

Get the current date and time in a specific timezone.

Parameters:

  • timezone (required): IANA timezone identifier (e.g., "America/New_York", "Europe/London")

  • format (optional): Output format - "iso", "local", or "full" (default: "iso")

Example:

{
  "timezone": "America/New_York",
  "format": "full"
}

2. convert_time

Convert time from one timezone to another.

Parameters:

  • sourceTimezone (required): Source IANA timezone identifier

  • targetTimezone (required): Target IANA timezone identifier

  • time (required): Time in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format (24-hour)

  • date (optional): Date in YYYY-MM-DD format (uses current date if not provided)

Example:

{
  "sourceTimezone": "America/New_York",
  "targetTimezone": "Europe/London",
  "time": "14:30",
  "date": "2024-08-12"
}

3. get_system_timezone

Get the system's current timezone with current time information.

Parameters: None

4. get_current_date

Get the current date in a specific timezone with day-of-week information.

Parameters:

  • timezone (required): IANA timezone identifier

  • includeTime (optional): Whether to include time information (default: false)

Example:

{
  "timezone": "Asia/Tokyo",
  "includeTime": true
}

Development

Scripts

# Build the project
npm run build

# Build and watch for changes
npm run dev

# Run the server directly (after building)
npm start

# Lint the code
npm run lint

# Type check
npm run typecheck

Project Structure

time-node-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts           # Main MCP server implementation
│   ├── time-service.ts    # Core time/timezone functionality
│   └── interfaces.ts      # TypeScript interfaces
├── dist/                  # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Common Use Cases

  1. Correct current date/time: When Claude needs to know "what day is today" in your timezone

  2. Meeting scheduling: Convert meeting times between different timezones

  3. Travel planning: Understand time differences when traveling

  4. International coordination: Work with teams across multiple timezones

Timezone Support

This server supports all IANA timezone identifiers, including:

  • America/New_York

  • Europe/London

  • Asia/Tokyo

  • Australia/Sydney

  • Pacific/Auckland

  • And many more...

You can find a complete list of supported timezones at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones

Error Handling

The server provides comprehensive error handling for:

  • Invalid timezone identifiers

  • Malformed time formats

  • Invalid date formats

  • System errors

All errors are returned in a structured JSON format with descriptive messages.

Contributing

  1. Fork the repository

  2. Create a feature branch

  3. Make your changes

  4. Run tests and linting

  5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Invalid timezone" error:

  • Ensure you're using valid IANA timezone identifiers

  • Check spelling and capitalization (e.g., "America/New_York", not "america/new_york")

MCP server not connecting:

  • Verify the path in your Claude Desktop configuration is correct

  • Ensure the project is built (npm run build)

  • Check that Node.js is installed and accessible

Date/time seems incorrect:

  • The server uses your system's current date/time as the base

  • Ensure your system clock is correct and timezone is properly set

Available Tools

4 tools
convert_timeC

Convert time from one timezone to another

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
sourceTimezoneYesSource IANA timezone identifier
targetTimezoneYesTarget IANA timezone identifier
timeYesTime in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format (24-hour)
dateNoOptional date in YYYY-MM-DD format. If not provided, uses current date

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It states the conversion action but doesn't cover important aspects like error handling (e.g., invalid timezone identifiers), output format, or whether it's a read-only operation. For a tool with no annotations, this leaves significant gaps in understanding how it behaves.

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 a single, efficient sentence: 'Convert time from one timezone to another.' It is front-loaded with the core purpose, has zero wasted words, and is appropriately sized for the tool's complexity. Every part of the sentence earns its place by clearly stating the action.

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

Completeness2/5

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

Given the tool's moderate complexity (time conversion with multiple parameters), lack of annotations, and no output schema, the description is incomplete. It doesn't explain what the tool returns (e.g., converted time string), error conditions, or behavioral details like timezone validation. This leaves the agent with insufficient context to use the tool effectively beyond basic parameter passing.

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?

The input schema has 100% description coverage, clearly documenting all four parameters with their types, formats, and optionality. The description adds no additional parameter semantics beyond what the schema provides, such as examples or edge cases. With high schema coverage, the baseline score of 3 is appropriate as the schema does the heavy lifting.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description clearly states the tool's purpose: 'Convert time from one timezone to another.' It specifies the verb ('convert') and resource ('time'), making it easy to understand what the tool does. However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like 'get_current_time' or 'get_system_timezone,' which are read-only operations rather than conversion tools.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It doesn't mention sibling tools or explain scenarios where conversion is needed over simply retrieving current time or timezone information. Usage is implied by the purpose but lacks explicit context or exclusions.

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

get_current_dateC

Get the current date in a specific timezone with day of week information

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
timezoneYesIANA timezone identifier (e.g., "America/New_York", "Europe/London")
includeTimeNoWhether to include time information

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It states what the tool does but doesn't cover important traits like error handling (e.g., invalid timezone inputs), output format, or any side effects. For a tool with no annotation coverage, this is a significant gap in transparency.

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?

The description is a single, efficient sentence that front-loads the core functionality. It avoids redundancy and wastes no words, making it easy to parse. However, it could be slightly more structured by explicitly separating key features, but it's still highly concise.

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

Completeness2/5

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

Given the tool's complexity (date/time operations with parameters) and lack of annotations and output schema, the description is incomplete. It doesn't explain the return format, error cases, or how parameters affect the output (e.g., what 'includeTime' adds). For a tool with no structured output information, this leaves critical gaps for the agent.

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?

The input schema has 100% description coverage, clearly documenting both parameters ('timezone' and 'includeTime'). The description adds minimal value beyond this, mentioning 'specific timezone' and 'day of week information' but not elaborating on parameter usage or interactions. With high schema coverage, the baseline score of 3 is appropriate.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description clearly states the tool's purpose: 'Get the current date in a specific timezone with day of week information.' It specifies the verb ('Get'), resource ('current date'), and key features (timezone-specific, includes day of week). However, it doesn't explicitly distinguish this from sibling tools like 'get_current_time' or 'get_system_timezone,' which likely have overlapping functionality, so it doesn't reach the highest score.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It doesn't mention sibling tools like 'get_current_time' or 'convert_time,' nor does it specify use cases or exclusions. This leaves the agent without context for tool selection, resulting in a low score.

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

get_current_timeA

Get the current date and time in a specific timezone with various formatting options

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
timezoneYesIANA timezone identifier (e.g., "America/New_York", "Europe/London", "Asia/Tokyo")
formatNoOutput format: "iso" for ISO 8601, "local" for MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS, "full" for human-readableiso

TDQS

A3.5/5.0
Behavior3/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries full burden. It discloses the tool's behavior (returns current time with formatting) but lacks details on rate limits, error handling, or response structure. It adds basic context on timezone and format, but doesn't cover potential issues like invalid timezone inputs or default behavior beyond format.

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 a single, efficient sentence that front-loads the core purpose ('Get the current date and time') and adds key details (timezone, formatting). Every word earns its place with no redundancy or fluff, making it highly concise and well-structured.

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

Completeness3/5

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

Given no annotations and no output schema, the description is adequate for a simple read-only tool but incomplete. It covers the basic operation but lacks details on return values (e.g., format examples), error cases, or system dependencies. For a tool with 2 parameters and 100% schema coverage, it meets minimum viability but could be more comprehensive.

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 schema fully documents parameters. The description adds marginal value by summarizing 'specific timezone' and 'various formatting options', but doesn't provide additional semantics beyond what the schema already specifies (e.g., IANA identifiers, enum values). Baseline 3 is appropriate as the schema does the heavy lifting.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description clearly states the verb 'Get' and resource 'current date and time', specifying timezone and formatting options. It distinguishes from siblings like 'get_current_date' (date only) and 'convert_time' (conversion), though not explicitly. However, it doesn't fully differentiate from 'get_system_timezone', which might overlap in purpose.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The description implies usage for obtaining formatted time in a timezone, but lacks explicit guidance on when to use this vs. alternatives like 'get_current_date' for date-only or 'convert_time' for time conversion. No exclusions or prerequisites are mentioned, leaving usage context inferred rather than stated.

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

get_system_timezoneB

Get the system's current timezone

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No parameters

TDQS

B3.1/5.0
Behavior2/5

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries full burden for behavioral disclosure. It states the action but doesn't describe the return format (e.g., timezone name, offset), potential errors, or system dependencies. For a read operation with zero annotation coverage, this leaves significant gaps in understanding how the tool behaves.

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 a single, efficient sentence with zero wasted words. It's front-loaded with the core purpose and appropriately sized for a simple, parameterless tool, making it easy for an agent to parse quickly.

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

Completeness2/5

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

Given the tool's simplicity (0 params, no output schema), the description is minimal but adequate for basic understanding. However, without annotations or output schema, it fails to explain what the return value includes (e.g., timezone identifier, UTC offset), which is critical for an agent to use the tool effectively in context with siblings.

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?

The tool has 0 parameters, and schema description coverage is 100%, so no parameter documentation is needed. The description appropriately doesn't mention parameters, which is correct for this case, earning a baseline score of 4 for not adding unnecessary information.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description clearly states the verb 'Get' and the resource 'system's current timezone', making the purpose unambiguous. However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like 'get_current_date' or 'get_current_time', which might provide related but distinct time information.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'get_current_time' or 'convert_time'. It lacks context about use cases, prerequisites, or exclusions, leaving the agent to infer usage based on tool names alone.

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

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. 4 tool updates
    • First observedconvert_time
    • First observedget_current_date
    • First observedget_current_time
    • First observedget_system_timezone

TDQS

A3.5/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose: convert_time handles timezone conversions, get_current_date provides date and day of week, get_current_time offers date/time with formatting, and get_system_timezone retrieves system timezone. No overlap or ambiguity exists between these functions.

Naming Consistency5/5

All tools follow a consistent verb_noun pattern with snake_case naming: convert_time, get_current_date, get_current_time, and get_system_timezone. The naming is predictable and readable throughout the set.

Tool Count5/5

With 4 tools, this server is well-scoped for time-related operations. Each tool serves a unique and essential function in the time/date domain, making the count appropriate without being too sparse or bloated.

Completeness4/5

The toolset covers core time operations well: conversion, current date/time retrieval, and system timezone. A minor gap exists in lacking date/time arithmetic or manipulation tools, but agents can work around this for most common use cases.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessNo issues

Resources

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