About mcp-datetime
mcp-datetime is an MCP server that formats the current date and time for the Claude Desktop app. It produces datetime strings in many formats, including Japanese and filename-friendly styles. The README notes it has been tested only on macOS.
Key features
- 01Multiple datetime formats from one tool
- 02Japanese date and time formats
- 03Timestamp formats suited to filenames
- 04get_datetime tool returns the formatted string
Use cases
- 01Generating timestamped filenames for files or logs
- 02Retrieving the current date or time in a chosen format during a conversation
MCP support
This project is an MCP server that exposes the get_datetime tool, which returns formatted datetime strings to MCP clients.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEmcp-datetime
English | 日本語
A datetime formatting service implemented as an MCP server for the Claude Desktop Application. Supports generation of datetime strings in various formats.
Note: This package has been tested only on macOS. Windows compatibility has not been verified.
Prerequisites
Before using mcp-datetime, ensure you have the following tools installed:
- Python 3.12 or later
- uv (Python package installer)
- uvx (Python package runner)
Features
- ✨ Support for various datetime formats
- 🇯🇵 Japanese language support
- 📁 Optimized formats for filename generation
- 🌏 Accurate timezone handling
- 🔧 Seamless integration with Claude Desktop App
MCP Server Components
Tools
The server implements one tool:
get_datetime: Get current date and time in various formats- Takes "format" as a required string argument
- Returns formatted datetime string based on specified format
- Supports multiple format types including standard, Japanese, and ISO formats
Usage with Claude Desktop App
Add the following to your config file:
Config file location (macOS):
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-datetime": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-datetime"]
}
}
}
About Installation
If you need to install the package directly (e.g., for development or source code inspection), you can use one of these methods:
-
Install from PyPI
pip install mcp-datetime -
Install from GitHub Source
git clone https://github.com/ZeparHyfar/mcp-datetime.git cd mcp-datetime pip install -e . -
Example
claude_desktop_config.jsonfor manual installation{ "mcpServers": { "mcp-datetime": { "command": "python", "args": ["-m", "mcp_datetime"], "env": { "PYTHON": "/path/to/your/python" } } } }Replace "/path/to/your/python" with your actual Python interpreter path
e.g., "/usr/local/bin/python3" or "/Users/username/.pyenv/versions/3.12.0/bin/python3"
Basic Examples
-
Command format
# Standard datetime format call datetime-service.get_datetime {"format": "datetime"} # Result: 2024-12-10 00:54:01 # Japanese format call datetime-service.get_datetime {"format": "datetime_jp"} # Result: 2024年12月10日 00時54分01秒 # Filename format call datetime-service.get_datetime {"format": "filename_md"} # Result: 20241210005401.md -
Claude Desktop App prompt examples
-
User
Please tell me the current time in date_slash format -
Claude
I'll get the current date in date_slash format. The current date is 2024/12/12
-
Supported Formats
| Format Name | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| date | 2024-12-10 | Standard date format |
| date_slash | 2024/12/10 | Date with slashes |
| date_jp | 2024年12月10日 | Japanese date format |
| datetime | 2024-12-10 00:54:01 | Standard datetime |
| datetime_jp | 2024年12月10日 00時54分01秒 | Japanese datetime |
| datetime_t | 2024-12-10T00:54:01 | DateTime with T separator |
| compact | 20241210005401 | Compact format for IDs |
| compact_date | 20241210 | Compact date only |
| compact_time | 005401 | Compact time only |
| filename_md | 20241210005401.md | Markdown filename |
| filename_txt | 20241210005401.txt | Text filename |
| filename_log | 20241210005401.log | Log filename |
| iso | 2024-12-10T00:54:01+0900 | ISO 8601 format |
| iso_basic | 20241210T005401+0900 | Basic ISO format |
| log | 2024-12-10 00:54:01.123456 | Log format with microseconds |
| log_compact | 20241210_005401 | Compact log format |
| time | 00:54:01 | Time only |
| time_jp | 00時54分01秒 | Japanese time format |
Debugging
Since MCP servers run over stdio, debugging can be challenging. We recommend using the MCP Inspector:
-
Using PyPI package
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uvx mcp-datetime -
Using downloaded source code from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/ZeparHyfar/mcp-datetime.git npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uvx --directory ./mcp-datetime run mcp-datetime
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
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