Date & Time Formatter in GoHighLevel

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Date & Time Formatter in GoHighLevel

If you are moving from ClickUp or other automation tools, mastering the Date & Time Formatter in GoHighLevel is essential for building clean, reliable workflows. This guide explains how to use the formatter action to format dates, convert time zones, and perform date calculations in your automations.

The Date & Time Formatter workflow action helps you standardize dates and times for SMS, email, pipelines, triggers, and reporting. By understanding each option, you can avoid broken automations, incorrect timestamps, and inconsistent messaging.

What the GoHighLevel Date & Time Formatter Does

The Date & Time Formatter in GoHighLevel is a workflow action that takes a date or time input and returns a new, properly formatted value. You can then use this value later in the same workflow.

Key capabilities include:

  • Formatting date and time into your preferred style
  • Converting between time zones
  • Adding or subtracting time intervals (e.g., days, hours, minutes)
  • Creating new custom date values from existing fields

This is especially useful when your workflow needs to:

  • Send reminders at precise times
  • Display consistent date formats across messages
  • Align contact time zones with your business time zone
  • Run automations based on calculated future or past dates

How to Add the Date & Time Formatter in GoHighLevel Workflows

Follow these steps to insert the Date & Time Formatter into any workflow in GoHighLevel.

  1. Open your GoHighLevel sub-account and go to Automation > Workflows.

  2. Select an existing workflow or create a new one.

  3. Click the plus (+) icon where you want to add the action.

  4. In the action list, search for Date & Time Formatter and select it.

  5. Choose the specific operation you want to configure (Format Date, Add/Subtract, etc.).

  6. Map the input fields, choose an output format, and save.

Once configured, the formatter creates an output value you can reference in later workflow steps with custom values and field mappings.

Core Operations in the GoHighLevel Date & Time Formatter

The formatter in GoHighLevel offers multiple operation modes. Each option is designed for a specific type of date or time handling.

1. Format Date in GoHighLevel

Use Format Date when you already have a valid date or date-time value and want to display it in a different style. This is helpful for emails, SMS messages, or notes where readability matters.

Typical use cases:

  • Convert a system timestamp into a human-friendly format
  • Match date formats to your region (e.g., US vs EU)
  • Standardize dates across multiple sources

Configuration steps:

  1. In the Input field, select the date source (e.g., an appointment time, custom field, or trigger time).

  2. Choose the Input Format only if the original value is a custom string and not automatically detected.

  3. Select the Output Format you want to use, such as:

    • MM/DD/YYYY
    • DD/MM/YYYY
    • YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm

  4. Save the action and use the returned field later in the workflow.

2. Add or Subtract Time in GoHighLevel

The Add/Subtract option lets you calculate new dates by adding or subtracting specific time intervals.

Common scenarios:

  • Send a reminder 1 day before an appointment
  • Create follow-up tasks 3 days after a form submission
  • Schedule check-ins 30 minutes before a booked call

Setup outline:

  1. Select the base Input date or date-time field.

  2. Choose whether you want to add or subtract.

  3. Enter the amount and unit, for example:

    • Amount: 1 | Unit: Day
    • Amount: 3 | Unit: Hours
    • Amount: 15 | Unit: Minutes

  4. Pick the preferred output format.

  5. Save and use the new calculated date in subsequent actions.

3. Time Zone Conversion in GoHighLevel

When your contacts live in different regions, time zone conversion keeps automations accurate. The formatter can convert an existing date-time from one time zone to another.

Example uses:

  • Convert appointments booked in the contact’s time zone to your business time zone
  • Adjust messaging schedules to local times
  • Normalize all stored dates to UTC for reporting

High-level steps:

  1. Provide the original date-time input.

  2. Specify the From Time Zone if necessary.

  3. Select the To Time Zone (e.g., your team’s primary zone).

  4. Choose the output format, then save.

4. Creating Custom Date Strings in GoHighLevel

You can use the Date & Time Formatter to build custom strings that combine date and time elements for advanced use cases.

Examples:

  • Include weekday names in reminders (e.g., “Monday, March 10”)
  • Create ISO-style timestamps for integrations
  • Build concise date-time snippets for SMS character limits

Generally you will:

  1. Select an input value.

  2. Use an advanced output pattern if available (for example with tokens).

  3. Store the resulting string in a custom field or use it directly in messages.

Using Formatter Outputs in GoHighLevel Workflows

After you configure the Date & Time Formatter, it returns a new value that can be referenced like any other field in GoHighLevel.

Typical ways to use the output:

  • Insert into SMS or email content as a custom value
  • Store in a custom field for later reporting
  • Use as the reference time for Wait or If/Else conditions
  • Pass to third-party tools through webhooks or integrations

To access the output, choose Custom Values inside a later action, then locate the Date & Time Formatter output under the appropriate workflow step.

Best Practices for the GoHighLevel Date & Time Formatter

To keep your workflows organized and accurate, follow these best practices.

  • Use clear action names: Rename each Date & Time Formatter action to describe its purpose, like “Format Appointment Date for SMS.”
  • Standardize formats: Decide on a primary display format for messages and use it consistently.
  • Test with sample records: Run a few contacts through the workflow to confirm the formatter returns expected values.
  • Watch time zones: Always confirm which time zone is used for triggers and which for contacts.
  • Document logic: Keep notes or comments on why you add or subtract specific amounts so future edits are simple.

Troubleshooting Date & Time Issues in GoHighLevel

If your formatted dates do not look correct, review these common issues:

  • Mismatched input format: If the system cannot interpret the input correctly, verify your input pattern matches the actual source format.
  • Missing time zone information: When converting time zones, confirm the original value includes a valid zone or offset.
  • Empty input fields: If no value is present in the source field, the formatter will not produce a meaningful output.
  • Workflow order: Ensure the Date & Time Formatter step runs before any step that uses its output.

You can always check the workflow execution logs to see which values were passed into and out of each formatter step.

Additional Resources for GoHighLevel Users

For more detailed technical references and screenshots of the Date & Time Formatter configuration, review the official documentation on the GoHighLevel help center: Date & Time Formatter Workflow Action.

If you want strategic help implementing complex automations, consider working with a specialist agency such as Consultevo, which focuses on optimization, implementation, and scaling systems built on GoHighLevel.

By applying the steps in this guide and using the Date & Time Formatter correctly, you can keep your automations precise, readable, and aligned with your overall system architecture inside GoHighLevel.

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