Datetime Parsing in Make.com: Complete How-To Guide

Working with dates and times in automations can be tricky, but make.com provides a flexible datetime parsing system with powerful tokens you can combine to reliably interpret almost any date string.

This how-to article explains how datetime parsing works, which tokens are available, and how to use them step by step when building scenarios.

How datetime parsing works in make.com

When you parse a date string, make.com tries to match parts of the text against known tokens. Each token describes one component of a date or time, such as a year, month, or hour. By putting tokens together in a pattern, you tell the parser exactly how to interpret the input.

Datetime parsing is especially useful when:

You receive dates from external systems with custom formats.
You convert user-entered text into a consistent datetime.
You normalize dates before saving them or using them in conditions.

The core idea is simple: define a format string made of tokens, and let make.com convert the raw text into a structured datetime value.

Main date tokens in make.com

Below are commonly used date tokens you can combine in your parsing patterns.

Year tokens in make.com

YYYY – Four-digit year (for example, 2024).
YY – Two-digit year (for example, 24). The parser infers the century based on internal rules.

Use YYYY whenever possible to avoid ambiguity, especially when you work with older or future dates.

Month tokens in make.com

MM – Two-digit month number from 01 to 12.
M – One- or two-digit month number without a leading zero.
MMM – Short month name, such as Jan, Feb, or Mar.
MMMM – Full month name, such as January or February.

Pick numeric months when you have fixed formats like 2024-06-15. Use textual months when your source strings are written for humans, such as 15 February 2025.

Day tokens in make.com

DD – Two-digit day of month from 01 to 31.
D – One- or two-digit day of month without a leading zero.
d – Day of week number (exact mapping depends on the parser’s definition).
ddd – Short day name, such as Mon, Tue, or Wed.
dddd – Full day name, such as Monday or Tuesday.

In most integrations, you use D or DD to capture the calendar date. Weekday tokens like ddd or dddd are useful when you receive more descriptive text.

Time tokens in make.com

For precise scheduling and time-sensitive workflows, combine date tokens with time tokens.

Hour, minute, and second tokens

HH – Two-digit hour in 24‑hour format from 00 to 23.
H – One- or two-digit hour in 24‑hour format.
hh – Two-digit hour in 12‑hour format from 01 to 12.
h – One- or two-digit hour in 12‑hour format.
mm – Two-digit minutes from 00 to 59.
m – One- or two-digit minutes.
ss – Two-digit seconds from 00 to 59.
s – One- or two-digit seconds.

Be consistent: if your input uses 24‑hour time like 18:45, use HH:mm. For 12‑hour time like 6:45 PM, combine h:mm with an AM/PM token.

AM/PM and fractional seconds

A or a – AM/PM indicator. Examples: AM, am, PM, pm.
SSS – Milliseconds (three digits).

Use AM/PM together with 12‑hour hours. For higher precision timestamps, add milliseconds using SSS, such as in HH:mm:ss.SSS.

Timezone and offset tokens in make.com

Many real‑world integrations require correct timezones. make.com supports several tokens for offsets and zone names.

ZZ – Timezone offset in +HH:mm or -HH:mm format (for example, +02:00).
Z – Timezone offset in +HHmm or -HHmm format (for example, +0200).
z – Timezone abbreviation or name, depending on the input (for example, UTC).

For most API-style strings such as 2024-01-05T09:30:00+02:00, include ZZ at the end of your pattern.

Step-by-step: building a parsing pattern in make.com

Follow these steps to construct a reliable datetime parsing format.

1. Inspect the sample input

Look at a few real examples from your data source. For instance:

2025-03-15 14:27:59
03/15/2025 2:27 PM
Friday, 15 March 2025 14:27

Identify year, month, day, and time components and note the separators such as dashes, slashes, spaces, or commas.

2. Map each component to tokens

Use the token lists above to represent each part:

2025 → YYYY
03 → MM
15 → DD
14 → HH
27 → mm
59 → ss
PM → A

3. Recreate the exact structure

Combine tokens with the same separators as the original string. Some examples:

2025-03-15 14:27:59 → YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss
03/15/2025 2:27 PM → MM/DD/YYYY h:mm A
Friday, 15 March 2025 14:27 → dddd, D MMMM YYYY HH:mm

The parser expects the pattern to mirror the input structure. Any differences, such as extra commas or missing spaces, can cause parsing errors.

4. Add timezone information when needed

If your input includes offsets or zone names, append the appropriate token:

2025-03-15T14:27:59+02:00 → YYYY-MM-DD[T]HH:mm:ssZZ
2025-03-15 14:27 UTC → YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm z

Note in the first example that the literal T is wrapped in square brackets to treat it as text, not a token.

Using literals and text in make.com patterns

Sometimes date strings contain extra characters that are not part of the date itself, such as words or letters. In make.com, you can write literal characters by wrapping them in square brackets.

[at] HH:mm matches at 09:30.
YYYY-MM-DD[T]HH:mm:ss matches 2025-03-15T14:27:59.

Everything in brackets is treated as plain text. Use this whenever your source format has fixed words or symbols that should not be interpreted as tokens.

Testing and troubleshooting in make.com

After you define a format, test it against several real inputs to ensure it behaves as expected.

Common issues and fixes

Parsing fails entirely – Check that your separators (dashes, slashes, commas, spaces) match exactly. Even one missing space can cause problems.
Wrong day or month – Confirm that you used tokens in the correct order. For example, DD/MM/YYYY vs MM/DD/YYYY.
Incorrect hour – Avoid mixing 12‑hour tokens (h, hh) with 24‑hour logic. Add A for AM/PM when needed.
Offset ignored – Make sure you included Z or ZZ at the end of the pattern when parsing timezone offsets.

If parsing still fails, simplify your pattern and add tokens back one by one until you find the part that causes the issue.

Practical examples for make.com scenarios

Here are sample patterns you can adapt to your own automations.

Email date header like Fri, 15 Mar 2025 14:27:59 +0200
Pattern: ddd, D MMM YYYY HH:mm:ss Z
Log entry like 2025/03/15 14:27
Pattern: YYYY/MM/DD HH:mm
Human-friendly text like 15 March 2025 at 2:27 pm
Pattern: D MMMM YYYY [at] h:mm a

Use these as starting points and adjust token combinations to match your own input formats.

More datetime parsing resources

For the official token reference and additional details about datetime parsing behavior in make.com, see the original documentation at Tokens for datetime parsing.

If you need tailored help designing robust datetime handling for complex automation projects, you can consult specialists at Consultevo for implementation support and optimization.

By understanding how datetime tokens work and carefully mapping your input formats, you can make your make.com scenarios far more reliable, especially when they depend on accurate scheduling, logging, and reporting across multiple timezones.

Need Help With Make.com?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.

Get Help