# Date & Timezone Normalizer - Parse, Convert, ISO 8601 (`tidybytetools/date-timezone-normalizer`) Actor

Parse messy dates and convert them to a timezone you choose. Returns ISO 8601, UTC and a Unix timestamp. $0.001 per unique date. Strings we cannot parse are free. Works from Apify MCP and the API.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tidybytetools/date-timezone-normalizer.md
- **Developed by:** [Tidy Byte Tools](https://apify.com/tidybytetools) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 date normalizeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Date & Timezone Normalizer - Parse, Convert, ISO 8601

Parse messy dates and convert them to a timezone you choose. Returns ISO 8601, UTC and a Unix timestamp. $0.001 per unique date. Strings we cannot parse are free. Works from Apify MCP and the API.

Also searched as: ES: convertir zona horaria, normalizar fechas / PT: converter fuso horário / DE: Zeitzone umrechnen, Daten normalisieren / FR: convertir un fuseau horaire / JA: タイムゾーン変換、日付正規化

### Website and local versions

- **[Website](https://tidybytetools.github.io/)** — Tidy Byte Tools product page

### What it does

- Parses messy dates, times and relative phrases like "tomorrow at 2pm".
- Converts each result to a timezone you choose.
- Returns ISO 8601, UTC, a Unix timestamp and an optional custom format.
- Marks numeric dates that could be read two ways (for example 03/04/05) as ambiguous, and flags relative phrases.

### Price

You pay **$0.001** per unique date we parsed and saved. Blank lines, repeats and strings we cannot parse are free. There is no start fee from us. Apify adds its normal small platform cost.
Set a max cost for the run and we stop there. We never charge for work we did not save.

### How to use

1. Paste dates, add a list, or add file links (one date per line).
2. Set the source timezone (used when a string has no timezone of its own) and the target timezone.
3. Click **Start**, or call this Actor from Apify MCP and the API.
4. Get results in the **Output** tab.

### Input

- **Dates**: One date or time string per line.
- **Or paste dates**: Paste dates, one per line.
- **File links**: Links to text files with one date per line.
- **Source timezone**: Used when a string has no timezone of its own. Prefer IANA names like America/Chicago or UTC.
- **Target timezone**: Timezone for the converted result.
- **Date order for numeric dates**: Guess, or force month/day/year, day/month/year, or year/month/day.
- **Custom output format**: Optional Python strftime pattern such as `%Y-%m-%d %H:%M`. Leave blank for ISO 8601.

### Example (before and after)

Before: messy dates such as `3/4/26 9pm` or `next Tuesday`, plus a target timezone such as `America/Chicago`. After: one row per unique date with ISO 8601, UTC, and a Unix timestamp, plus flags when the numeric date is ambiguous or the phrase is relative. Strings we cannot parse are free.

### Good to know

- Relative phrases such as "tomorrow" or "in 3 hours" use the time of the run.
- If a numeric date could be read two ways, we mark it as ambiguous and include the other reading.
- US abbreviations such as CST and EST are accepted. CST means US Central (America/Chicago). Prefer IANA names when you can.
- This is not a legal or payroll clock. It does not cover every historical timezone change.
- Your data is only used for your run.
- Made by Tidy Byte Tools. Questions? Open an issue on this Actor's page.

### More tools from Tidy Byte Tools

These Actors work well together:

- [PDF Table Extractor](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/pdf-table-pull) — PDF tables to CSV, Excel and JSON. $0.003 per page with a table.
- [PDF, Word and Web Page to Markdown](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/doc-to-markdown) — Clean Markdown and RAG chunks. $0.003 per file.
- [HTML Table Extractor](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/html-table-extractor) — Web tables to CSV and JSON. $0.0005 per data row.
- [Broken Link Checker](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/broken-link-checker) — Check site and sitemap links. $0.001 per link.
- [Markdown Chunker for RAG](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/markdown-rag-chunker) — Split Markdown by headings. $0.0001 per chunk.
- [CSV and Excel Data Cleaner](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/csv-excel-data-cleaner) — Dedupe and fix dates, emails and phones. $0.0005 per clean row.
- [JSON to CSV Converter](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/json-to-csv-flattener) — Flatten nested JSON for spreadsheets. $0.0001 per row.
- [CSV Encoding Fixer and Splitter](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/csv-encoding-fixer-splitter) — Fix garbled letters like é and split big files. $0.01 per file.
- [Phone Number Validator](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/phone-number-validator-formatter) — Check and format numbers offline. $0.001 per number.
- [LLM Token Counter](https://apify.com/tidybytetools/llm-token-counter) — Offline token and cost estimates for GPT, Claude and Gemini. $0.0005 per unique text.

Free local tools (no Apify account needed): [pdf-table-pull-lite](https://github.com/tidybytetools/pdf-table-pull-lite), [doc2md-lite](https://github.com/tidybytetools/doc2md-lite), [link-check-lite](https://github.com/tidybytetools/link-check-lite), [md-chunk-lite](https://github.com/tidybytetools/md-chunk-lite), [json-shaper-lite](https://github.com/tidybytetools/json-shaper-lite).

Website: <https://tidybytetools.github.io>. All Actors: [apify.com/tidybytetools](https://apify.com/tidybytetools).

# Actor input Schema

## `dates` (type: `array`):

One date or time string per line. Messy formats and relative phrases like 'tomorrow at 2pm' are ok.

## `dateText` (type: `string`):

Paste dates, one per line.

## `fileUrls` (type: `array`):

Links to text files with one date per line.

## `sourceTimezone` (type: `string`):

Used when a string has no timezone of its own. Prefer IANA names like America/Chicago or UTC. US abbreviations like CST and EST are also accepted.

## `targetTimezone` (type: `string`):

Timezone for the converted result. Prefer IANA names like America/Chicago or UTC.

## `dateOrder` (type: `string`):

Helps with dates like 03/04/05. If Guess is unsure, we mark the result as ambiguous.

## `outputFormat` (type: `string`):

A Python strftime pattern such as %Y-%m-%d %H:%M. Leave blank for ISO 8601.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "dates": [
    "March 5, 2024 3:30pm",
    "05/03/2024",
    "2024-03-05T15:30:00Z"
  ],
  "sourceTimezone": "UTC",
  "targetTimezone": "America/Chicago",
  "dateOrder": "auto"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "dates": [
        "March 5, 2024 3:30pm",
        "05/03/2024",
        "2024-03-05T15:30:00Z"
    ],
    "sourceTimezone": "UTC",
    "targetTimezone": "America/Chicago"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tidybytetools/date-timezone-normalizer").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "dates": [
        "March 5, 2024 3:30pm",
        "05/03/2024",
        "2024-03-05T15:30:00Z",
    ],
    "sourceTimezone": "UTC",
    "targetTimezone": "America/Chicago",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tidybytetools/date-timezone-normalizer").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "dates": [
    "March 5, 2024 3:30pm",
    "05/03/2024",
    "2024-03-05T15:30:00Z"
  ],
  "sourceTimezone": "UTC",
  "targetTimezone": "America/Chicago"
}' |
apify call tidybytetools/date-timezone-normalizer --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tidybytetools/date-timezone-normalizer"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/kNkExipYQLlXdpJWu/builds/nKjNdNrVX5pvGZfEm/openapi.json