dohdalabs/datetime-mcp

Datetime MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for retrieving the current datetime in various formats, with a focus on ISO8601 format.

Features

• ISO8601 Format: Returns datetime in standard ISO8601 format (default)
• Multiple Formats: Support for ISO8601, Unix timestamp, and human-readable formats
• Timezone Support: UTC (default) or local system timezone
• Microsecond Precision: Optional microsecond precision for ISO8601 format
• Single Binary: Compiled Go binary - no dependencies or runtime needed

Installation

Building from Source

1. Install Go (version 1.21 or later)

2. Build the binary:

go build -o datetime-mcp main.go

This creates a single datetime-mcp binary that you can run anywhere.

1. (Optional) Install to a directory in your PATH:

sudo mv datetime-mcp /usr/local/bin/

Usage

Running the Server

Run the server directly:

./datetime-mcp

Or if installed in PATH:

datetime-mcp

Available Tool

The server provides one tool:

get_current_datetime

Get the current datetime in the specified format and timezone.

Parameters:

• timezone (optional): Either "UTC" (default) or "local"
• format (optional): One of:
  • "iso8601" (default) - ISO8601 format (e.g., 2025-10-30T14:23:45.123456+00:00)
  • "unix_timestamp" - Unix timestamp (e.g., 1730301825.123456)
  • "human_readable" - Human-friendly format (e.g., October 30, 2025 at 2:23:45 PM UTC)
• include_microseconds (optional): Whether to include microseconds in ISO8601 format (default: true)

Examples:

1. Get current time in ISO8601 UTC (default):

{}

or

{
  "timezone": "UTC",
  "format": "iso8601",
  "include_microseconds": true
}

1. Get current local time in ISO8601:

{
  "timezone": "local",
  "format": "iso8601"
}

1. Get Unix timestamp:

{
  "format": "unix_timestamp"
}

1. Get human-readable format:

{
  "timezone": "UTC",
  "format": "human_readable"
}

1. Get ISO8601 without microseconds:

{
  "format": "iso8601",
  "include_microseconds": false
}

Configuration

Using with Claude Desktop

Add this server to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "datetime": {
      "command": "/path/to/datetime-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/datetime-mcp with the actual path to your binary.

Using with Cursor

Add this server to your Cursor MCP configuration file:

macOS/Linux: ~/.cursor/mcp.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Cursor\mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "datetime": {
      "command": "/path/to/datetime-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/datetime-mcp with the actual path to your binary.

Design Decisions

This MCP server follows best practices:

1. Clear Naming: Server named datetime-mcp following conventions
2. Input Validation: Validates input parameters and provides sensible defaults
3. Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed descriptions and examples
4. Single Binary: No dependencies - just one executable file
5. Sensible Defaults: Defaults to ISO8601 UTC format as the most standard option

Architecture

The server is built in Go using the MCP JSON-RPC protocol over stdio, providing:

• Simple, dependency-free deployment
• Fast startup and execution
• Cross-platform binary support
• No runtime environment required

Cross-Platform Builds

To build for different platforms:

# macOS (Intel)
GOOS=darwin GOARCH=amd64 go build -o datetime-mcp-darwin-amd64 main.go

# macOS (Apple Silicon)
GOOS=darwin GOARCH=arm64 go build -o datetime-mcp-darwin-arm64 main.go

# Linux (64-bit)
GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -o datetime-mcp-linux-amd64 main.go

# Windows
GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -o datetime-mcp-windows-amd64.exe main.go

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the file for details.

This server implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) specification.