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Add Time

Adds or subtracts a specified duration from a date/time value. This node is essential for calculating future or past dates in automation workflows.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs​

  • Time - The input date/time value to modify. Must be formatted according to the selected Layout.
  • Duration - The amount to add or subtract. Use positive numbers to add, negative numbers to subtract.

Output​

  • Time Result - The resulting date/time after adding or subtracting the duration, formatted in the same layout as the input.

Options​

  • Layout - The date/time format of both input and output. Options include:

    • ANSIC - Mon Jan 2 15:04:05 2006
    • UnixDate - Mon Jan 2 15:04:05 MST 2006
    • RubyDate - Mon Jan 02 15:04:05 -0700 2006
    • RFC822 - 02 Jan 06 15:04 MST
    • RFC822Z - 02 Jan 06 15:04 -0700
    • RFC850 - Monday, 02-Jan-06 15:04:05 MST
    • RFC1123 - Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 MST
    • RFC1123Z - Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 -0700
    • RFC3339 - 2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00 (default, ISO 8601)
    • RFC3339Nano - 2006-01-02T15:04:05.000000000-07:00
    • Custom - Define a custom format

  • Duration Unit - The unit of time for the duration value. Options include:

    • Milliseconds - For precise timing operations
    • Seconds - For short duration calculations
    • Minutes - For hourly scheduling
    • Hours - For daily scheduling
    • Days - For weekly/monthly operations (default)
    • Weeks - For longer-term scheduling
    • Year - For annual calculations (365 days)

How It Works​

The Add Time node performs date/time arithmetic by:

  1. Parsing the input time according to the specified layout
  2. Converting the duration value to the appropriate time unit
  3. Adding (positive) or subtracting (negative) the duration
  4. Formatting the result in the same layout as the input
  5. Outputting the calculated date/time

Use Cases​

Deadline Calculations

  • Calculate due dates for tasks
  • Set expiration dates for temporary resources
  • Determine payment deadlines

Scheduling Operations

  • Schedule tasks for future execution
  • Calculate reminder times before events
  • Determine maintenance windows

Date Range Generation

  • Generate start and end dates for reports
  • Calculate billing periods
  • Determine valid date ranges

Expiry Management

  • Set cache expiration times
  • Calculate token validity periods
  • Manage session timeouts

Examples​

Example 1: Add 7 Days to Current Date

Time: 2024-03-15T10:00:00Z
Duration: 7
Duration Unit: Days
Layout: RFC3339
Output: 2024-03-22T10:00:00Z

Example 2: Subtract 30 Minutes

Time: 2024-03-15T14:30:00Z
Duration: -30
Duration Unit: Minutes
Layout: RFC3339
Output: 2024-03-15T14:00:00Z

Example 3: Add 2 Hours

Time: 2024-03-15T09:00:00Z
Duration: 2
Duration Unit: Hours
Layout: RFC3339
Output: 2024-03-15T11:00:00Z

Example 4: Calculate Next Year

Time: 2024-03-15T10:00:00Z
Duration: 1
Duration Unit: Year
Layout: RFC3339
Output: 2025-03-15T10:00:00Z

Example 5: Subtract 3 Weeks

Time: 2024-03-15T10:00:00Z
Duration: -3
Duration Unit: Weeks
Layout: RFC3339
Output: 2024-02-23T10:00:00Z

Example 6: Add Milliseconds for Precise Timing

Time: 2024-03-15T10:00:00.000000000Z
Duration: 500
Duration Unit: Milliseconds
Layout: RFC3339Nano
Output: 2024-03-15T10:00:00.500000000Z

Workflow Example​

Calculate Payment Due Date (30 days from invoice)

  1. Use Now node to get current date
  2. Use Add Time node:
    • Time: Output from Now node
    • Duration: 30
    • Duration Unit: Days
  3. Use result as payment due date in invoice

Send Reminder 2 Hours Before Meeting

  1. Get meeting time from calendar
  2. Use Add Time node:
    • Time: Meeting time
    • Duration: -2
    • Duration Unit: Hours
  3. Schedule reminder at the calculated time

Tips for Effective Use​

  • Negative Values for Subtraction - Use negative duration values to subtract time instead of add
  • Choose Appropriate Units - Use the largest unit possible (e.g., Days instead of Hours) for better readability
  • Year Calculations - Year unit uses 365 days; for calendar-accurate year additions, use 365 or 366 days based on leap year
  • Maintain Format Consistency - Input and output use the same format; use Format Time node to convert if needed
  • Time Zone Awareness - The calculation preserves the timezone from the input time
  • Leap Years - Day-based additions automatically handle leap years and month-end dates correctly

Common Errors and Solutions​

Error: "failed to parse input time"

  • Cause: The input time format doesn't match the selected Layout
  • Solution: Ensure the input time is formatted according to the Layout option, or change the Layout to match your input

Error: "time is required"

  • Cause: No time value provided in the Time input
  • Solution: Provide a valid date/time string in the Time input field

Error: "duration is required"

  • Cause: No duration value provided
  • Solution: Enter a numeric duration value (can be positive or negative)

Error: Invalid date/time output

  • Cause: Duration calculation resulted in an invalid date
  • Solution: Check that your duration and unit combination produces a valid date (e.g., not February 30th)

Important Notes​

  • The node preserves the timezone information from the input time
  • Duration calculations automatically handle:
    • Month boundaries (e.g., adding 1 day to Jan 31 = Feb 1)
    • Year boundaries (e.g., adding 1 day to Dec 31 = Jan 1 next year)
    • Daylight saving time transitions (when applicable)
  • The Year unit is approximate (365 days); it doesn't account for actual calendar years
  • For precise calendar operations (e.g., same date next month), consider using multiple Add Time nodes
  • Now - Get current date/time to use as input
  • Time Span - Calculate the difference between two dates
  • Format Time - Convert between different time formats
  • Split Date - Extract individual components from a date