Time format and time zone settings

timeFormat

Choose how Claude Code writes the times it shows in the interface, such as the done 6:05 PM at the end of each turn duration message and the timestamps in the transcript viewer. To pick a preset, run /config and set Time format. Requires Claude Code v2.1.257 or later.

• Scope: Any file
• Type: string, one of:
  • "auto": the same as unset; each time keeps its built-in format, which follows your locale on the turn duration message
  • "12-hour": a 12-hour clock
  • "24-hour": a 24-hour clock
  • "24-hour-utc": a 24-hour clock in UTC with Z after the minutes, such as 18:05Z; Claude Code ignores timeZone for this preset
  • A strftime pattern such as "%H:%M": Claude Code writes each time with the pattern. Any value that contains a % is a pattern, and any other value outside the presets counts as "auto"
• Default: "auto"

{
  "timeFormat": "24-hour"
}

/config offers only the presets, so to use a strftime pattern, add the key to a settings file. This example shows each time as a two-digit 24-hour clock:

{
  "timeFormat": "%H:%M"
}

The turn duration message and the transcript viewer then show times such as 18:05. In the transcript viewer, the pattern is the whole timestamp, so add date directives when you want the date there. This example puts the date in front of the clock:

{
  "timeFormat": "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M"
}

The same surfaces then show times such as 2026-09-01 18:05.

timeZone

Show the times in the interface in a time zone other than your system's. Set it to an IANA time zone name, such as "UTC" or "Europe/Dublin". The times that timeFormat controls then show in this zone. If timeFormat is "24-hour-utc", times stay in UTC and Claude Code ignores this key. /config has no row for this key, so set it in a settings file. Requires Claude Code v2.1.257 or later.

• Scope: Any file
• Type: string, an IANA time zone name. When Claude Code doesn't recognize the name, it uses your system time zone
• Default: unset, so times show in your system time zone

{
  "timeZone": "Europe/Dublin"
}