n8n Date and Time Manipulation Workflow

The workflow JSON

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{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "On clicking 'execute'",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "position": [
        1140,
        780
      ],
      "parameters": {},
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Note",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        1480,
        760
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 560,
        "height": 400,
        "content": "## 2. Advanced way: Using Expressions\nIn this `Set` node, we set dates using [Luxon expressions](https://docs.n8n.io/code-examples/expressions/luxon/) for the following formats:\n\nNow - `{{$now}}`\nCurrent time with seconds - `{{$now.toLocaleString(DateTime.TIME_WITH_SECONDS)}}`\nToday - `{{$today}}`\nTomorrow - `{{$today.plus({days: 1})}}`\nOne hour ago - `{{$now.minus({hours: 1})}}`\nWeekday name - `{{$today.weekdayLong}}`\n\n"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Note3",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        660,
        780
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 420,
        "height": 100,
        "content": "### Click the `Execute Workflow` button and double click on the nodes to see the input and output items."
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "12 Hours from now",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.dateTime",
      "position": [
        1520,
        580
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "value": "={{$now}}",
        "action": "calculate",
        "options": {},
        "duration": 12,
        "timeUnit": "hours"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Note1",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        1480,
        400
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 560,
        "height": 340,
        "content": "## 1. Simple Way: Using the Date & Time node\nThere are two actions available within the `Date & Time` node:\n1. Calculating a date - adding/substracting minutes,hours, days, etc.\n2. Formatting a date\n\n"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Note4",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        1980,
        860
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 480,
        "height": 320,
        "content": "### 2.1 Working with an existing time string\nAs items pass between nodes, n8n saves dates as ISO strings. This means that in order to work with the data as a date again, we need to convert it back using `DateTime.fromISO('yyyy-mm-dd')`\n. Once doing that, we are able to apply date and time function again such as : `{{DateTime.fromISO($json[\"Now\"]).toFormat('yyyy LLL dd')}}`"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Set times",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [
        1520,
        1020
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "values": {
          "string": [
            {
              "name": "Now",
              "value": "={{$now}}"
            },
            {
              "name": "Current time with seconds",
              "value": "={{$now.toLocaleString(DateTime.TIME_WITH_SECONDS)}}"
            },
            {
              "name": "Today",
              "value": "={{$today}}"
            },
            {
              "name": "Tomorrow",
              "value": "={{$today.plus({days: 1})}}"
            },
            {
              "name": "One hour from now",
              "value": "={{$now.minus({hours: 1})}}"
            },
            {
              "name": "Weekday",
              "value": "={{$today.weekdayLong}}"
            }
          ]
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Edit times",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [
        2080,
        1020
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "values": {
          "string": [
            {
              "name": "Current time",
              "value": "={{DateTime.fromISO($json[\"Now\"])}}"
            },
            {
              "name": "Current time formatted",
              "value": "={{DateTime.fromISO($json[\"Now\"]).toFormat('yyyy LLL dd')}}"
            }
          ]
        },
        "options": {},
        "keepOnlySet": true
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Format - MMMM DD YY",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.dateTime",
      "position": [
        1760,
        580
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "value": "={{$now}}",
        "options": {},
        "toFormat": "MMMM DD YYYY"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Set times": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Edit times",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "12 Hours from now": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Format - MMMM DD YY",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "On clicking 'execute'": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Set times",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          },
          {
            "node": "12 Hours from now",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

About this workflow

Working With Dates And Times. Uses manualTrigger, stickyNote, dateTime. Event-driven trigger; 9 nodes.

Source: https://github.com/Zie619/n8n-workflows — original creator credit. Request a take-down →

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