The time interpretation engine. For your product.
A single API endpoint that resolves any time reference — ambiguous abbreviations, relative expressions, Unix timestamps, ISO 8601 — and returns a structured interpretation with all assumptions shown.
What the API Resolves
Resolves expressions like 'next Friday at 3pm EST' into a structured datetime object.
Detects and flags ambiguous timezone abbreviations. Returns all candidate interpretations, not just one.
Parses and validates ISO 8601 and RFC 3339 timestamps with full offset and DST awareness.
Converts Unix epoch values to human-readable dates with Y2K38 safety assessment.
Resolves 'tomorrow', 'next week', 'in 3 hours' relative to a supplied reference datetime.
Flags times that fall within DST transition windows — including hours that never existed or occurred twice.
Detects historically deleted dates — Samoa 2011, Gregorian reform 1582, DST spring-forward gaps.
Resolves Swahili time, Ethiopian time, and other non-standard day-start conventions. (Beta)
What You Get Back
{"input": "Let's sync at 3pm EST on Friday","detected_phrase": "3pm EST on Friday","resolved": {"iso_8601_local": "2025-03-07T15:00:00-05:00","iso_8601_utc": "2025-03-07T20:00:00Z","unix_timestamp": 1741381200,"rfc_3339": "2025-03-07T20:00:00+00:00"},"timezone": {"name": "Eastern Standard Time","iana": "America/New_York","utc_offset": "-05:00","dst_active": false,"dst_next_transition": "2025-03-09T07:00:00Z"},"assumptions": [{"type": "relative_date","description": "Friday interpreted as upcoming Friday — 2025-03-07","confidence": "high"},{"type": "abbreviation_resolution","description": "EST resolved as Eastern Standard Time (US), not Australian Eastern Standard Time","confidence": "medium","alternatives": ["Australia/Sydney (UTC+10)"]}],"flags": {"ambiguous": true,"ghost_date": false,"y2k38_unsafe": false,"dst_boundary": false},"parse_trace": ["01 INPUT: 'Let's sync at 3pm EST on Friday'","02 TOKENISED: ['3pm', 'EST', 'Friday']","03 TIME: 15:00 (PM confirmed)","04 ABBREVIATION: EST → Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) [primary]","05 RELATIVE DATE: Friday → 2025-03-07","06 DST CHECK: 2025-03-07 America/New_York → inactive","07 OUTPUT: 2025-03-07T15:00:00-05:00"],"meta": {"engine_version": "1.0","iana_db_version": "2024b","processing_ms": 4}}
Every field shown above will be returned on every call. Assumptions are always explicit. No silent resolutions.
View full API specification →Indicative Pricing
1,000 calls / month
For developers evaluating the API and building prototypes. Full response object. No credit card required.
Available at launch
Up to 100,000 calls / month
For production applications. Priority support. SLA documentation available on request.
Pricing to be confirmed
Unlimited volume
Custom contracts, on-premise deployment options, dedicated support, and compliance documentation for regulated industries.
Contact for early pricing
Pricing is indicative and subject to change before launch. Early access registrants will receive preferred pricing.
TimeMeaning API is in private development. The consumer tool at timemeaning.com is free and will remain free.