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Jump to
- ISO Base Format
- Using UTC Offsets
Bulk Import processes can be so useful and save lots of time. Because of this, we want to help you be successful when executing these bulk tasks. All date formats require ISO Date Format so let's break it down!
ISO is the international standard for formatting dates and times. It uses the 24 hour timekeeping system and defaults to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).
ISO Base Format
Format structure: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSSZ
Example: 2021-02-01T15:30:00.000Z
The 'Z' at the end of the example above represents UTC time.
When you use the base format, any date/time imported into Thought Industries will automatically convert to your site's timezone.
Example
I used the following ISO date to set a completion date for a new learner. The ISO date is in UTC. My site's timezone is New York - Eastern Time.
Imported Date | Recorded Date |
2021-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2021-03-31T20:00:00.000 |
When I import the CSV file with this ISO date, it will be converted from UTC to EST. For April 1st (during daylight savings), Eastern Time is 4 hours earlier than UTC. Therefore, my learner's completed date will be recorded as 2021-03-31 8:00PM EST.
Using UTC Offsets
There are two ways to go about formatting your dates:
- Convert the date you would like the system to record to UTC and enter that adjusted date/time using the ISO base format in the CSV file.
- Write out the date/time you would like the system to record (in your site's timezone) and use a UTC offset (replacing the 'Z' that represents UTC) in the CSV file to make sure it records the same way.
UTC offsets can be useful because it allows you to use the date/time you want to see in the system in the CSV file.
Example
I used the following ISO date with a UTC Offset (replacing the 'Z' that represents UTC) to set a completion date for a new learner. The ISO date is using a UTC Offset based on my site's timezone, which is New York - Eastern Time. Using an offset correctly, the imported date is also the recorded date.
Imported Date | Recorded Date |
2021-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00 | 2021-04-01T00:00:00.000 |
When I import the CSV file with this ISO date, the offset will tell the system that this date/time is in Eastern Time. For April 1st (during daylight savings), Eastern Time is 4 hours earlier than UTC so I put '-04:00' instead of 'Z' (remember 'Z' represents UTC time). Therefore, my learner's completed date will be recorded as 2021-04-01 12:00AM Eastern Time.
Some common UTC Offsets:
Time Zone | Standard Time | Daylight Savings Time |
---|---|---|
Eastern Time Zone (ET) | -05:00 | -04:00 |
Pacific Time Zone (PT) | -08:00 | -07:00 |
Mountain Time Zone (MT) | -07:00 | -06:00 |
Central Time Zone (CT) | -06:00 | -05:00 |
Greenich Mean Time (GMT) | Z (same as UTC) | +01:00 (BST) |