# tick-mcp

This MCP server gives an agent the current time and measures elapsed time from a timestamp. Use it when long sessions make relative dates unreliable.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 6
- Author: Cocabadger
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Cocabadger/tick-mcp
- Updated: 2026-07-13
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/tick-mcp

## What it does

tick-mcp exposes two tools. `now` returns the current date, time, weekday, and an IANA timezone result; `since` measures the gap between a supplied timestamp and the present. Their descriptions encourage the model to check the clock before using words such as yesterday or tomorrow.

The server can run locally over stdio or remotely over Streamable HTTP. A Claude Code hook is included to attach the actual send time to each user message. The local flavor needs Python 3.9+, while the remote service defaults to UTC, so local time requires an IANA timezone to be passed explicitly.

## Requirements
- Remote server: `https://tick-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp`

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http tick-mcp https://tick-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp
```

### Codex

**Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
codex mcp add tick-mcp --url https://tick-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp
```

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "tick-mcp": {
            "url": "https://tick-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "tick-mcp": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://tick-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
gemini mcp add -t http tick-mcp https://tick-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp
```

## When to use it
- check the current time before composing a dated reply
- measure how long ago an event happened
- separate a recent message from a stale session timestamp
- stamp Claude Code messages with their send time

## Example prompts
- Check the current date and time before answering about today or tomorrow.
- Use `since` to measure the gap from this timestamp to now.
- Call `now` before writing a time-of-day greeting, using my IANA timezone.

## Similar
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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md