# always-current-datetime

This skill refreshes local date and time before each direct reply. It helps agents handle relative dates, deadlines, and time zones without guessing.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 558 installs · ★ 2
- Author: Kiren Srinivasan
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/srinitude/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/always-current-datetime

## What it does

always-current-datetime acquires one fresh local clock anchor for every direct user turn. The result includes the captured date and time, weekday, time zone, UTC offset, source, plus yesterday and tomorrow. Relative wording such as “next Friday” is resolved to an absolute date; when conventions produce different results, the skill asks for clarification.

It can run through `mise run refresh` or a fallback using an installed Python 3 interpreter. The portable path accepts `--timezone`, then checks `PROFILE_TIMEZONE`, and otherwise uses system-local time. A failed command or invalid JSON stops date-dependent work, so the agent must not invent a timestamp or reuse an earlier anchor.

For Claude Code, installation places the skill at `~/.claude/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md`. Without an available `mise` or Python 3 runner, the clock anchor cannot be acquired.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add srinitude/skills --skill always-current-datetime -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/always-current-datetime/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add srinitude/skills --skill always-current-datetime -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add srinitude/skills --skill always-current-datetime -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install srinitude/skills always-current-datetime
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add srinitude/skills --skill always-current-datetime -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/srinitude/skills --path skills/always-current-datetime
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add srinitude/skills --skill always-current-datetime -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/srinitude/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- resolve a phrase such as “next Friday”
- turn a deadline into an absolute date and time
- include the active local time zone
- separate current observations from earlier evidence

## Example prompts
- Resolve “next Friday” to an absolute date and include the time zone.
- Refresh the local clock before answering, then tell me today’s weekday.
- Run `refresh` and include the current clock anchor in your reply.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: fa5d00f9636890da.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE fa5d00f9636890da
````text
---
name: always-current-datetime
description: 'Use when replying. Refresh current date and time.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: Kiren Srinivasan
  version: '0.1.2'
  scope: 'user'
---

# Always current date and time

Use one fresh local clock anchor for every direct user turn. Apply it through `starting-point`, resolve relative dates and times without changing the user's words, and persist the current acquisition time in the visible reply.

## Which commands does this skill accept?

Treat an ordinary direct user message as `refresh`. These control words exist for inspection and testing.

| Command   | Result                                                                                                  |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `help`    | Show the trigger, clock fields, timezone order, visible prefixes, failure rule, and anchor state.       |
| `refresh` | Acquire one fresh anchor for the current direct turn, bind it to `starting-point`, and apply the reply. |

If a request matches neither command, use `refresh`. Do not ask the user to choose a command.

## When does it run?

Run before every reply to a direct user message, even when the message has no date or time words. A tool result, system event, or assistant continuation does not start a new clock acquisition. An exact mid-turn out-of-band user-message marker does.

## What is the per-turn contract?

Before interpreting or acting on the newest direct user message:

1. Load `starting-point` through the host's skill-loading capability.
2. When the loader supplies an accessible absolute directory, use it as the process working directory and run `mise run refresh` exactly once.
3. When the loader supplies only a resource address or the directory is inaccessible, run the self-contained Python fallback below exactly once through the host's process runner. A resource address is not a filesystem path.
4. Require one JSON object with `captured_at`, `date`, `time`, `weekday`, `timezone`, `zone_abbreviation`, `utc_offset`, `source`, `yesterday`, and `tomorrow`. The schema is shared with `references/eval-contract.md` through `mise run validate`; reading that resource is not required to acquire an anchor.
5. Add the anchor to the private `starting-point` map as `as_of`.
6. Resolve temporal language before any date-sensitive or time-sensitive tool call.
7. Write the visible date-time prefix in the actual assistant response so session history stores it.

Run with an accessible package directory:

```bash
mise run refresh
```
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE fa5d00f9636890da

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the fa5d00f9636890da tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2614 of 11352 bytes. © Kiren Srinivasan · MIT · https://github.com/srinitude/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/always-current-datetime/SKILL.md

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---
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