Relative Time Formatter API Reference

Overview

Relative Time Formatter works by calculating the time difference between dates and expressing it in the most appropriate unit (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years) with customizable formatting styles.

Endpoint

One host, one path per API. The block below shows this call in four languages; every one of them is the same HTTP request. Making requests covers the timeouts, retries and parameter rules that apply to all of them. The SDKs wrap the same call in a typed client.

GEThttps://api.apiverve.com/v1/relativetimeformatter

curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/relativetimeformatter?timestamp=1609459200&reference=2024-06-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&style=short" \
  -H "x-api-key: your_api_key_here"

const res = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/relativetimeformatter?timestamp=1609459200&reference=2024-06-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&style=short', {
  headers: { 'x-api-key': 'your_api_key_here' },
});

if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);

const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data);

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/relativetimeformatter?timestamp=1609459200&reference=2024-06-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&style=short",
    headers={"x-api-key": "your_api_key_here"},
    timeout=15,
)
res.raise_for_status()

print(res.json()["data"])

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
)

func main() {
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/relativetimeformatter?timestamp=1609459200&reference=2024-06-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&style=short", nil)
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", "your_api_key_here")

	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()

	out, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(out))
}

Replace your_api_key_here with the key from your dashboard. When the inputs arrive as a list rather than one at a time, batch requests run up to 200 of them through this same API in a single call.

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — there is no token exchange and no per-endpoint scope to configure. Authentication covers creating, rotating and revoking keys.

401 is the only auth verdict

A 401 means the key is missing, invalid or expired. A 403 means the key is valid but not permitted here — blocked by a key restriction or an IP allow-list. Running out of credits is a 429.

Parameters

Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.

Parameter	Type	Description
`timestamp`Required	string	Unix timestamp in seconds or milliseconds timestamp
`reference`Optional	string	Reference time to compare against (default: current time) date
`style`Optional	string	Output style `shortlongabbreviated` default short

Response

Every API returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape. Response format covers the envelope, the other output formats and how premium fields are withheld.

Sample response

{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "target_date": "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z",
    "reference_date": "2025-12-16T22:28:24.459Z",
    "relative_time": "4 years ago",
    "is_past": true,
    "is_future": false,
    "difference_ms": -156464904459,
    "primary_unit": "year",
    "primary_value": 4,
    "all_units": {
      "years": 4,
      "months": 59,
      "weeks": 258,
      "days": 1810,
      "hours": 43462,
      "minutes": 2607748,
      "seconds": 156464904,
      "milliseconds": 156464904459
    },
    "style": "short"
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Field	Type	Example	Description
`target_date`	string	`"2021-01-01T00:00:00Z"`	The date being described
`reference_date`	string	`"2025-12-16T22:28:24.459Z"`	The date it is described relative to
`relative_time`	string	`"4 years ago"`	Relative time formatted string (e.g., '2 hours ago')
`is_past`	boolean	`true`	Whether the target date falls before the reference date
`is_future`	boolean	`false`	Whether the target date falls after the reference date
`difference_ms`	number	`-156464904459`	Gap between the two dates in milliseconds
`primary_unit`	string	`"year"`	Primary time unit used in formatting
`primary_value`	number	`4`	Numeric value of the time unit
`all_units`	object	`{...}`	The same gap expressed in every unit
`years`	number	`4`	Gap in years
`months`	number	`59`	Gap in months
`weeks`	number	`258`	Gap in weeks
`days`	number	`1810`	Gap in days
`hours`	number	`43462`	Gap in hours
`minutes`	number	`2607748`	Gap in minutes
`seconds`	number	`156464904`	Gap in seconds
`milliseconds`	number	`156464904459`	Gap in milliseconds
`style`	string	`"short"`

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change. Error handling covers the full status list and which of them are worth retrying.

Status	Meaning	What to do
`400`	Input was rejected	Read `error`; it names the parameter.
`401`	Key missing or invalid	Check the header name and the key value.
`403`	Key valid, but not permitted	A key restriction or IP allow-list; see key scoping.
`429`	Rate limited, or out of credits	Read `error` to tell them apart; see rate limits.

Use cases

Social Media: Display post timestamps as relative times like '5 minutes ago' in feeds and timelines
Activity Logs: Show user activity and system events with human-readable time references
Notifications: Format notification timestamps for better user comprehension and engagement
Analytics: Present time-based data and metrics in accessible relative time formats

Other ways to use Relative Time Formatter

Set up Relative Time Formatter on APIVerve, or reach the same source a different way. Your APIVerve account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.

Give it to an AI agentConnect over MCP and your agent calls it as a native tool — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT.VerveKit →Reference →

Use it in Google Sheets or ExcelA =VERVE() formula fills a column — no script, no export, recalculates in place.VerveSheets →Reference →

Ground an agent on itA cited, machine-checkable fact your model can't produce on its own.VerveContext →Reference →

Relative Time Formatter