> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mira.party/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Durations & time

> Every way to write a length of time or a point in time.

Lots of commands take a duration (`tempban`, `timeout`, `temprole`) or a point in time (`reminder`, `lockdown until`, `schedule`). Both are flexible about how you write them.

## Durations

A duration is a number followed by a unit. Units can be combined, and spaces are optional.

```javascript theme={null}
!tempban @someone 7d
!timeout @someone 30m
!temprole @someone @VIP 1w
!mute @someone 2h30m
```

| Unit    | Accepted as                             |
| ------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Years   | `y`, `year`, `years`                    |
| Months  | `mo`, `month`, `months`                 |
| Weeks   | `w`, `week`, `weeks`                    |
| Days    | `d`, `day`, `days`                      |
| Hours   | `h`, `hr`, `hrs`, `hour`, `hours`       |
| Minutes | `m`, `min`, `mins`, `minute`, `minutes` |
| Seconds | `s`, `sec`, `secs`, `second`, `seconds` |

Combining works in any sensible order, largest first:

```javascript theme={null}
!tempban @someone 1w3d
!timeout @someone 1h30m
!temprole @someone @VIP 2mo1w
```

<Warning>
  `m` is **minutes**, `mo` is **months**. `!tempban @someone 3m` is a three-minute ban, not a three-month one. This is the single most common mistake with duration arguments.
</Warning>

Clock notation also works where a duration is expected:

```javascript theme={null}
!timeout @someone 1:30
!timeout @someone 2 days, 4:00
```

### Limits

Discord and the bot both impose caps:

| Context                 | Maximum                    |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------- |
| `timeout`               | 28 days (Discord's limit)  |
| Antinuke `--duration`   | 12 hours                   |
| Antiraid invite pause   | 24 hours (Discord's limit) |
| Message deletion on ban | 7 days (Discord's limit)   |
| Slowmode                | 6 hours (Discord's limit)  |
| Most durations          | 10 seconds minimum         |

## Points in time

Commands that take a *when* rather than a *how long* accept natural language:

```javascript theme={null}
!reminder tomorrow at 5pm call mama
!reminder in 3 hours check the oven
!lockdown until 6pm
!lockdown all until midnight
!schedule add #general every day at 12am
```

Things that parse:

| You write              | Means                                          |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `5pm`, `17:00`         | Today at that time, or tomorrow if it's passed |
| `tomorrow at 5pm`      | Tomorrow                                       |
| `in 3 hours`, `3h`     | Relative to now                                |
| `next monday`          | The coming Monday                              |
| `march 14`, `14 march` | That date                                      |
| `every day at 12am`    | A recurring schedule                           |
| `every sunday at 6pm`  | A recurring weekly schedule                    |

<Tip>
  Put the time first and the message after — `!reminder 2h check the oven`. If the parser eats part of your message, quote the time: `!reminder "tomorrow at 5pm" call mama`.
</Tip>

## Timezones

Times are interpreted in **your** timezone once you've set one:

```javascript theme={null}
!timezone set America/New_York
!timezone set Chicago
!timezone set EST
```

Accepts IANA names (`Europe/London`), city names (`Tokyo`) and common abbreviations (`EST`, `PST`, `GMT`). Without one, times are UTC.

Check yours with `!timezone`, or someone else's with `!timezone @someone`.

This affects reminders, scheduled messages, `lockdown until`, birthdays and anything else time-based.

## Dates

Birthday and date arguments are lenient:

```javascript theme={null}
!birthday set March 14
!birthday set 14 March
!birthday set 3/14
!birthday set 14/03
```

Ambiguous numeric dates like `3/4` are a coin flip between March 4th and April 3rd. Write the month name to be sure.

## How durations are displayed

Output is written the way a person would say it — `2 hours`, `3 days, 4 hours`, `1 month`. In scripts, a duration variable renders the same way, and date variables render as Unix timestamps you can drop into Discord's timestamp markdown:

```javascript theme={null}
{description: expires <t:{expires_at}:R>}
```

See [timestamps](/scripting/variables#timestamps).