time_diff
Computes the elapsed time between two instants: exact totals in each unit, a calendar breakdown (years/months/days rather than 'thirteen and a half months'), the count of weekdays in between, and a human phrase. Negative when to precedes from.
This record as markdown: /tools/com-fluentedi-tools/time-diff.md
What time_diff does on Tools
AI agents call time_diff to retrieve information from Tools without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
to | string | — | End instant: ISO 8601, unix timestamp, or "now". |
from | string | — | Start instant: ISO 8601, unix timestamp, or "now". |
timezone | string | — | IANA timezone identifier, e.g. "UTC", "America/New_York", "Asia/Kolkata", "Europe/London". |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why time_diff is rated Low
Even though time_diff only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs time_diff safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Tools, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For time_diff, this is the rule to start with:
time_diff is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Tools, apply this rule, and every time_diff call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about time_diff
Computes the elapsed time between two instants: exact totals in each unit, a calendar breakdown (years/months/days rather than 'thirteen and a half months'), the count of weekdays in between, and a human phrase. Negative when to precedes from. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Tools MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
time_diff accepts 3 parameters: to, from, timezone. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Tools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for time_diff: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Tools. Nothing to install.
time_diff is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the time_diff rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for time_diff. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
time_diff is provided by the Tools MCP server (https://fluentedi.com/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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