relative_time

Calculates the relative time from now to a given date-time string.

Server Mcp Time @mcpcentral/mcp-time
Category Read
Risk class Low
Parameters 11 required

What relative_time does on Mcp Time

AI agents call relative_time to retrieve information from Mcp Time without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
time string Yes The time to compare (format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss)

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

Why relative_time needs a policy

This tool performs a read-only calculation operation. It takes a datetime input and computes relative time differences, returning computed information without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any code. No side effects are produced. This is consistent with other sibling tools on this server (convert_time, current_time, get_timestamp) which are all information retrieval operations.

From the tool's definition Tool 'relative_time' calculates and returns relative time information from a given datetime string. The description indicates a retrieval/computation of time data with no modification of system state or external data.

Questions about relative_time

What does the relative_time tool do? +

Calculates the relative time from now to a given date-time string. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Time MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does relative_time accept? +

relative_time accepts 1 parameter: time. Required: time. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on relative_time? +

Register the Mcp Time MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for relative_time: 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 Mcp Time. Nothing to install.

What risk level is relative_time? +

relative_time is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit relative_time? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the relative_time 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.

How do I block relative_time completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for relative_time. 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.

What MCP server provides relative_time? +

relative_time is provided by the Mcp Time MCP server (@mcpcentral/mcp-time). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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