---
title: "How to use the parseTime() and  timeDiff() macro"
slug: "how-to-use-the-parsetime-and-timediff-macro"
updated: 2023-01-19T21:20:04Z
published: 2023-01-19T21:20:03Z
canonical: "docs.catchpoint.com/how-to-use-the-parsetime-and-timediff-macro"
---

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

# How to use the parseTime() and  timeDiff() macro

## Overview

Catchpoint supports injecting dynamic content into scripts, the test URL field for web tests, header overrides, alert emails, and alert webhook templates.

## ParseTime()

This is a sub-macro of the `DateTime()` macro which performs a datetime conversion on the input string and outputs a re-formatted datetime string.

If no parameter is specified, the output format will be **YYYYMMDDHHMISS**. The input parameter should be a standard date-time format, or of the **YYYY{MM{DD{HH{MI{SS{MSC}}}}}}** format.

**Example**

```
open("https://www.catchpoint.com")
storeVariable("${Extract('resp-headers', 'regexp:date:(.*)', parseTime())}", "timestamp")     
open("http://www.google.com/?${var(timestamp)}")
```

The above code extracts the date response header and then parse it.

![date.png](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/4402571111309-date.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-13T12%3A19%3A55Z&se=2026-10-13T13%3A19%3A55Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=08PD2dCwXTyA555cqz1nQAe2Vu%2FTxO26yrf1IPlndXM%3D)

![](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/360014695351-mceclip1.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-13T12%3A19%3A55Z&se=2026-10-13T13%3A19%3A55Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=08PD2dCwXTyA555cqz1nQAe2Vu%2FTxO26yrf1IPlndXM%3D)

## timeDiff()

The `timeDiff()` macro compares two DateTime strings.

Here is the format for the `timeDiff()` macro:

```
${timeDiff('${var(t1)}', '${var(t2)}', 'format', 'trim-flag')} 
```

- The first two parameters are expected to be in **YYYYMMDD{HH{MI{SS{MSC}}}}** format.
- The third parameter has the formats listed below (defaults to **st**).
- The fourth parameter indicates whether to prevent zero-padding or not (defaults to **false**).
- 

**Format options for the 3rd parameter:**

- **dd** - day of month (no zero padding)
- **hh** - hour (by 24-hour clock. trimming allowed. defaults to 2-digit hour)
- **ht** - total hours (no zero padding)
- **mi** - minute (trimming allowed, defaults to 2-digit minute)
- **mit** - total minutes (no zero padding)
- **ms** - milliseconds (trimming allowed, defaults to 3-digit   millisecond)
- **mst** - total milliseconds (no zero padding)
- **ss** - seconds (trimming allowed, defaults to 2-digit second)
- **st** - total seconds (no zero padding)

Any other characters will show up as entered in the output of the macro.

## Examples:

```
var a = 20141121113945078;
var b = 20141121;
var c = ${timediff("${var(a)}", "${var(b)}")};
var d = ${timediff("${var(a)}", "${var(b)}", "ss.ms")};
var e = ${timediff("${var(a)}", "${var(b)}", "mst")};
var f = ${timediff("${var(a)}", "${var(b)}", "dd:hh:mi:ss.ms")};
var g = ${timediff("${var(a)}", "${var(b)}", "ms")};
var h = ${timediff("${var(a)}", "${var(b)}", "ms", "true")};
open(http://www.google.com/a=${var(a)}/b=${var(b)}/c=${var(c)}/d=${var(d)}/e=${var(e)}/f=${var(f)}/g=${var(g)}/h=${var(h)})
assert(${extract('url','regexp:^(.+)$','eq(http://www.google.com/a=20141121113945078/b=20141121/c=41985/d=45.078/e=41985078/f=0:11:39:45.078/g=078/h=78)')})
```

Here is a script to illustrate the usage of both `parseTime()` and `timeDiff()`.

```
open("https://www.catchpoint.com")
storeVariable("${Extract('resp-headers', 'regexp:date:(.*)', parseTime())}", "timestamp")
open("http://www.google.com/?${var(timestamp)}")
var diff = ${timediff("${var(timestamp)}","${time}","dd:hh:mi:ss:ms")};
open("http://www.google.com/?d=${var(diff)}/p=${var(timestamp)}/c=${time}")
```

![](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/360014697911-mceclip1.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-13T12%3A19%3A55Z&se=2026-10-13T13%3A19%3A55Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=08PD2dCwXTyA555cqz1nQAe2Vu%2FTxO26yrf1IPlndXM%3D)