A timestamp on Bharatpedia is an automatically generated date and time record appended to talk page messages, user edits, revision histories, and administrative log entries. Timestamps serve as an essential mechanism for tracking chronological discussions, managing edit disputes, and maintaining audit trails across the encyclopedia.
Overview and Standard Format[edit source]
Timestamps ensure that all contributions and talk page interactions are transparent and traceable. On Bharatpedia, the standard display format for automated signatures and page histories follows the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Indian Standard Time (IST) conventions depending on user preference settings.
Default Discussion Format[edit source]
When signing a message on talk pages, MediaWiki automatically appends a timestamp in the following layout:
12:52, 8 September 2026 (UTC)
This format contains:
- Time: 24-hour format (
HH:MM) - Date: Day of the month
- Month: Full month name
- Year: Four-digit calendar year
- Time Zone: Time zone identifier (default is
UTC)
Generating Timestamps in Discussions[edit source]
Timestamps are generated using tildes (~) when posting on user talk pages, project noticeboards, or article discussion pages.
| Code | Output | Common Use Case |
|---|---|---|
~~~ |
Username link only (e.g., Example) | Rarely used alone in discussions. |
~~~~ |
Username link + Timestamp | Standard signature for all talk page posts. |
~~~~~ |
Timestamp only (e.g., 12:52, 8 September 2026 (UTC)) | Used to date a message if you forgot to sign previously. |
Example Usage[edit source]
Typing the following in an edit box:
I support this article merge based on the sources provided. ~~~~
Renders upon publishing as:
> I support this article merge based on the sources provided. Example (talk) 12:52, 8 September 2026 (UTC)
Timestamps in MediaWiki System Features[edit source]
Apart from talk page signatures, timestamps appear across several key MediaWiki system interfaces:
1. Page Revision Histories[edit source]
Every article has a revision history page accessible via the View history tab. Each revision entry begins with a timestamp showing exactly when an edit was saved, linked directly to the diff of that change.
2. Recent Changes & Watchlists[edit source]
The Recent Changes feed and user watchlists display real-time timestamps for newly created pages, page reversions, and article modifications.
3. System Logs[edit source]
Administrative actions including page protections, account creations, file uploads, and user blocks are recorded in Special:Log with strict microsecond-accurate timestamps.
Magic Words and System Variables[edit source]
Wikitext editors and template designers can display dynamic time information using MediaWiki magic words.
Date and Time Variables[edit source]
{{CURRENTTIME}}– Displays current time in 24-hour format (e.g.,12:52).{{CURRENTDAY}}– Displays current day of the month (e.g.,8).{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}– Displays current month name (e.g.,September).{{CURRENTYEAR}}– Displays current year (e.g.,2026).{{CURRENTTIMESTAMP}}– Displays pure numeric system timestamp format (YYYYMMDDHHMMSS, e.g.,20260908125253).
Time Formatting with Parser Functions[edit source]
If the #time parser function is enabled via the ParserFunctions extension, custom timestamps can be rendered using standard formatting strings:
{{#time: Y-m-d H:i:s }}
Customizing Timezone Preferences[edit source]
Users can change how timestamps are displayed to match their local timezone:
1. Navigate to Special:Preferences. 2. Click on the Appearance tab. 3. Scroll to the Time offset section. 4. Select your local timezone (e.g., `Asia/Kolkata` for IST, UTC+05:30) or choose "Use browser data". 5. Click Save.
Note: Local timezone preferences affect page histories and recent changes feeds, but talk page signatures generated via ~~~~ remain standardized for all readers.
Important Guidelines[edit source]
- Do Not Alter Historic Timestamps: When editing or archiving talk pages, never alter or fake timestamps in existing messages. Timestamps are crucial for maintaining factual chronological records.
- Always Sign Posts: Unsigned messages create confusion regarding when a suggestion or consensus was formed. If an editor forgets to sign, other users may add a
{{Unsigned}}template containing the timestamp from the page history.