How to get Current Date in Cart and Checkout Validation Function API

Shopify Apps

Topic summary

  • Goal: obtain the current date within Shopify Cart and Checkout Validation Functions. Using JavaScript new Date() returns 01/01/1970 and is not supported.

  • Reason: Shopify Functions are deterministic (same input → same output), so they cannot access the system clock; JS Date is unavailable.

  • Update: an unstable API version now includes a localTime field in the input (Shop object) that exposes the store’s local date.

  • Limitation: localTime currently returns only a date string (e.g., “2019-07-16”) without time-of-day. Developers are requesting full dateTime access rather than relying on date-comparison helpers.

  • Open items: no ETA was provided for stable release or for adding time and store time-of-day. A GitHub feature request for current dateTime support is open for upvotes.

  • Status: partial capability available on unstable (date-only); the need for full dateTime remains unresolved.

Summarized with AI on January 9. AI used: gpt-5.
1

I want to get current date in Cart and Checkout Validation Function API. I’m using this:

new Date()

But it returns 01/01/1970. I tried to use another ways but cannot get current date.
Can somebody explain this?
And how to i get Current Date in Cart and Checkout Validation Function API?

Thank in advance.

2

JS date won’t work since functions are deterministic.

The Shopify team has some additions in the works to add the date to the input query.

3

Thanks for your reply.

4

Do we know if there is a rough ETA for this please, and if the store time be available as well?

5

Good news.

localTime field is on unstable version.

You can check the documentation.

1 Like
6

Thank you

7

Unfortunately, it is still limited to a date without time.

"2019-07-16"

Shopify could add time as well, instead of multiple date time comparison functions in GraphQL

3 Likes
8

I also need the current dateTime in my function not a comparison. I opened a feature request on GitHub, please upvote it @adkhamllama .

6 Likes