Automated emails entering time field in correct format

[MSaban (Melissa Saban)]

We have a date/time column that is incorporated into an automated email, letting a client know when their appt. has been scheduled. However, when the email goes out (thru Outlook), the time that is entered is in military time, which can be confusing for the clientele we are dealing with. We have it set as 12-hr. in the board but then its converted when the email is created. Is there a way to fix this?

[dmccarthy22710 (Desiree McCarthy)]

Can you confirm which column Type you’re using? I just created a test scenario using an ‘hour’ column and then sent an email with that time included and it came in correctly.

[MSaban (Melissa Saban)]

I’m using the Date column with the time in it…it shows up fine when entering it but when an email is generated that auto-populates that field, it changes to the 24 hr. time setting.

[SirEric (Eric Maranga | Creative Bits LLC)]

Hi Mellisa,

I tested the automated email setup and confirmed that the time format appears correctly in the 12-hour format on my end. It seems like the issue might be related to how the Date/Time column is configured on your Monday.com board.

Please follow these steps to check the time format:

1. Open the Board: Navigate to the Monday.com board where the Date/Time column is set.

2. Check the Column Settings:
   Hover over the Date/Time column header (which should be an ‘Hour’ Column)

3. Click the three-dot menu (•••) that appears.
   Select Settings > Customize Hour Column > Hour Column Settings.
   Confirm Time Format:
   

   

Ensure that 12-hour format is selected under the Time Format option.
If it’s set to 24-hour format, change it to 12-hour format and save the settings.

This is the output once an email is sent.

I’ve attached screenshots for reference to make the process easier.

[SirEric (Eric Maranga | Creative Bits LLC)]

Hi again @MSaban,

From your response I understand that you are using a Date Column with Time. After further testing, I found that the issue with the Date column’s time format is indeed a limitation in Monday. Even when set to a 12-hour format, the system defaults to military (24-hour) time when sending data externally.

Solution:
To work around this, consider using Make (formerly Integromat) for integration. Make allows you to format dates and times before sending them to Outlook or other services.

Steps to Set It Up in Make:

1. Create a Scenario:

• Log in to Make and create a new scenario.

2. Add a Monday Module:

• Choose Watch Board Items or Get Item as your trigger.
• Connect your Monday account and select the relevant board.

3. Add a “Set Variable” Module:

• Search for Tools > Set Variable.
• Under Variable Name, type something like Formatted Date.
• In Value, paste this formula:

formatDate(parseDate({{insert date time variable here}}; "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm"); "MMM DD, YYYY, h:mmA")

4. Add an Email Module:

• Connect Outlook or any email service.
• Use the formatted date in the email content.

5. Test the Scenario:

• Run a test to see if the email is sent in the 12-hour format.

I’ve tested this setup, and it works perfectly.