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Format Relative Time

stable:  2.3.0 Coverage: 94.11% Bundle: 10.01kb Lighthouse: 100 Axe Core Released: 0.0.0
Overview API Examples

Formats a date/time value as localized relative text using the Intl.RelativeTimeFormat API. Renders inside a semantic time element. Options mirror the Intl.RelativeTimeFormat API. When unit is 'auto', the component selects the best unit based on the time difference.

2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2024-06-15T12:00:00.000Z 2025-12-01T12:00:00.000Z

Installation

CLI / MCP / CDN

By default, the component formats the date string from its text content. That text also serves as the SSR fallback. Use the date property or attribute when the value already comes from JavaScript or bound data. If both are present, date wins.

If you omit locale, the component uses document.documentElement.lang. If that value is empty, Intl.RelativeTimeFormat uses the browser default locale.

Default

Basic relative time formatting with auto unit selection. Use for displaying human-readable relative timestamps in content areas, feeds, or metadata.

2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2024-06-15T12:00:00.000Z 2025-12-01T12:00:00.000Z

Numeric

Numeric formatting control for natural language output. Use 'auto' to display natural forms such as 'yesterday' instead of '1 day ago'.

2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z

Format Style

Format style presets for controlling output verbosity. Use 'short' or 'narrow' for compact layouts such as data tables or timelines.

2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z

Unit

Explicit time unit selection for keeping relative time in a fixed unit. Use when you always want output in days, months, or years instead of letting the component auto-select the unit.

2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z

Locale

Explicit locale settings for internationalized relative time output. Use when the target audience locale differs from the document language or browser default.

2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z 2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z

Date Attribute

Date attribute input for values supplied by JavaScript or bound data. By default, the component formats text content, which also serves as the SSR fallback, and date wins when both are present.

Sync

Auto-updating relative time with the sync attribute. Use for live feeds, notifications, or dashboards where freshness matters.

2020-01-15T12:00:00.000Z

Release Status

All elements and features go through 3 phases of stability, pre-release, beta and stable.

pre-release
Docs Preview API Documentation Fully Themeable
beta
Robust unit test coverages Passed API Review Passed Designer VQA Review Included in library package
stable
No known outstanding AA WCAG issues No known outstanding performance issues Adapts to different screen/container sizes No breaking API changes for at least 90 days