How to use the utcNow() function in Power Automate

Introduction

The utcNow() function returns the current date and time in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when the flow runs. It outputs a timestamp which you can use to track when something happened, log events, or format for display.

1. Default Output of `utcNow()`

If you just use:

utcNow()

It returns the full UTC timestamp in ISO 8601 format with milliseconds and a “Z” suffix, meaning Zulu time (UTC).
Example:
```
2024-03-18T12:30:45.1234567Z
```
This is useful if you want an exact moment in time and plan to process or store it without formatting.

2. Formatting `utcNow()` for Different Date and Time Outputs

Often you want to show or use the date/time in a more readable or locale-friendly way. Power Automate lets you format the date/time string by passing a format string inside utcNow() or better yet, use formatDateTime() for more options.

Syntax Recap

utcNow('format') – formats the current UTC date/time using the specified pattern.
formatDateTime(timestamp, 'format') – formats any timestamp with a pattern (more flexible).
formatDateTime(timestamp, 'format', 'locale') – formats with locale-specific settings.

Common Format Patterns Explained

Format Symbol	Meaning	Example
yyyy	4-digit year	2024
MM	2-digit month (01-12)	03
dd	2-digit day (01-31)	18
dddd	Full day name	Monday
MMMM	Full month name	March
hh	12-hour clock hour (01-12)	12
HH	24-hour clock hour (00-23)	15
mm	Minutes (00-59)	30
ss	Seconds (00-59)	45
tt	AM/PM designator	PM

3. Examples with Explanation

Example A: ISO Date Format (YYYY-MM-DD)

utcNow('yyyy-MM-dd')

Outputs: 2024-03-18
Good for database fields, logging, or when you want just the date part in standard ISO format.

Example B: US Date Format (MM/DD/YYYY)

utcNow('MM/dd/yyyy')

Outputs: 03/18/2024
Familiar format for users in the US.

Example C: European Date Format (DD-MM-YYYY)

utcNow('dd-MM-yyyy')

Outputs: 18-03-2024
Common in Europe and other regions.

Example D: Compact Date Format (YYYYMMDD)

utcNow('yyyyMMdd')

Outputs: 20240318
Useful for filenames or sorting.

Example E: Full Date with Day Name

utcNow('dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy')

Outputs: Monday, March 18, 2024
Great for user-friendly displays or emails.

Example F: 12-Hour Time with AM/PM

utcNow('hh:mm tt')

Outputs: 12:30 PM
Standard time format in US.

Example G: 24-Hour Time with Seconds

utcNow('HH:mm:ss')

Outputs: 12:30:45
Useful for logs and technical displays.

Example H: Short 24-Hour Time (Hours & Minutes)

utcNow('HH:mm')

Outputs: 12:30
Compact time display.

4. Locale-Specific Formatting (Using `formatDateTime`)

Power Automate does not support locale as a parameter in utcNow(), but you can format dates for different locales using formatDateTime() like this:

formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'D', 'en-US')

Outputs: Monday, March 18, 2024 in US English locale.

Similarly:

formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'd', 'en-GB')

Outputs: 18/03/2024 (British English format)

5. How to Use These Expressions in Power Automate

Step-by-step

Open your flow in Power Automate.
Add a Compose action or use any field that accepts expressions.
Click the Expression tab.
Paste one of the expressions, e.g.:
```
utcNow('yyyy-MM-dd')
```
Click OK.
Save and run the flow.
Check the output of the Compose action to see the formatted date/time.

6. Troubleshooting Tips

Remember that utcNow() always returns UTC time. If you want local time, you need to convert it using convertTimeZone() function.
Format strings are case-sensitive (HH vs hh).
Use formatDateTime() for locale-specific formatting.
If formatting fails, check for typos or unsupported characters.

Conclusion

The utcNow() function in Power Automate returns the current date and time in UTC in ISO 8601 format, useful for timestamping, logging, and time-based flow actions consistently across time zones.